by Fr. Tommy Lane
Soon a cross will be
brought in procession through the church and three times we will
hear, “Behold the wood of the cross on which hung the salvation of
the world.” Our sung response will be, “Come, let us adore.” That
part of our celebration today goes back to the early celebrations of
Good Friday in Jerusalem. The Romans destroyed Jerusalem in AD 70
and built pagan temples on top of the places associated with Jesus’
passion. After the conversion of Emperor Constantine, a search was
carried out for the cross of Jesus beneath the layers of
construction on top. They found three crosses which they took to be
the cross of Jesus and of the other two crucified with him. Accounts
tell us they identified Jesus’ cross because sick were healed by
touching it and not by touching the other two crosses. We have an
account of a Good Friday celebration from the end of the fourth
century in Jerusalem during which part of the true cross of Jesus
was brought in a silver casket and opened, placed on a table, and
everyone passed in front of the relic of Jesus’ cross and venerated
it (Pilgrimage diary of Egeria). It really was the wood of the cross
on which hung the salvation of the world. By the end of the seventh
century, veneration of a relic of the cross was introduced in the
papal celebrations of Good Friday in Rome and from there it spread
throughout the Church on Good Friday. While we do not have a relic
of the cross of Jesus, we will hear, “Behold the wood of the cross
on which hung the salvation of the world” uniting us with Christians
of the past in Jerusalem, Rome, and other places where relics of
Jesus’ cross were venerated on Good Friday and uniting us with
Christians all over the world today.
Our veneration of the cross
reminds us of the most important moment in the history of the world:
Jesus’ death bringing us salvation. Whatever about the authenticity
of accounts of discerning the true cross by means of healings by
touching it, we do have contemporary accounts from exorcists on the
power of the cross. As part of the exorcism ritual, an exorcist
holds up a cross over the afflicted person and says, “Behold the
cross of the Lord” and commands the demons to leave. That is a key
moment and those afflicted report afterwards that it was at that
moment the demons began to go. There is a power in the cross of
Jesus that I think we may not understand but these accounts help us
to grasp the power of Jesus’ cross. All the graces that we receive,
everything, come to us through Jesus’ death on the cross. That is
what the blood and water flowing from Jesus’ side symbolize, though
they especially represent baptism and the Eucharist. Everything
comes to us from Jesus’ cross. That is why in the Gospel today, we
heard John make a little fuss about seeing the blood and water flow
from Jesus’ side (John 19:35). He does not want us to be in any
doubt that all the graces we receive really come from Jesus on the
cross.
That is because although
Jesus died on the cross once, it was for all time. There were daily
sacrifices of animals in the Old Covenant, but we could say they
were ineffective because they had to keep repeating them every day (Heb 10:1-4).
But Jesus sacrificed himself once because his sacrifice is effective
for us for all time. The apostles experienced that during the Last
Supper when Jesus pulled the benefits of his sacrifice on the cross
back in time to Thursday evening during the Last Supper as he said
the bread was his body given up for them and the chalice was his
blood poured out for the forgiveness of sins. Now the benefits of
Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross are pulled forward in time and given
to us during Mass when at the consecration we hear, “this is my body
which will be given up for you. . . This is the chalice of my blood
which will be poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of
sins.” During Mass we are spiritually present at Calvary, as if in a
time warp, like the women and John beneath Jesus’ cross.
Contemplating Jesus on the
cross brings us back to ourselves as we reflect on Jesus doing this
for us, for our salvation. Apart from celebrating together here with
everyone today, it would be good spend time every day with Jesus.
You can talk to Jesus in your own way, in your own words, thanking
him for what he has done for you, asking his help to assist you as
you carry your cross and share in his cross through your sufferings.
As we unite our sufferings, whether small or big, with Jesus on
cross, we do so because on the cross hung the salvation of the
world.
© Fr. Tommy Lane 2024
This homily was delivered in a parish in Ireland.
More Homilies for Good Friday
Within Your Wounds, hide me 2022
The Passion of Jesus moves us to Repentance
Blood and Water from Christ's Side giving us Life 2015
Related Homilies: Jesus’ trials before the Sanhedrin and Pilate
The Passion of Jesus shows us up as sinners and heals us
Jesus’ Sufferings Revealed by the Turin Shroud
The Sudarium, the Face-Cloth of Christ
Christ is the Target of our sins; in Him they are burned up 2018
Largest Known Relic of the True Cross in Santo Toribio, Spain
The Miraculous Crucifix in Limpias
Center of St. Teresa of Calcutta's spirituality (Jesus on the Cross, “I thirst”) 2012
Pierced Hands and Feet Predicted by Psalm 22 2020
Mary stood beside Jesus’ Cross 2023
See Office of Readings, Easter Week IV, Tuesday, Second Reading
Jesus paid the price for our sins
St Margaret of York, Eucharistic Martyr, martyred on Good Friday
mp3 meditation: Seven Last Words of Jesus (1,2,3) (reduced quality)
mp3 meditation: My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? (4) (reduced quality)
mp3 meditation: Jesus on the Cross Thirsting for our Love (5) (reduced quality)
Novena to Divine Mercy commences today, Good Friday