Friday April 2, 2021 - Good Friday - For us, Christ became obedient, even to death, and the death of the cross. This is why God exalted him: he endowed him with the Name which is above all names - Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 18, 1 — 19, 42

Dear Christians! This passage always relates the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, like that of Palm Sunday, but this time, according to the story of Saint John. It helps us to meditate on the mystery of our salvation. It helps us think about how we should respond to this unique love. You have to have a heart of stone not to be moved, even a little, by what happened to the Son of God, who gave his life for the world. We often hear this exhortation during the Stations of the Cross every Friday. He has already said: "The Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for the multitude" (Mt 20, 28; Mk 10, 45), and also: "There is no greater love than to lay down your life for those you love" (Jn 15,13). Spiritual suffering is one of the two great sufferings and can be seen as the culmination of Jesus' passion, his agony in Gethsemane, and the physical suffering due to the flogging. However, the prophet Isaiah declared: "Now it is because of our revolts that he was pierced, because of our sins that he was crushed. The punishment that gives us peace has weighed on him: by his wounds we are healed "(Isaiah 53, 5). We cannot feel the intensity of Jesus' pain because we are not even aware of our sins. Remember that Jesus' suffering is the result of our sins.

We are Good Friday, a hard Friday, let's share the passion of Jesus and stop, if only for today, the magnificent Fridays that we are used to. Jesus endured his passion with love, as He said: "The Son of man goes away as it is written". He leads us not to mourn him or to sympathize, but to look at our lives, to mourn our wrongs and our transgressions: "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not cry over me! Weep rather over yourselves and over your children", says- he. May this Good Friday with Jesus change us completely and bring us to Easter to bring us new life.

Oh God ! Your willingness to let your Son suffer and die for us is a great proof of your love, help us to feel your love and turn us away from our sins and bad habits. May this Good Friday not only pass but completely transform us. Amen!