FINDING THE “GOOD” IN GOOD FRIDAY
“Shall I not drink the cup that the Father gave me?”
In January, I lost my mother to the pandemic. Thanks to Jesus’ sacrificial love, I know she has passed into eternal life. Trusting God’s mercy, the truth is, my mother’s death was a good thing. It means that when I ask my 2-year-old daughter the whereabouts of her “G’ma”, she says “In heaven, with Jesus!” and she is absolutely correct.
Still, my mother’s death doesn’t feel like a good thing.
In my mom’s last days, as her lungs began to fail, she would tell me she was tired. It was hard to offer comfort, but the Spirit gave me the words: “Talk to Jesus. He’s been there.” As I rediscover her last days, I can better recognize my own suffering as I walked with my mom through hers. I think of Jesus’ friends and family on the day of his crucifixion, on what we now call “Good Friday”. In their grief, I doubt any of them truly realized the bigger picture. For this Friday to be Good requires context – the realization that Jesus had to die to be resurrected and save us. In my grief, I search for the context of my mom’s death. Yes, it was necessary for her own eternal life. But… may I be so bold as to ask?: What about me?
I can see myself in the story of Jesus’ passion more clearly now. The grief from Jesus’ death was shared by a community. In my grief, even in this era of social distancing, I’ve felt more connected to my community than ever before. Is it not this same “stuff” that sparked the birth of the Church?
The cup given to me in this season is grief, but I don’t have to drink this cup alone.
From the other side of Easter, the Church now views the Friday Jesus died as Good. Perhaps grief is a road that can be traveled with good company on the way to Resurrection.
What am I grieving this Friday? What suffering in my life am I being invited to share with my brothers and sisters? What roads of desolation am I being invited to walk that will allow me to reach Easter?
Kevin Izquierdo
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