Gilderious Khonglah csc –
Readings: Is 52: 13-53:12; Heb 4: 14-16, 5:7-9; Jn 18: 1-19:24
Today we celebrate the first day of the Paschal Triduum. It is the day of the Victorious Cross, where Jesus Christ left us the best of himself.
On the Day of the Victorious Cross, Jesus Christ bestowed upon us the best of himself. As a mother, the Virgin Mary forgave his executioners and demonstrated complete trust in God the Father. We have heard it through the reading of the Passion conveyed by Saint John’s testimony, witnessed it at Calvary alongside Mary, the mother of our Lord, and the other women.
The death of Jesus marks the fulfilment of God’s covenant. The history of the Bible, both Old and New Testaments, leads to this exact moment. “It is finished”. What exactly is finished? How do I take this message and apply it to my own life? Do I think that my journey is finished as Jesus’ was at this moment? Jesus knew that at that exact moment, his entire existence had a precise purpose and that it was finished. I feel grateful and admiring; I know the price of love: “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (Jn 15:13).
Jesus is, for you and me, a model to imitate, that is, to repeat his attitude. I must be a person who loves to be a gift for others, a person who trusts the father in the face of any adversity. I hope and pray that with my last breaths I can humbly and honestly say the same words as Jesus to God, “It is finished,” knowing well that my life’s purpose was complete.