Good Friday

 Good Friday, April 03, 2026

Is 52: 13-53; 12 ; Ps 31; Heb 4:14-16; 5:7-9; John 18:1-19:42

(Image courtesy: Google)

A mother living in a tenement house went shopping for groceries. While she was in the store, a fire engine raced by. She wondered, "Is the fire engine going to my home?" She had left her baby asleep at home. Forgetting about the groceries, she ran toward home. Her building had fire hoses aimed at it. It was burning like a matchbox. Rushing to the chief she cried out, "My baby is up there." He shouted back to her, "It would be suicide for anyone to go up there now; it's too late." A young fireman standing by volunteered, "Chief, I have a little baby at home and if my house were on fire, I'd want someone to go up to save my baby. I'll go." The young fireman climbed the stairs; he got the baby, threw her into the rescue net and just as he did the house collapsed and he was burned to death. The scene is 20 years later at a graveside. A 20-year-old woman is sobbing softly. Before her, at the head of this grave, is the statue of a fireman. A man stopping by asks respectfully, "Was that your father?" She replies, "No." "Was that your brother?" "No," she says. "That's the man who died for me." 

Today we stand before the Cross and we call this day Good Friday. It is good not because of the pain, but because of the love hidden within that pain. The readings of today show us a suffering servant who is wounded, rejected, and crushed. Yet through his suffering, healing and life are given to others. The Cross reveals a love that chooses to give itself completely, even when it is misunderstood and rejected.

Human suffering is one of the deepest questions of life. Every person, at some point, asks why suffering exists and what meaning it holds. The prophet Isaiah shows us that suffering is not meaningless when it is united with love. Jesus does not run away from suffering but enters into it with trust in the Father. His suffering becomes a path that leads to redemption and hope.

Many people ask, does God send suffering. The answer we see on Good Friday is clear. God does not delight in human pain, nor does he create suffering as a punishment. Suffering enters the world through human brokenness, sin, injustice, and the limits of our condition. What God does is something greater. He enters into our suffering and transforms it from within.

The Cross tells us that God is not distant from our pain. In Jesus, God experiences betrayal, rejection, humiliation, and death. He knows what it is to feel abandoned and wounded. This means that when we suffer, we are not alone. God is not the cause of suffering, but the companion who walks with us through it.

When suffering comes, the natural reaction is to resist, to question, or to lose hope. Yet Jesus shows another way. In the Letter to the Hebrews, we see him praying with tears and trust. He does not deny his pain, but he places it into the hands of the Father. This teaches us that in suffering we are called not to close ourselves, but to open our hearts in prayer and surrender.

To respond to suffering in a Christian way is not to accept injustice silently, but to transform pain into love. It is to forgive when we are hurt, to remain faithful when we are tested, and to serve even when we are tired. The Cross becomes meaningful when it leads us to deeper compassion and stronger faith. Suffering that is united with Christ becomes a source of grace for ourselves and for others.

In today's world, suffering is visible everywhere. We see wars destroying lives, families displaced, and innocent people losing everything. We see violence, hunger, and fear spreading across nations. In such a world, we may ask what God is trying to tell us. The Cross answers that God is calling humanity back to love, to justice, and to responsibility for one another.

God is not sending wars or divisions. These are the results of human choices, greed, power struggles, and lack of compassion. Yet even in these dark situations, God is present, inviting us to become instruments of peace. Every act of kindness, every step toward reconciliation, and every effort for justice becomes a way of carrying the Cross with Christ.

In the context of our own country, we also see many forms of suffering. There are social inequalities, divisions based on religion, caste, and economic status. There are political tensions and struggles for power that affect ordinary people. There are families facing poverty, unemployment, and uncertainty about the future.

The Cross in today’s world is not only a symbol in the church. It is present in the struggles of people who are unheard and unseen. It is present in those who stand for truth and face opposition. It is present in those who choose honesty in a system that sometimes rewards compromise. It is present in those who carry responsibilities with sacrifice and love.

To carry the Cross today means to stand with the suffering, to speak for justice, and to live with integrity. It means choosing truth even when it is difficult. It means loving others beyond boundaries and divisions. It means being willing to sacrifice comfort for the good of others.

Good Friday invites us to look at our own lives and ask what our Cross is. It may be a personal struggle, a family burden, a failure, or a pain we carry silently. Instead of seeing it as meaningless, we are invited to unite it with Christ. When we do this, our suffering is no longer empty. It becomes a place where God’s grace can work.

The Cross also teaches us gratitude. Just as the young woman stood at the grave remembering the one who died for her, we are called to stand before the Cross with a grateful heart. Jesus did not suffer in vain. He gave his life so that we may have life. His sacrifice calls us to respond with faith, love, and commitment.

At the end, we return to the story we heard. That young woman did not see the fireman as a stranger. She saw him as the one who gave his life for her. Today, as we look at the Cross, we are invited to see Jesus in the same way. He is the one who died for us, not as a distant figure, but as someone who loves us deeply.

That is why this day is called Good Friday. It is good because love was stronger than suffering, and sacrifice brought life. The Cross is not the end, but the beginning of hope. And we are called to carry this hope into our world, into our struggles, and into our lives.

Blessed Day