Manliest Day of the Year

I absolutely love Good Friday. I look forward to it all year in fact. I know that's weird to say. For most of us, we think of Good Friday and think, "Wow, how depressing!", or "Oh great, I have to fast again". True, Good Friday is a day of mourning for the death of our Lord, and we fast to represent that. But look at what's really going on...

Today is the day that Jesus did the manliest thing that anyone on earth could possibly do. He submitted himself. He had the flesh torn from his bone. He was crowned with inch-long thorns. He was forced to carry a cross. He died the brutal death of a criminal. All of this while being ridiculed and mocked. He died and agonizingly terrible death, and for what?

For US! Not just US as human beings, or US as sinners.  He died for US, the Church. His BRIDE. He died for US, the love of his life. And he didn't just die for ALL of us he died for EACH of us. He looked at the rough and heavy cross and thought specifically of you. He did what Adam failed to do in Eden. Jesus steps up and gets between us and death. He see's the Devil, the serpent, trying to ensnare us by sin and destruction, and says "Take me instead".

He gives absolutely everything! His best friends leave him. His body is broken. He has been betrayed. He's being insulted and spit on by the very people he is dying for. He even give his own mother to us, making himself an orphan for love of us.

This is what a true man of God gives to those whom he loves. When we receive our vocation, we are supposed to die for our bride, whether she be a human bride or the Church. We are supposed to be like Jesus, and give our bodies to those who would jeopardize our loved ones. We are to protect our women, our families, our friends, and our Church with everything we have, even unto death. We are born and baptized servant-kings, and we fall in behind the banner of the servant of servants and the king of kings.

I pray that we can unite our sufferings with Christ this Good Friday. I pray that we can more fully meditate on his perfect sacrifice. I pray that we can all die to ourselves, and that we can rise with him in new life.

May the Lord our God bless us
St Joseph, model of manliness pray for us