Sunday Homilies by Fr. Rudolf V. D’ Souza

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GOOD FRIDAY - 2008

Celebration of the Lord's Passion

March 21, 2008 Year: A

Is. 52:13 to 53:12; Heb. 4:14-16, 5:7-9; 
Jn. 18:1 to 19:42

My God My God 
Why have you forsaken me? 

First Reading...
"See, my servant shall prosper; he shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high.

Just as there were many who were astonished at him so marred was his appearance, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of mortals - so he shall startle many nations; kings shall shut their mouths because of him; for that which had not been told them they shall see, and that which they had not heard they shall contemplate. Who has believed what we have heard? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by others; a man of suffering and acquainted with infirmity; and as one from whom others hide their faces he was despised, and we held him of no account.

Surely he has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases; yet we accounted him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed.

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have all turned to our own way, and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.

By a perversion of justice he was taken away. Who could have imagined his future? For he was cut off from the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people. They made his grave with the wicked and his tomb with the rich, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.

Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him with pain. When you make his life an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring, and shall prolong his days; through him the will of the Lord shall prosper. Out of his anguish he shall see light; he shall find satisfaction through his knowledge. The righteous one, my servant, shall make many righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.

Therefore I will allot him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he poured out himself to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors." [Is. 52:13- 53:12]

Second Reading...
"Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him." [Heb. 4:14-16; 5:7-9]

Helpful Event:
This is a true story which happened in the States. A man came out of his home to admire his new truck. To his puzzlement, his three-year-old son was happily hammering dents into the shiny paint of the truck. The man ran to his son, knocked him away, hammered the little boy's hands into pulp as punishment. When the father calmed down, he rushed his son to the hospital.

Although the doctor tried desperately to save the crushed bones, he finally had to amputate the fingers from both the boy's hands. When the boy woke up from the surgery & saw his bandaged stubs, he innocently said, "Daddy, I'm sorry about your truck." Then he asked, "but when are my fingers going to grow back?" The father went home and committed suicide.

Think about this story the next time someone steps on your feet or you wish to take revenge. Think first before you lose your patience with someone you love. Trucks can be repaired.. Broken bones & hurt feelings often can't. Too often we fail to recognize the difference between the person and the performance. We forget that forgiveness is greater than revenge.

People make mistakes. We are allowed to make mistakes. But the actions we take while in a rage will haunt us forever.

Do we remember the lies that were testified against Jesus? [Mk. 14:56]
How about when some of the people spit on Jesus? [Mk. 14:65]
When Jesus was repeatedly hit by the palms of hands? [Mk. 14:65]
When He was whipped and He shed His Sacred Blood? [Mt. 27:26]
When He had a Crown of Thorns placed on His head? [Jn. 19:2]
Do we remember when that for our sake, Jesus was stripped of His clothing? [Mt. 27:28] What embarrassment He endured for us!
Do we remember when Jesus was mocked as the King of the Jews? [Mt. 27:29]

When He was hit on the head with a reed? [Mt. 27:30]
When they mocked Jesus by bowing on their knees before Him? [Mk. 19-20]
When they cast lots for His vesture? [Mt. 27:35]

When He was beaten by the soldiers? [Jn 19:3]

When He had to carry the heavy wooden Cross of our sins while He was in such great pains? [Jn 19:17] 

IT IS THE DAY OF FORGIVENESS AND A DAY TO BE WITH THE SUFFERING LOT. LET US LIVE THIS DAY IN TOTAL SILENCE OF MIND AND SURROUNDINGS.

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