Editorial
Walking with Christ during Holy Week: a path from heartbreak to unimaginable joy
We have again reached Good Friday, one of the darkest days in human history.
An innocent man is put to death—his alleged crime, claiming he was the Son of God.
Despite the miracles, the good works and the profound faith-filled connection to our Creator, we are confronted with the passion and death of our Lord Jesus Christ on Good Friday. A pain still stings many of us as part of the crowd in the Gospel of John that is eager to see him put to death. “Crucify him, crucify him,” we shout, on more than one occasion.
We reflect on the Apostles’ actions—some tragic, some heartbreaking, some heartfelt—as we remember Jesus’ final days. We see Judas Iscariot, who betrays Christ to the Sanhedrin for 30 pieces of silver. His life offers a reminder that the devil is eager to pounce on us, and our proximity to Christ does not keep us from sin.
We see Peter denying Jesus three times, despite boldly stating earlier he would never abandon him. It reminds us that the Apostles, like each of us, were flawed human beings who were called to rely on the strength of Christ when facing unexpected challenges in life. Sadly, Peter did the opposite, cowering at the thought of being associated with Jesus in our Lord’s most needed moment.
And there is the beloved disciple John, who stands with Jesus’ mother Mary watching the tragedy of all tragedies unfold. They both bravely stand vigil with Christ as he hangs on a cross and eventually succumbs on Good Friday to the brutal beating and crucifixion he has endured. With a heavy heart, John follows through on Christ’s wish and takes the Blessed Mother into his home and cares for her. His unwavering commitment to Jesus reminds us of how each of us is called to do the same.
Holy Week does indeed mark a special time for us as Catholics, but it is still hard to fathom how things changed so quickly for our Savior and Redeemer.
The Triduum led us from the upper room where Jesus celebrated the Last Supper with his Apostles, to Calvary, where Jesus gave his life for us, to the empty tomb that showed forth his glorious resurrection. We celebrate this paschal mystery on Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday evening.
Our faith teaches us the darkness of Good Friday leads to the dawn of Easter Sunday, when we celebrate Christ’s glorious resurrection, where we see the triumph of the holy cross, the symbol of God’s victory.
Its importance cannot be overstated. As our late Archbishop Daniel M. Buechlein wrote in a column many years ago, “Easter is called the feast of feasts, the solemnity of solemnities. It is the first feast the Church ever celebrated.”
The archbishop continued, “The resurrection of Jesus Christ means that after you and I walk through the vestibule of this life and go through the door of death, as we all will, then life just begins. Joy beyond all imagining, unending happiness and peace of heart just begin.
“Our first parents locked the door of death. Christ, by his incredible suffering and death, in love, opened the door. He broke the lock of sin and death. That was his Easter,” Archbishop Buechlein continued. “And we celebrate it each year and every Sunday. We have been set free. We are no longer hopelessly locked in the darkness of death.”
As we mark Easter this weekend, let us remember Christ’s ultimate sacrifice done for each of us. The cross was his vehicle of love. His dying and rising remind us that he is a courageous and merciful Messiah. Let’s invite him into every moment of our lives and follow him with our whole heart. In today’s ever-increasing secular society, we know that becomes more challenging by the day.
We must remember: God wishes to bestow his graces on us. We pray our gestures of humility and love lead our Creator to do just that.
—Mike Krokos