This is my homily for Good Friday March 29, 2013. I am a Catholic chaplain in Teaneck at Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU) campus and for the FDU Newman Catholic Association and at New Jersey City University (NJCU) in Jersey City. We celebrate Catholic Mass - during Fall and Spring semester - every Sunday Evening (5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.) at the FDU University Interfaith Chapel, 842 River Road, Teaneck, NJ.
[01] When we hear the term “EFFECT” or “EFFECTS”,
we might immediately think of something which would be an illusion, or would be
an exaggeration, or a computer-generated image made possible by Pixar … George
Lucas … or someone at a computer keyboard in California.
Such engineers and
designers create SPECIAL effects for our EYES, EARS … and at certain magnitudes
and volumes …for our WHOLE BODY.
The Passion of our Lord is also a WHOLE-BODY experience … not only
because of the CAUSE ..but also because of the EFFECT.
[__02] In the Passion of our Lord, we also reflect
and remember the cause of death –
·
The
cause of sacrifice
·
The
cause of forgiveness
·
The
cause of love
As we read in the
Gospel of John, “For God so loved the whole world that he gave his only Son
that those who believe in him might not die but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
[__03] WHAT ARE SOME SPECIAL EFFECTS WE SEE ON A
VIDEO OR MOVIE …OR SCREEN ?
· Fire ·
Explosion ·
Earthquake ·
Tsunami ·
Flood ·
Disappear
/ reappear
What the engineer at
Pixar Studios or Disney is trying to do is get us to experience only the EFFECT
in our hearts and minds … while overlooking / forgetting that the “CAUSE“ is
really coming from their Apple Computer.
They would want you to
think the “tsunami” effect is real …even if the “cause” were imaginary or
artificial.
[__04] We read the Passion, considering both the
cause and effects.
What are the special
effects of the Passion? (Adolphe Tanqueray, The Spiritual Life, n. 133 (“Jesus, the meritorious cause of our spiritual life.”)
[__05] First – DEPTH. This depth is not a dark
abyss, or chasm, but the depth of God’s mercy.
All of our sins/faults
can be forgiven – pardoned – when we ask forgiveness.
We read in Psalm 51, “A humble contrite heart O God you will not
spurn” (Psalm 51:__)
As Catholics, we see
penance and absolution through a priest who is called to share God’s mercy and
love with us.
Similarly, praying at
Mass, we experience Jesus offering himself up for our sins through the
consecration, through the Eucharist. This is my body, given up for you.
The special effect of
DEPTH … and DEPTH PERCEPTION for us.
[__06] Secondly – POWER, STRENGTH.
Through Christ’s
Passion we are empowered, strengthened.
As Paul writes, “I can do
all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)
Jesus gives us a
conscience – an ability to know right from wrong. It is not always easy to do
the right thing… to “save” ourselves in various ways, physically and
spiritually.
It is easy to be
tempted. But, Jesus gives us the special
effect of power – through our conscience… to grow in virtue, purity, true love.
The special effect of
POWER. …
[__07] This power also enables us to imitate
Christ, to take up our own cross daily.
Isn’t the CROSS both the CAUSE and the
SPECIAL EFFECT of our spiritual life …
“If any will come
after me, let him take up his cross and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24)
The Passion – the
special effect – reminds us that we are also participating in Christ’s
suffering when we PRAY, when we FAST .. when we GIVE charitably
And, we participate
when we love – lay down our lives as Jesus did … symbolized in the washing of
the feet at Jesus’s Last Supper and in our Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s
Supper.
This love is described
in by our Holy Father Pope Francis WHO CELEBRATES HOLY THURSDAY MASS AND THE
WASHING OF THE FEET TODAY at the Casal del Marmo juvenile dentention facility …
a correctional facility, a jail for youth …. Reminding us also to seek to help those most
in need, those who might be imprisoned – physically or spiritually in our
midst.
From his homily of
today, Holy Thursday – Pope Francis --
[The washing of the feet] is
the example set by Our Lord, it’s important for Him to wash their feet, because
among us the one who is highest up must be at the service of others.
This [washing of the feet here
reminds us] to help the person in need … [who might be just across the room
…not just across the country or the world.]
And thus in helping each other
we will do good for each other.
…. this sign is Christ’s
caress, because Jesus came just for this, to serve us, to help us.
In this regard, the
Gospel is about finding our own path to salvation, but also teaching others the
CAUSES and the EFFECTS – brought about in reality by the Son of God. He is the
reason – the cause - for the hope that is within us. (1 Peter 3:15)
[__fin___]
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