How good is 'Good Friday'?

Fr. Paul Lelen Haokip *

Introduction:
How can one truly express the day a person dies as 'good' has been the query in the minds of many – especially those who are non-Christians. Jesus took the Calvary way with the CROSS and sacrificed his life for you and for me. That was his mission. He accomplished and he is remembered today. Well, beliefs or faith is a personal job. In line with the all sacrificing nature of Jesus Christ, one of our own sons has done it. On the 22 March 2013, Sangai Express and Hueiyen Lanpao dailies carried the praise worthy news of Lieutenant Robin Singh, in the British Royal Maritime Auxiliary Services (RMAS), Special Forces in line for a prestigious gallantry award to be bestowed on June 19 for his bravery during a fierce fun fight with Al Qaeda insurgents in Afghanistan in 2011. He will be honoured with 'Conspicuous Gallantry Cross'- the second highest ranking award. He ensured the safety of his team, neutralized the enemy and succeeded in his mission. This is called sacrifice unmindful of one's own safety, all for the good and well being of the group. Good Friday too carries the theme of SACRIFICE for us. The need of sacrifice for human sins is acknowledged in most of the world's oldest religions.

Cross:
Today, the hip-hop songs & dances, the Bollywood and Hollywood has extolled CROSS in its songs & dances, costumes and background set ups. Saint Paul says "May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me and me to the world" (Galatians 6:14). Cross which has been associated with criminals changed its course of significance to be used proudly in public. Cross is used as shirt designs, ear rings, bracelets, bangles, tattoos on the body, mementos in the vehicles etc. Jesus said "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me" (Matthew 16:24). The 1.2 billion Catholic faithful sign themselves with the sign of the Cross every time they pray.

Good Friday Observances:
There are so many Fridays in a year but only one Friday is called "GOOD". Read on. Good Friday marks the end of the 40-day period of fasting and renunciation during Lent, which recalls the days Jesus spent in the desert. The Roman Catholic Church observes Good Friday with several long-standing traditions, all of which aim at remembering Jesus Christ and his sacrifice for the sins of humans. This religious holiday, Good Friday, is observed during Holy Week on the Friday preceding Easter Sunday. People lament the death of Jesus Christ, the agony and sufferings he underwent before giving up his life. At the churches, candles are extinguished, flower vases are empty and statues are covered in black to mourn the death of the son of God, Jesus. Prayer services, reading out passages from Gospel and Good Friday songs are held after taking out the Way of the Cross procession. The Catholic Church treats this religious holiday as a fast day and refrains from eating meat or one meal of the day. Mourners dress themselves in black clothes to express their grief on the death of Christ. Christians across the world on Good Friday commemorate Jesus' arrest, trial, crucifixion and death at Calvary by offering prayers and reading out Good Friday sermons in the churches on this day. This day is not considered as a day of celebration rather a day to lament Christ's death.

Meditation for this year's Good Friday:
"Walking, building and confession are the Church's three tasks," Pope Francis (266th successor of St. Peter, the Vicar of Christ) said during the first mass of his papacy in the Sistine Chapel, commenting on the Gospel of the Primacy of Peter.
"When we walk, build and confess without the cross – the Pope said – we are not disciples of the Lord."
"When we walk without the CROSS we are just worldly people. We may be bishops, priests or cardinals but we are not disciples of Christ."
"We may become a merciful NGO but we are not the Church."
Mario Bergoglio then stressed: "We must always walk in the presence of the Lord, in the Lord's light, trying to live the stainless life God asked of Abraham in his promise."
- To walk the way of the cross, carrying one's own CROSS (symbol of salvation rather than taking as an unpleasant burdens of life) daily (Lk. 11:23)
- Walking with the unknown and the voiceless
- Walking on behalf of the sins of others, sacrificing without complaints and show
- Building the broken relation between God-Man, God-Creation, Man-Man
- Building on the foundation/stone God has established (Mtt. 16:18)
- Building the ruined souls, the discouraged personalities
- Confessing Jesus and his Good News day-in and day-out, today and tomorrow
- Confessing the Peace of God in words and deeds (Mtt. 10: 32)
- Confessing Jesus at home & away, lie down & rise... (Deut. 6:7-9)


Conclusion:
Good Friday becomes 'good' because the CROSS, which was considered a curse, has turned out to be a blessing. Pope Francis opts for 'Poor Church and Church for the poor" - a good way of presenting the future of the church. Good Friday is a day I get rooted on Calvary. I get grounded in the Cross of Christ for my life to walk, build and confess/profess. It's a day of gaining identity with Christ. It's a day of becoming. Today is the day of 'victory of good over evil'. Personally, every time we overcome a bad habit or a detrimental way of life, we are celebrating Good Friday. When the world is at crossroads, the CROSS has become a meeting point of the four directions of the world towards peace, change and goodness.