Good Friday

I went to Good Friday mass today for the first time in a few years. It's not a holy day of obligation, however, the mass for Good Friday (which technically isn't a mass) is really powerful. The gospel is the full reading for the passion of the Christ. And every time I participate in Good Friday mass, I get really emotional.

The gospel reading is broken down into a few different speaking parts. The priest generally says what Jesus says in the bible. The lector is usually Pontius Pilate, and the congregation acts as the general people in the bible. So we all read the gospel. We read about how Jesus was condemned to death. How he was beaten, humiliated, and crucified. We read about him asking God a powerful question....

Why have you forsaken me?


Blows me away every single time.


And then there is the beautiful rite of the adoration of the cross. The priest comes in with a crucifix, covered in red silk, and ask he walks, he chants,

"Behold the wood of the cross, which brings salvation."

The congregation responds,

"Come let us adore."

And then the congregation has the opportunity to literally adore the wood of the cross. We kiss the feet of Jesus Christ.


And that's basically what this entire post is about.





When I was going up to the altar, to kiss the feet of my beautiful Savior Jesus, my heart was overwhelmed with love and grief. As I kissed the feet of the Lord, I felt something so powerful inside. I don't know that I could ever put it into words, but I imagine it's just a small reflection of how Jesus must have felt as He was nailed to the cross, and had the weight of the world in His heart. I felt a tear trickle down my cheek as I walked back to the pew to greet my husband and friends. But I couldn't help but feel so enlightened by God. And I truly believe it is God. I know He knows my heart. And sees my pain. But in that moment to have a small reflection of the suffering of Jesus, I knew with all my heart that God's love for me and for all those that surrounded me was infinite. It was in the very air that we were breathing. And that to me is truly the beauty of the death of Jesus. He died so that we may have life. And so that we were forgiven of ALL of our sins, and that we had a chance at redemption and resurrection.



I love being Catholic. It means the world to me. It's hard sometimes, living in Mormon Valley, especially when I'm bombarded with questions that I don't feel like answering. But living in Utah has given me such a greater sense of why it is so important to me that I am Catholic. I was born into Catholicism, but it has been my choice and my devotion to continue on worshiping God and Jesus the way that I see fit. And no one can take that away from me.



Say the Lord's Prayer tonight... It's such a beautiful prayer.

Our Father,
Who art in Heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give this our day,
Our daily bread,
And forgive us our trespasses.
As we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
Ame.