RENUNGAN JUMAAT AGUNG
Good Friday is the solemn remembrance of Christ’s Passion and death, a day when love and suffering meets at the Cross. The readings draw us deeply into the mystery of Jesus’ redemptive sacrifice.
The First Reading from Isaiah presents the Suffering Servant, a prophetic image of Christ. Though despised and rejected, He bore our sins, was crushed for our iniquities, and by His wounds, we are healed. Isaiah portrays the depth of God’s love, a love that chooses suffering for the sake of sinners. Jesus’ silence amid suffering is not weakness but obedience, fulfilling God’s will for our salvation.
The Second Reading from Hebrewsreminds us that Jesus is our great High Priest, who sympathizes with our weaknesses. He was tempted in every way, yet without sin. In His agony, He offered prayers with loud cries and tears. He learned obedience through suffering and became the source of eternal salvation. Therefore, we are invited to approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, knowing that Jesus understands our pain and struggles.
In the Gospel of John, we witness the Passion of Christ not just the physical suffering, but also betrayal, injustice, and abandonment. Yet Jesus remains in control, freely accepting the Cross out of love for us. His final words, “It is finished,” mark not defeat but the completion of the mission of love and redemption.
Today, the Cross is not just a symbol of suffering, but of victory. In Christ’s wounds, we find healing. In His death, we find life. Good Friday invites us to silence, repentance, and gratitude. Let us look upon the Cross and see in it the ultimate expression of God’s love for humanity love that saves, love that forgives, and love that gives hope even in death. Amen.
Catechist Agil Ali Bajarai
