Extreme love

Observing the liturgies for Good Friday can be somewhat of a challenge when there are plural communities involved.  With a bit of creativity and lots of helping hands, even this is possible.  Two communities came together last night for the celebration of the Mass of the Lord's Supper, but today, there is room for two (and maybe even more) services as God's people gather to commemorate the Passion.

At 11:00am today, families were invited to gather at one of our sites where children and teenagers told the story of Jesus' final hours.  The pictures included with this post are taken from this morning's service.

This afternoon, at 3:00pm, a second liturgy took place, and during that gathering, the following reflection was shared.

Taken to the extreme

Ever since the days of childhood, I have always remembered crowds gathering in Churches on this day.  The cynical side of me might be tempted to think that it has something to do with the fact that all the shops are closed, but in reality, there is something about the change in routine that makes this day special.  For the casual onlooker, the story of Jesus’ torture was then a public spectacle, an act of shame and disgrace, but for those who have heard this story, and who have come to believe, it is the ultimate act of love.

•  Listen to this homily

The irony of this day’s events is that the Son of God, the one who is all powerful, made himself powerless so that we might understand the extremes to which he is willing to go in order to convince us of his love for us.  Just as he did not come into the world in the midst of luxury, there was no luxury about the way in which he went out of this world.

Chldren taking part in the retelling of the Passion

If we were in his place, would we not at least want to hide our suffering from public display?  Would we not perhaps even shun the possibility of visitors (other than immediate family) having the chance to see us in our dying hours?  In a society which makes it so easy for us to hide suffering and death, the telling of Jesus’ suffering and death speaks all the more powerfully, especially to those who can do nothing to hide their vulnerabilities.

The suffering of Jesus unites him to the suffering of his people.  We see it every day in the suffering of women and children in our world who live in torrid conditions imposed by others who take advantage of them.  We see it in the sufferings of the world’s indigenous peoples, marginalized and separated from society and forced to live according to conditions beyond their control.    We see it too in the suffering of those enslaved by human trafficking, and in the untold stories of so many victims whose truths ought not be spoken.

A dialogue homily with the chldren.  They have such wisdom!

Yet, the passion narrative recounted by John, the one proclaimed every year on this day, portrays Jesus as completely in charge from beginning to end.  He embraces all humanity in our sinfulness and willingly accepts suffering and death to become an unmistakable sign of God’s love and mercy, of reconciliation and healing for a broken world.  Through the shame and horror of the spectacle of crucifixion, his cross becomes a beacon of hope that stretches across time.

This is not just a story about a man who was led from one place to another and then condemned to a cruel death.  If it were, it would have been forgotten long ago.  No, this is our story.  This is the story of all God’s people.  This is the story of love taken to the extreme by our God who would go to any length, even to dying on a cross, in a public display of shame and disgrace in order to convince us of His love for us.

Venerating the cross

And the story doesn’t end here either.  The last chapter is yet to be written.  The final act of love is yet to be told.  Tune in tomorrow.

At 6:00pm tonight, we will welcome representatives from various Christian churches located in the neighbourhood.  Together we will pray the Stations of the Cross.  This should be a wonderful opportunity to share a moment of prayer with others who are commemorating the day of Our Lord's final act of love.