Good Friday 2024 - A Homily with Fr. Dom

In this episode, Fr. Dom reflects on the passion of Christ and the significance of Good Friday. He emphasizes the power of the last words spoken by Jesus from the cross and the impact they have on our lives. Fr. Dom explores themes of forgiveness, love, and the goodness of God. He also discusses the importance of a religion born in defeat and the hope that comes from the resurrection. Overall, this episode encourages men to embrace their faith and strive to become the best versions of themselves.

Takeaways

• The last words of Jesus from the cross hold immense power and significance.
• Forgiveness is a central theme in the passion of Christ and should be embraced in our own lives.
• The crucifixion of Jesus represents a royal enthronement and the covering of our sins.
• A religion born in defeat, such as Christianity, offers hope and resilience in times of crisis.

Like what you heard? Maybe you just enjoy reading James’s show notes? Please prayerfully consider supporting the podcast on our Patreon page. to help grow the show to reach as many men as possible! Thank you for your prayers and support. 

As always, please pray for us! We are men who are striving every day to be holy, to become saints and we cannot do that without the help of the Holy Ghost! 

Subscribe to our YouTube page to see our manly and holy faces

TAN Books - Become a Saint!
TAN is offering 15% off to you! Use code "manlycatholic" at checkout to help support the podcast.

Exodus 90
Gain freedom. Change your life. Become a saint. Exodus

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Transcript

James Caldwell (00:00.142)
Welcome to the Manly Catholic. In this podcast, we will inspire, challenge, and equip all men to become the men they were created to be. Join us as we journey together to become the best versions of ourselves and strive to change our communities one man at a time.

James Caldwell (00:22.094)
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

as we prepare to venerate the most holy cross in which our Savior died on to save us and redeem us. I'd just like to share with you just a short reflection that I wrote this morning, is that I was praying through the gospel, the passion in which we just heard.

The greatest last discourse in the history of the world was delivered from the pulpit of the cross in the cathedral of Golgotha on the Friday we call good. The last utterances out of the symphony of redemption from the mouth of God. Never has there a preacher like the dying Lord.

than the preacher from the cross, Jesus. Never a congregation like that on Calvary. Never a theme like the last words of Christ spoken from the cross. This cross, so different from the rest, was lifted slowly off the ground from the earth, from this world that he had made, and slides into the hole from which it stands, holding our Savior with a thud.

echoes down to the depths of hell reverberating through its halls and chambers as if it's the voice of Jesus himself proclaiming, I am coming. All of hell trembles. Our blessed Lord has mounted his pulpit for the last time. He is about to deliver his ultimate homily. He says, Father, forgive them for they know not what they are doing.

James Caldwell (02:20.366)
Oh, what love, what patience, what mercy. How can this not bring you to your knees? Hearing our Lord say that to you or me, oh, how many times have I sinned against you, Lord, but your forgiveness overshadows me, your love saves me. Casting my gaze toward thee, I see now that.

Your crown of thorns has become a royal diadem, the nails in your hands, a royal scepter in your blood, covering your holy body as a royal purple fit for a king, and your crucifixion as a royal enthronement upon all eternity, thus covering all our sins. With what we hear you say at all calvaries, that is all masses.

This is my body.

James Caldwell (03:23.822)
given for you. Still yet hanging from the true tree of life, the true tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the garden of our redemption, Christ still whispers to you and I, I thirst. This ruwah, this breath that brought all creation into being proclaims from God's own lungs that he thirsts for you and me individually. What a gift to be loved so deeply.

Do you thirst for God? Kor ankor loqeitor. Heart speaks to heart. Yes, today is a good day. Good Friday.

but behold such evil as we look upon God being crucified by us. The late venerable Bishop Fulton Sheen proclaims this about Good Friday, quote, how can God look down on all the suffering of this world and not do something for it? How can he be passive in the face of all this evil?

Shall Almighty God look down on the most perfect one who ever lived and snatch from those hands the nails and not snatch from the head the crown of thorns? Shall he allow this virtue and innocence and goodness to go down to death? Where is the goodness of God? Where is his understanding? Those are the questions that we might well indeed ask if there had not been a resurrection.

But given a resurrection, no longer can men say God does not know what it is to suffer. And when there are days of catastrophe or days of crisis such as we have today, we need a religion that was born in defeat. We need a religion that had its origins in catastrophe. And therefore, we will now never be without hope.

James Caldwell (05:28.11)
For a good Friday would be the prelude to an Easter Sunday. So long as we bear innocently that divine image in the face of the evil of the world, we shall never perish. Why? We have already won. Yes, today truly is a good day. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Thank you all so much for tuning in to another episode of The Manly Catholic. If you have not already done so, please hit that subscribe button wherever you get your podcasts to make sure you don't miss a single episode. It will also help grow the show and reach as many men as possible. We truly think this podcast can change families and help men to change the world. Thank you again so much for tuning in and God bless you.