The Holy Triduum

Good Friday

Today we witness in the crucifixition of Jesus the worst of humanity: the betrayal of a friend and teacher by his very own disciples; the cowardliness of a politician afraid to defend the truth; the fear of religious leaders, who stubbornly refuse to listen to another interpretation; the fickleness of the crowd, who only a few days ago proclaimed that Jesus was the Messiah, and the arrogance and stupidity of the soldiers as they spit on him, scourge him and crown him with thorns.

Despite the horror this stupidity forced upon Jesus he reacts in the complete opposite way.  There is no cursing or promising revenge, there is no betrayal of those whom he loved, there are no signs of him becoming a coward or growing fickle in his conviction regarding the Father’s will.  Rather, there is forgiveness uttered from his lips, simply because “they know not what they do” (Lk 23:34).

Humanity has killed God.  He came to this earth proclaiming mercy and forgiveness.  He revealed the heart of God as an ocean of love, a place were sinners are washed clean and made saints.  Yet we were not convinced.  We betrayed him for a multitude of reasons.  The only option was to destroy him, yet even that would not turn him against us.

Holy Saturday

Your blood has finally dried upon your tired and mangled body.  There is nothing left for you to give, you have been poured out to the point of death.  It is finished.

The beauty of your eyes has faded.  The gentleness of your hands has been forgotten.  The serenity of your smile has been extinguished.  Could you still be our God?

Who could have ever predicted it would end like this?  Your passion has stolen all of our words.  In you was all our joy, all our hope for life, and the answer to the question of our life.  What you have revealed no man could ever fathom, you the eternal paradise, the place of infinite rapture.

Now we wait like madmen, not knowing who we are, not knowing what will happen to us.  Each second is an agonizing mystery and we die a thousand deaths reliving yesterdays nightmare.  My God awake, come back and save us!  Do not leave us in this wretched state of despair.

God bless you,
Fr. Jeremiah Myriam Shryock CFR

St. Felix Friary, Yonkers, NY