After Adam and Eve sinned, disobeying God, they not only saw themselves at the cusp of God’s punishment but their descendants as well. The moment they bit the apple, the fate of humanity was sealed. The curse of Satan ravaged what was made in God’s pure image, not because evil was greater than good, but because man was too weak and gave access to evil himself.
But through all the despair came the Good News for humanity in the form of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. After dedicating His life to healing the sick, feeding the hungry, and giving humanity direction, His main purpose was not fulfilled until Good Friday.
Let’s discuss why Catholics need to be reminded of that very day today.
Reflection
As we walk through life, we are disheartened by the hardships we face every day, and we often forget who we are. It is important to remind ourselves of Jesus’ sacrifice to realize how precious our lives are. People often find themselves self-loathing, thinking their lives are meaningless. We should ask ourselves, “Were the fourteen stations of the cross He put himself through meaningless, too?”
With every lash and slap, Jesus took up the crucifix in a slow walk toward His destiny. The irony was that the people who were ridiculing Him and crowning Him with thorns were the people Jesus was saving on Good Friday.
Realization
No matter how hard we try, we often falter into sin, not thinking about the consequences that will follow. Instead of thinking about the punishment, it’s more effective to think about Jesus’s sacrifice for our sins. When you falter and give in to sin, think of the times Jesus faltered carrying the heavy cross on His shoulders because He was tired. But He didn’t give up. Even though he was the Son of God, He still came into this world as a human. When His clothes were torn and flogged, He felt humiliated. When He was ridiculed and called names, He felt sad. When He was finally nailed to the cross amongst two sinners on either side, He felt pain.
There has never been or will ever be a greater sacrifice made in the name of mankind. His suffering gave us a second chance to reunite with God and be cleansed of the curse humans were born into this world with.
By saying “Tetelestai,” which translates to “it is done,” He gave us not just a day but a constant reminder of who He is and why we must strive to do good with Good Friday.
Author Timothy Neff Gocke expands further upon events of Good Friday with the Fourteen Stations of the Cross in A Memoir of Perseverance and the Catholic Faith.
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