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April 15, 2022Abu Dhabi.
Bishop Paul Hinder led the service of Good Friday of the Passion of the Lord at St. Joseph's Cathedral Abu Dhabi.
Below is the full text of the homily delivered by the Bishop during the service.
We just heard in the reading of the Passion the word of Jesus: “It is accomplished”. In John’s gospel it is the Lord’s last word before his death. Now the lamb is sacrificed as it was announced by John the Baptist in the first chapter of the gospel with the words: “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).
The gospel of John leads us from the first chapter onwards step by step to the moment when the Lamb of God is laying down his life for us. In the meeting with Nicodemus Jesus prophesied: “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life” (John 3:14-15). Today’s celebration of the Passion of our Lord invites us to accept the challenge. Jesus is waiting for my answer of faith, because “everyone who believes in him will have eternal life.”
The evangelist teaches us the essential truth of our faith with the words that belong to the most beautiful and consoling ones in the whole Bible: “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him” (John 3:16-17). Not condemnation, but salvation!
Many years ago, during one of my visits to Yemen a youngster stood up and said, “Bishop, I have a question: Why is this Friday called ‘Good Friday’ and not rather ‘Bad Friday’ looking at the destiny of Jesus?” I answered him: It is called Good Friday because good things came out for us: The liberation from sin and the assurance that Christ loves us without any limit. On Good Friday we witness the fulfilment of the word he had spoken earlier: “I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep… I will lay down my life for the sheep” (John 10:11.15). He did it for you and for me.
This afternoon we do not celebrate the tragedy of a prophet who failed. We remember Jesus who kept his word of friendship and truth until the end and who finally was proved right by the Father that raised him from the dead. The way he laid down his life puts the standards for our own life. Keep in mind the words he spoke last night to his disciples after the washing of the feet: “As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35). And knowing that we are slow in the uptake like the disciples, he repeated on the same evening: “This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you” (John 16:12-4).
Dear friends in Christ, there are many followers of Christ around the world who are laying down their lives out of love for others and carrying on their cross day by day. What about me? Am I ready to accept when I am loaded with a burden by surprise like Simon of Cyrene who was forced to carry the cross behind Jesus? At such a moment we should remember that it will bear fruit and bring life because of the “Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world”. In a few minutes we shall unveil the Crucifix. Look then at him in faith and pray: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy on me!” Amen.
