Daily Gospel Reflection
Join the Notre Dame family of faith. Receive God’s Word and a unique reflection in your inbox each day.
April 10, 2020
Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother
and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas,
and Mary of Magdala.
When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved
he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.”
Then he said to the disciple,
“Behold, your mother.”
And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.
After this, aware that everything was now finished,
in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled,
Jesus said, “I thirst.”
There was a vessel filled with common wine.
So they put a sponge soaked in wine on a sprig of hyssop
and put it up to his mouth.
When Jesus had taken the wine, he said,
“It is finished.”
And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit.
In my Foundations of Theology course, I was introduced to a painting by James Tissot: “The Crucifixion, seen from the Cross.”
In the image, we see only Jesus’ feet: not his bleeding crown of thorns, not the rusted nails in his hands, not the sponge from which he receives wine. Instead, we see Israel through Jesus’ eyes — Israel who had, just hours ago, cried out “crucify him!”
In the crowd, some stand at a distance, others perch on their animals, and still others look on in scorn. Apart from the crowd, Mary, the Beloved Disciple, and a group of women approach the cross. Mary is nearly on the ground, wracked with grief as her son entrusts her to another: “Woman, behold, your son.”
Where are we on this Good Friday? Are we dwelling at a safe distance, hoping to go unseen? Do we sit comfortably on the sidelines, simply observing this violent death? Or do we approach the foot of his cross?
There, Jesus hangs naked, beaten, and broken for my sin. I want to turn away and face the tomb whose stone has already been removed. Too often, in my longing to see the resurrection of Easter Sunday, I hurry past the cross of Good Friday.
Yet we are called to the foot of the cross. We cannot approach with hesitation or hurry by, though we know the glory of the Resurrection. Instead, we must draw near to the foot of his cross.
In this time of uncertainty — in this deep longing for his presence in the Eucharist — I cling to Easter hope. But Easter hope is born from crucified love. Let us approach the cross, willing to dwell in our suffering and that of the world. There, may we see love face to face. There, may we find our hope.
Prayer
No moment in the history of the world is so memorable, so awesome and moving, as the moment when the cross of Jesus Christ was raised on Calvary. And when the cross with its precious Burden was finally in its place, dominating the horizon as the mysterious Sign of divine justice and mercy, the crowd surged toward it. For the moment, this movement was one of hatred, but it was presently to be a surge of love whose great waves were to beat against this Rock and his Holy Cross until the end of time.
Jesus, by your holy cross, you have redeemed the world. Amen.
Saint of the Day
Today is Good Friday, on which we recall Jesus’ trial and scourging, his suffering and death on the cross. Catholics observe today with mournful solemnity, and with the practice of abstaining from meat and fasting.
After the Mass of the Lord’s Supper yesterday, the church is stripped of any ornamentation, and the altar is laid bare. The Eucharist is removed from the tabernacle and placed in a separate altar of repose.
By tradition, no Sacraments are celebrated today (except for certain instances of Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick, or Baptism for those near death) because the Church recall’s Jesus’ death, and consequent temporary absence from humanity. The liturgy today, then, is not a Mass, but a communion service at which the assembly receives from the Body of Christ that was consecrated on Holy Thursday.
The priest leads today’s liturgy without an opening or closing procession because it is simply a continuation of the one Triduum liturgy that spans three days and culminates in the Easter Vigil.
At today’s liturgy, the cross is venerated—the assembly is invited to approach the cross and perform some act of respect, such as kissing or touching it. During this veneration, one of the prayers reads, “We worship you, Lord, we venerate your cross, we praise your resurrection. Through the cross you brought joy to the world.”
The liturgy today also includes extensive general intercessions. The assembly prays for the Church, the pope, the clergy and laity, for those preparing for baptism, for the unity of Christians, for the Jewish people, for those who do not believe in Jesus or God, for all of those in public office, and for those in special need. At this moment—when we recall the suffering and death of Jesus—we can have confidence that the God who gave us an only Son in love will also hear our prayers. We bring all of our needs to God this day and lay them at the foot of the cross.
The reliquary chapel in the Basilica holds many relics of Jesus’ passion and death, including a part of the column that Jesus was tied to when he was scourged, part of the whip that was used to beat him, part of his crown of thorns, a piece of rock from the hill where he was crucified, and a piece of the sponge that the soldiers used to offer him drink when he was on the cross. The chapel also holds a piece of the true cross, which is held in the center of the wooden cross shown here.
The image of Jesus’ face is an illustration of the image that was left on the veil that Veronica used to wipe the face of Jesus. Blessed Basil Moreau, C.S.C., founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross gave the image to Father Edward Sorin, C.S.C., when he left France for the wilderness of the American frontier to establish a university in northern Indiana. The image was venerated by the Holy Cross community in the Log Chapel and now is housed in the Basilica.
On this Good Friday, let us solemnly recall the triumph of Christ's cross over death!