The Good Friday Homily

Where Do You Stand In The Passion Narrative?

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

The Good Friday Homily, Year C

Church of St. Bridget of Minneapolis, MN

Friday, April 18, 2025

Where do you stand when you look at the cross? Which figure in the Passion narrative best embodies your approach and attitude toward God and your neighbor? Which one best describes my approach and attitude toward God and all that pertains to God? Is it Judas Iscariot, who, despite being a disciple and friend of Jesus, chose money over loyalty? He was supposed to have Jesus’ back. But loved money more than he loved his Lord. Is he the one that best represents your attitude towards God and neighbor? Or is it Simon Peter? He was confronted and identified as a disciple of Jesus by individuals of very low social status in the first century— a maid and a slave. It is this same Peter that Jesus made this declaration to, “…You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). At the Last Supper, Jesus spoke in a predictive way to him, “…this very night before the cock crows, you will deny me three times” (Matthew 26:34). What is Peter’s response? He makes a very bold promise: “Even though I should have to die with you, I will not deny you” (Matthew 26:35). Yet, when faced with a simple inquiry, “You are not one of this man’s disciples, are you?” (John 18:17). Peter, lacking strength and courage, cowardly said,  “I am not.” 

Which figure in the Passion narrative best represents our attitude to God and neighbor? Is it the over-zealous temple guards? When the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching, Jesus answered him, “I have spoken publicly to the world. I have always taught in a synagogue or in the temple area where all the Jews gather, and in secret I have said nothing. Why ask me? Ask those who heard me what I said to them. They know what I said.” Basically, the Lord is telling the chief priest that throughout the course of his ministry, he has taught publicly and not in secret, that if the chief priest wants to know about his doctrine, he should ask the Jewish audience who heard him. That’s a very good point to make. But it is not so for one of the temple guards who slapped him. He is not the only guard present. But he is the only one who overzealously beat Jesus and said to him, “Is this the way you answer the high priest?’ But his ignorance is that he does not know that he has struck the Author of life. His profound ignorance is that he does not know that Jesus is the Priest. He is the chief Priest par excellence. He is ignorant of the fact that every sacrifice, ritual, ceremony etc that the so- called high priest has offered in his entire life was actually offered to Jesus. More to it, all the sacrifice performed in that temple is a prefigurement of the once and for all sacrifice of Jesus. They indicate and foreshadow the lasting and eternal sacrifice that Jesus would offer with his own life. 

As Catholic Christians, which figure in the Passion narrative best describes our life? Is it Pontus Pilate? Pilate knew that Jesus was totally innocent. Before the angry mob of Jews, he even testified on Jesus’ behalf when he said, “I find no guilt in him.” From his own investigation, Pilate knew Jesus had done nothing wrong. But in the moment of truth, he caved in to pressure to kill an innocent man. He caved in to public pressure and, in the process, soiled his own hands too. When you are under pressure, what do you do? Do you also bow to ungodly pressure? Do you give up your faith when faced with pressure? Do you sacrifice your relationship with God and others because of pressure? In face of injustice and injury to another, do you stand there, say nothing, and do nothing? The secular culture is constantly mounting enormous pressure on all religious people, especially Christians. Do you want to give in to their pressure just like Pilate? 

Who best describes our attitude to faith and God? Is it the crowd of Jews who chose a criminal and a violent revolutionary, Barabbas over Jesus? A little credit to Pilate, he knew that Jesus was innocent. He testified to that fact publicly. In his effort to release Jesus, he referred to the Jewish custom of releasing one prisoner at Passover and wanted to use that opportunity to release Jesus. But the increasingly agitated crowd shouted, “Not this one but Barabbas.” They were desperately determined to kill the Lord. Think about all the innocent people who were condemned to death or sentenced to life imprisonment simply because we don’t like their skin color, their religion and ethnicity. Think about the times we badmouthed someone not because they wronged us but simply because we don’t like them. 

Which of these figures in the Passion story we just listened to best represents how we live our Christian life in the family, in the society and work environment? Who best describes our approach and attitude to faith, God and our brothers and sisters? Is it the Blessed Mother Mary and the women who walked with Jesus and stood by him till the very end? In the entire Passion event, the Blessed Mother did not utter a word. However, she was physically and empathically present. You can physically be present to someone without the active and empathic listening that is required. In the case of Mary, she was really present and available to her Son. She walked with him from the beginning of his life to the very end. Who best describes you? Is it Joseph of Arimathea? He came to Pilate and sought permission to take down the expired body of Jesus. With the help of Nicodemus, the man who first came to Jesus at night, Joseph of Arimathea buried the spotless body of the Lamb of God. By doing so, he practiced one of the corporal works of mercy, which is to bury the dead. 

Why am I highlighting these figures? Because in these figures we can see some of our actions. We can protest Simon Peter’s betrayal of the Lord. But are we not doing the same thing? We betray Jesus much more than Peter. In St. Alphonsus Ligouri’s famous “Way of the Cross,” we hear in the Seventh Station these words, “My most gentle Jesus, how many times you have pardoned me, and how many times have I fallen again, and begun again to offend you…” So, like Peter we also betray the Lord over and over again in words and actions. But here now is the watchword, the Good News of the Good Friday—whether you see yourself in Judas Iscariot or Simon Peter or the zealous temple guard or the crowd or Pilate or Mary or Joseph of Arimathea, the crucifixion of Jesus is meant to show us the extent God is willing to go to save us. It is meant to communicate to us “the breadth and length and height and depth” (Ephesians 3:18) of God’s love for us. The cross is the most public proof of God’s love for us. The cross is the most profound proof of God’s love for the human race. The cross is the most flamboyant demonstration of God’s love, mercy, friendship and faithfulness. Jesus died for all people who had existed, existing and would exist. The Catholic Church teaches that Christ died for all people, regardless of their religious affiliation, and that God desires the salvation of all. The cross is God’s YES to humanity. When Jesus cried “I thirst!” he was declaring God’s intense desire for the salvation of all people. He was not thirsty for water or some expired wine. Jesus thirsts for me; he thirsts for you; he thirsts for the world, he thirsts for your friends and foes alike. False gods, pagan gods and demonic gods thirst and demand for human blood. They asked their adherents to sometimes sacrifice the blood of innocents just to appease their anger and wrath. But the true God sacrificed his own Blood. He is ready to go to any extent to bring us closer to himself. “If this is not love, tell me what it is.” 

When you look at the cross, do not see failure. Do not see someone whose life is finished. Yes, Jesus did say before he died, “It is finished,” but he is not finished. What is finished is the damage caused by the ancient sin. “It is finished” means the fulfillment of God’s will, and the payment for humanity’s sins were completed. It means the end of all those animal sacrifices that took place in the temple because the ultimate Sacrifice has finally been made. Atonement is completed, perfected and fully accomplished. It is done once and for all. It is finished forever. So, whenever you look at the cross, see your victory, see in it the defeat of the common enemy of humanity. Whenever you look at the cross, see your freedom. Whenever you look at the cross, see your salvation. See the cross as God’s lasting healing and reconciliation with us. This is the reason why today is not called a bad Friday or a dark Friday. Rather it is called “The Good Friday.” Because on this day, something good, something great and something hugely consequential happened.  

May the Cross of Jesus bring us healing in every way. Amen