Today is the second day of the Easter Triduum in which we remember and pay respect to Jesus who was sentenced to death, crucified and died on a cross. Last night, we remembered Jesus washing the feet of his disciples, eating his Last Supper with them, instituting the Eucharist and being betrayed by Judas Iscariot. Following supper, he made his way to the the Garden of Gethsemane where he stayed in prayer all night. Judas and some soldiers then came towards Jesus and made accusations against him but Peter, trying to defend Jesus, drew a sword and cut off the right ear of one of the soldiers, Malchus. Jesus then healed the ear of Malchus and surrendered himself to the soldiers.
At this point, the soldiers presented Jesus before the Chief Priests Annas and Caiaphas and then to Pilate who then questioned the services of Jesus. Pilate asked Jesus, 'Are you a King?' and Jesus' response stated that his Kingdom is not of this world. Pilate then decided to have the people of the town choose the fate of Jesus and so they presented him (Jesus) on the Pavement before the crowds along with a prisoner named Barabbas and Pilate gave them the choice of who they wished to release before Passover. The crowds unanimously chose to free the prisoner and have Jesus crucified.
Think of the many times where we turn our back on the Lord and chose sin over life. -- Lord have mercy on us.
While all this were taking place, Peter was asked three times by different bystanders if he is associated with Jesus and he denied it three times which fulfilled the words Jesus spoke, 'After the cock crows, you would have disowned me three times'.
Think of the times where we were ashamed to speak of and promote Jesus in public, among our peers -- Lord have mercy on us.
Jesus was now ordered to carry a cross up a hill called Calvary which he fell many times, came face to face with his mother Mary, saw some women of Jerusalem weeping for him, encountered a woman named Veronica who wiped his face with a shroud which left his countenance and he was also assisted by a bystander named Simon from Cyrene. At that time, this was the most inhumane way for anyone to die but Jesus never had any regrets. He did this because of the love he has for us.
Think of the times where we voluntarily sin and we constantly pierce the nails back into the hands and feet of Jesus. -- Lord have mercy on us.
It was on this day in which Mary and John stood at the foot of the cross and where Jesus asked John to accept Mary as his mother and Mary to accept John as her son and so, it was at this moment that Jesus gave the us (the faithful followers of him) Mary as our mother.
Think of the times where we never accepted Mary as our Spiritual Mother and have blasphemed her. -- Lord have mercy on us.
At 3PM, Jesus breathed his last, bowed his head and died. Mary, John and Joseph of Arimathea then took the body of Jesus down from the cross, wrapped it in white cloths with herbs and spices and placed it in a tomb which had never been been used by anyone else.
Stations of the Cross is traditionally carried out on this day where the faithful walk the road which Jesus walked and at 3PM, the faithful all gather at church to celebrate the Passion and Veneration of Jesus Christ. As is was previously mentioned, no mass is celebrated on this day so the consecrated host from the Holy Thursday liturgy is used for the distribution. The faithful venerates the Cross which hung the Saviour of the World.
--B. Durham, 2014
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