How precious the gift of the cross, how splendid to contemplate! In the cross there is no mingling of good and evil, as in the tree of paradise: It is wholly beautiful to behold and good to taste. The fruit of this tree is not death but life, not darkness but light. This tree does not cast us out of paradise, but opens the way for our return. – St. Theodore the Studite
Within the span of three days, we have the most sorrowful of days and we have the most triumphant. Even though it’s difficult for us to imagine what Christ endured, we know it had to be that way, for without Good Friday, there can be no Easter Sunday.
Every year on Good Friday, we reflect on this immense gift Christ gave us. We reflect on His broken body hanging on the cross. We reflect on the pain and sorrow He felt. But, unlike His disciples and those who loved Him, we have the gift of hindsight. We know He rose. And that makes Good Friday a little less painful for us. Evil didn’t win. Christ is alive!
After Christ’s death, the Apostles hid in fear. Their lives were in tumult. They felt lost and alone. Today especially, we find that we have a lot in common with them. This year, as we enter the Triduum, we find our lives in tumult as well. We too may feel lost and alone. Many of us cannot even seek solace in our church buildings. We cannot celebrate the most joyful day of the year with our Church family. Like the Apostles, we miss being near our Lord.
Yet, we know the end of the story, and we await Easter Sunday with both a sorrowful anticipation and an almost giddy joy, for on Easter Sunday, Christ fulfilled His promise. He conquered death, and the world rejoiced.
To save our souls, Christ had to suffer on the cross. But He did so willingly and lovingly. He did it for you. He did it for me. There has never been a more beautiful gift of love.
This year, as we unite our suffering with Christ’s, we can also feel a unity with the Apostles. As you reflect on the Triduum, put yourselves in their place as they hid there in the upper room. Imagine what they felt. They had just seen their Lord brutalized and crucified. They saw Him die. They wept for Him. They didn’t know how to carry on.
So they waited.
We too are in waiting. We are waiting for Christ to rise, but we are also waiting for our self-imposed isolation to be over. We crave the day when we can go back out into the world and return to normal.
But the Apostles didn’t just wait. They prayed. They consoled each other. They talked about Christ.
We must follow their example. We have spent the last six weeks preparing. Our Lenten wait is almost over. Christ will rise on Sunday. But the crosses we carry are ongoing, so we must draw strength from the Risen Christ and continue to wait patiently. Use this time of isolation to pray with your families. Talk about Christ. Talk about your fears. Allow Christ’s Easter light into your home.
Christ’s gift of the cross must remain first and foremost in our minds, not just today, but every day. This year, however, we are a little like Simon, as we carry a bit more of the weight.
But that’s just a small gift in return for all Christ has done for us, isn’t it?
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