Good Friday

As the Gospel story of Jesus’ passion unfolds today, we witness the light of the world being led from one interrogator to another and finally condemned to a cruel death, by crucifixion. Drawn like Peter, we follow him who has also…

“Then handed him over to them to be crucified” (John 19:16). There are at least a thousand lessons to be learned at Calvary, and then there are the mysteries beyond these lessons, which bring us to the shores of an endless sea. But in…

The dying words of St. John Paul II were, “Let me go to the house of my Father.” Isn’t that beautiful? Isn’t that what you want to be saying when you die? St. Thérèse died whispering, “My God! I love you!” Even George Washington muttered,…

We who have been Catholic most of our lives tend to not expect any surprises during the week that begins with Palm Sunday. We know we’re going to do a lot of standing and kneeling, a bit of fasting, and then a lot of feasting. We know the…

1. Attend the Chrism Mass  At Mass on the morning of Holy Thursday or another day near Easter, each diocese’s bishop consecrates the Holy Chrism that will be used throughout the year. Two other oils are also blessed on this occasion; the…

It’s an image and moment of Good Friday I’ll never forget. More poignantly, it’s the sound that still resonates in my mind and heart more than a decade later. I took an extended break — longer than I probably should have — that particular…

Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion Readings: Isaiah 52:13-53:12 Psalms 31:2, 6, 12-13, 15-16, 17, 25 Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9 John 18:1-19:42

Spanning the gap between the late medieval world and the so-called modern age, a phenomenon called the devotio moderna reshaped European religious sensibilities. A variety of pious interests characterize this loose movement, which strove to…