Making a Joyful Noise on Good Friday – 04/18/2014

Making a Joyful Noise on Good Friday – 04/18/2014

“To be evangelizers of souls, we need to develop a spiritual taste for being close to people’s lives and to discover that this is itself a source of greater joy. Mission is at once a passion for Jesus and a passion for his people. When we stand before Jesus crucified, we see the depth of his love which exalts and sustains us, but at the same time, unless we are blind, we begin to realize that Jesus’ gaze, burning with love, expands to embrace all his people. We realize once more that he wants to make use of us to draw closer to his beloved people. He takes us from the midst of his people and he sends us to his people; without this sense of belonging we cannot understand our deepest identity.” (Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium: The Joy of the Gospel)

Pope Francis’ words remind us today of what the Cross is all about. He asks us to stand before the Cross of Christ today. He asks us to see and feel the depth of God’s love, of Jesus’ love for us. We are reminded that Christ’s love cannot remind just within us but that it is to be shared!

As I think about John’s Passion today and the other readings (Isaiah 52: 13- 53:12; Hebrews 4:14-16; 5: 7-9; John 18: 1-19:42) we encounter my thoughts take me back to my teenage years. I remember as a teenager several Good Friday's I sat in my bedroom and played the rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar from 12 noon to 3 pm. It was my way as a teenager to think of the events of Good Friday before going with my family in the evening to church to celebrate the liturgy of the Lord's Passion. I listen to the words of the songs and pictured the story of Jesus' passion and death. I thought about all the characters involved in the story. I listened to them explain their actions and express their struggles and sorrow. It was liturgy; it was prayer for me at that time of my life.

I am sure some people might cringe at my teenage Good Friday service, perhaps thinking Jesus Christ Superstar was just a musical fad of the 1970's, something that was disrespectful or irreverent to this great story, something that was another sign that this generation was not faithful to the tradition, we were not faithful to what was holy, true and good. There was a lot of controversy around Jesus Christ Superstar especially when it came out as a play and movie. (A note of trivia the first authorized performance of the rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar took place on July 11, 1971, in front of an audience of 13,000 people at the Civic Area in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.) Yet as a high school and college student it was a way for me to understand my faith, to experience my faith and to put my faith into the context of my own life, it was my liturgy of the Lord's Passion for me.

I think we all need to find our own way of connecting to the Passion story. We have to find our own way to understand, to feel, the mystery of Jesus' Passion. We have to make the connection with the characters, with Jesus. We might not understand but we need to make the connection, we need to feel the story. We need to find our own liturgy sometimes.

As a teenager Jesus Christ Superstar helped me to feel the story, to make the connection. I knew it was just someone's interpretation of the Gospels. I knew that the songs were not the real story. I knew that this is not how the events happened but for me at that moment of my life it was the best way to make the journey with Jesus. It was the way to feel connected. It was a way to pray. It was a way to honor and keep holy Good Friday.

At this point in life I keep holy Good Friday much differently. I am blessed and honored to be a Passionist and a priest so often I am privileged to lead a community in the liturgy of the Lord's Passion or like this year I have the honor of preaching, of sharing the Good News on this day. Yet even today my thoughts often go back to my days as a teenager sitting in my room or lying on my bed following the story, being touched by the music, being overwhelmed by God's love for me. Perhaps those Good Friday's long ago are the very reason why I am a Passionist, a priest, a man of faith today!

My friends however you remember the Lord's Passion of this Good Friday my prayer for you is that the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ will always be in your heart!

Good Friday peace and blessings to all! I hope you will at least make a visit to Church today, take a little time to sit before the Cross of Christ, and make a joyful noise with your life!

Good Friday Prayers: Today I offer you two simple little prayers to guide you through this day. The first comes from our Passionist tradition it is a simple prayer we utter each day - "May the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ be always in our hearts!"

The second prayer was write by the great Jesuit theologian Fr. Karl Rahner, S.J. - "The Cross of My Lord, Be my Standard, Be my Comfort, Be the Answer to all dark questions, The Light of all nights, The Sign that You have chosen us, The mysterious and sure Sign that we are Yours for eternity. Amen."

A Runner's Thoughts: If we truly want to be a spiritual runner then we must remember that with every time we run we embark  on a path were we can expect surprises, missteps, little jumps and sometimes great leaps toward a personal understanding of God.

Good Friday Blessing: Good Friday morning everyone! I trust you had a blessed Holy Thursday and were able to find a little time to connect with God. I know many of you probably have to work today but hopefully you will be able to take at least find a few moments of quiet to make holy this Good Friday. If you can at least try to make a visit to a church and sit for a little while before the Cross of Christ and remember that God so loved the world that he gave us his only Son. If you can attend the Lord’s Passion Service that would be great, it is one of the simplest and most beautiful liturgies that we have as a Church.

Last night I celebrated with the faith community at St. Barnabas Parish in the Bronx and had the honor of preaching the Good Word. It was a full church and a very prayerful celebration. Today I will return to St. Barnabas for their two Good Friday Services at 3 pm and 7:30 pm. Once again I will be preaching. No other place I would want to be than proclaiming the Good News on Good Friday. I am truly a blessed Passionist today!

May prayer of blessing today is simply that somehow today you are touch by the magnanimous love of God. That you are blessed with the grace to believe in God’s love. A love that is ground in our friendship with Jesus because there is no greater love than for someone to lay down his life for his friends, Jesus laid down his life today for us, his friends. I send my prayers and I ask God's blessings upon all of you and your loved ones. May the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ be always in our hearts! Peace in Christ's Passion today and always...Fr. Paul

PS Check back throughout the day as I pray the Stations of the Cross on line. Perhaps you can take some time to pray with me!