Good Friday Reflections

April 9,2020

12:18pm

GOOD FRIDAY REFLECTIONS

My confessor, my high school classmate, Father Tim Ruben  asked me for my Good Friday reflections. I comply with  a little bit of trepidations…but I seek the Holy Spirit’s wisdom and guidance.

“Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of thy faithful, enkindle in them the fire of thy Divine Love, send forth your Spirit, and it shall be created, and thou shall renew the face of the earth.”

The world today is spinning as if out of control. People are exposed to an invisible virus that is almost pushing everyone to the brink of paranoia and despair.

News of hundreds to thousands souls dying all around us is such a very frightening reality.

Do we cower in fear and hide under the rock until this is all over? Will it ever be?

Where do we go for direction and guidance and salvation?

Is it to CNN to tell us what to think or do?

Is it to our politicians to seek blame?

How do we fix the problem of an invisible virus?

Do we have the means to?

There are murmurs of vaccines being produced in  laboratories  making use of fetal remains of aborted babies.

There has been talk of ID2020 where everybody is going to be inserted a microchip like vaccine that has serial numbers for easy tracking and monitoring.

Are we now entering the final days of REVELATIONS that people will have to submit to the number of the beast being imprinted on their foreheads or some other part of  their bodies?

If you don’t have it, you are doomed to  suffer and die?

Difficult questions to reflect on.

Does it make us even more hopeful about the future?

Do we even have to consider these possibilities in dealing with COVID 19?

All of us sooner or later  will have to die.

So are we all going to be reckless and avoid and deny any protocols that can possibly prevent the spread of this virus?

I guess, the life of anyone, whether a Christian or not is designed to have troubles and challenges.

From the moment we were brought into this world, pain was present.

Suffering came as natural as learning how to walk, growing our first set of teeth, learning how to speak and navigate the world around us.

Danger was ever present, anytime and anywhere.

Now,  most of us believe that the physical world is just one part of our existence. We believe that there is a life beyond this world.

There exist a spiritual world.

Now, more than ever is the time for us to improve our spiritual intelligence.

The intelligence that will help us discern our design and purpose in this life, based not on what we think or feel, but what the  Creator intended for us from the beginning.

After all, we all do not see the wind, and yet, we know it is there.

We look into the skies and heavens and know that we are just part of a huge body of creation that is so awesome and  magnificent.

Till now, despite the advancement of science and technology, there are still things man is incapable of doing nor creating out of nothing.

Thus, we have to really acknowledge, that there is a God in all of these.

We need to humble ourselves at the foot of  the cross of His Only Begotten Son, who came to show us the way, the truth and the life.

He who suffered such a terrible death to show that we too can overcome whatever struggles we are facing, knowing that God has allowed it so His purpose and glory may be permitted to shine through.

Jesus was able to withstand terrible blows and lashing, big nails crushing though flesh and bones, hanging on the cross, having each and every breath cause Him extreme and excruciating pain…just like so much of COVID 19 victims as the lungs were being challenged by the ravages of the virus and Jesus' terrible crucifixion.

All our sufferings and pain can have meaning if we offer it to Jesus, offer it for others, so that we can all gain the merit to be called heirs to eternal life with our great God and Creator.

Out of our love and gratitude to Him who loved us first we do this.

These are the times more than ever that  fruits of patience, kindness, understanding, self control be manifested in all our ways especially to those who are hurting  and the most fearful ones.

These are the times that we be extensions of  Jesus, to try to show light to those in darkness and who are held captive by their fears and worries and doubts.

These are the times that we should espouse truths found in following a  Savior who taught as many things, and one of which is to love and pray for our enemies and those who persecute us  for our beliefs .

These are the trying times where we should not be arrogant and proud of what we can do on our own without the need of a savior, but our pride  should only rest in the knowledge that we accepted God in our lives and we are His children. And as such, we should never rejoice in wrongdoing, like slandering and dishonoring others, or keeping a record of hurts and pains from others…and lastly but not least, we , should allow  God to hold us in the palm of His Hands, trusting with FAITH, HOPE and LOVE in our hearts, that He will protect us come what may.

JESUS, KING OF MERCY, I TRUST IN YOU.

MARY, Mother of God, pray for us who have recourse to you.

St. Joseph, pray for us.

St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle.