Thoughts as Good Friday approaches...

As a child, I remember thinking that Good Friday was a very sad time. We had to be quiet between twelve and three p.m., as we were told that Jesus suffered and died on the cross during those hours of the day. I never remember going to any Good Friday services, which might have helped me to make more meaning of the day.

As an adult, I have a more hopeful perspective about the suffering that Jesus did for all of our sins. The enduring love that He exemplified through suffering and dying on the cross speaks volumes to me about what love entails and requires of each of us. To truly love is the ultimate sacrifice. Love perfects the soul as nothing else can do. Love challenges and expands our capacity to give selflessly. Currently I am reading a beautifully written book that has given me fruitful insights into love and its intimate link to sacrifice. The book is titled A Grief Unveiled: One Father's Journey Through The Death Of A Child by Gregory Floyd. I highly recommend this book!

Peter Kreeft puts it well when he states "What happened on the Cross is no freak accident, no exception, but the universal principle of what love does. love delivers the beloved from evil by taking it upon itself and soaking it up, like a blotter" (Fundamentals of the Faith pg 236).