# Good Friday: the mystery of love
*2017-04-14*

> Bill Young reflects on the profound love displayed during Holy Week and the significance of Good Friday as the cumulative moment of God's sacrifice for humanity.

## The Example of Humility

Today is Good Friday. Reflecting on the events of Holy Thursday, we remember the washing of the feet, where our Lord Jesus Christ humbled himself to serve His apostles. I noticed in the news that Pope Francis continued this model of service by visiting a jail outside of Rome to wash the feet of twelve prisoners. Pope Francis gives us a beautiful model of what we should all be doing in our own lives.

## A Love Without End

As we conclude our reflections on the book 'Lent, A Time of Grace,' we focus on the mystery of love. St. Paul tells us in Galatians 2:20, 'It is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me.' Pope Francis reminds us that the mysteries we adore during Holy Week reveal a great history of love that knows no obstacles. Good Friday is the cumulative moment of that love; it is the commemoration of a drama that gives us the certainty that we will never be abandoned in life's trials.

The death of Jesus on the cross is the expression of a love given to the end—a love that seeks to embrace everyone, excludes no one, and extends over time and space. As St. Augustine often repeated, it is a love that goes to the end without end. God truly offers all of Himself for us and holds nothing back.

## Sharing God's Love

Pope Francis poses a powerful question for our meditation: 'How might I share my experience of God's love with those who I meet today?' When we pray to the Holy Spirit, we realize that people in need may come to us, and we cannot remain silent. There should be no barriers. We must speak the truth, and God will bring us those who need to return to Him. I am grateful for the gift of the Holy Spirit received through baptism and confirmation, which enables us to be these instruments of love.

## Prayer and Intercession

In the spirit of this day, we pray the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary, meditating on the Agony in the Garden, the Scourging at the Pillar, the Crowning with Thorns, the Carrying of the Cross, and the Crucifixion. We also remember those in purgatory. I offer special petitions for my friend and disciple in Christ, Pat Tagore, who passed away from diabetes. Whether she is already in heaven or still in purgatory, these prayers are for her.

Finally, we join in prayer for the canonization of Servant of God Frank Duff, founder of the Legion of Mary, and Venerable Adele Queen. We ask for their intercession, specifically praying for the 'prodigal sons' of the world to return to the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.

*Because God has shown us His supreme love in the death of Jesus, we too, guided by the Holy Spirit, can and must love one another.*