(Acts 2:42-47; Psalm 118(117); 1 Peter 1:3-9; John 20:19-31)

Theme: The Fruits of Adam’s Happy Fault

After the first man’s fall, our nature grew old in sin, suffering, and death. But after our Lord Jesus’s resurrection, it was raised, redeemed, restored, and purified, enabling us to receive the grace of holiness and to seek the power to overcome natural and human calamities.

In other words, having been redeemed by the Blood of our Lord Jesus and born anew through the Spirit, we were enthroned by grace and given the powers to withstand calamities. As St. Peter reminds us in the second reading, we have received the breath of living hope, which empowers us to pursue an imperishable and undefiled inheritance, kept in heaven for members of God’s new community, who, led by faith, seek ultimate salvation.

Thus, first, the breath of the Resurrection re-established God’s community, where humanity is reconciled and modelled on Christ’s purity. A new community of men and women, directed by God’s Spirit and safeguarded by the Church's messages of faith in Christ Jesus for the salvation that existed before the fall of man. Thus, we have been made dead to sin and alive to God in Christ; we can boldly call God our Father and can overcome human calamities.

Secondly, by the power of the sacrament of new life, we can now walk by faith. The Apostle Thomas thought it impossible, but after touching our Lord’s transformed body, he affirmed God’s power. In other words, as members of the new Spirit-led community, we are animated by faith to believe that whatever is not yet realised today is sure and certain to come to pass by the power of God’s Spirit.

Our faith is rooted in enduring mercy, marvellous courage, outstanding trust, and redeeming hope in God, whose glory will erase – without a doubt – our uncertainties and challenges. Let us not hesitate to invoke the Lord of mercy, who did not condemn his fleeing disciples but called them brothers and granted them the spirit of peace.

Like Thomas, some of us doubt God’s power amid the calamities of our time, but we must never forget that our faith in the Lord is the beginning of great things to come, and that the one who can penetrate locked doors is sure to lead us to our thrones of eternal light, truth, success, and happiness. As He did with Thomas, we must never stop asking the Lord for our own day of mercy, courage, and revival of faith.

(Isaiah 52:13-53:12; Psalm 31(30); Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9; John 18:1-19:42)

Theme: His Crucifixion and Glory - A Foundation of Hope

Good Friday’s readings about Jesus Christ's passion and death remind us that in our darkest moments, God is present and active; He quietly turns our weaknesses and suffering into opportunities for His glory. Indeed, those who stay in Him are glorified.

This understanding of suffering is connected to the suffering of our Lord Jesus, foreshadowed in the pains of the Suffering Servant in the first reading from the Prophet Isaiah and recorded in the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The passion narratives of these Gospels testify to what the Lord does with a broken but willing heart: how He mends its brokenness, reshapes it for anointing, and cares for it, lifting it towards holiness.

This elevating essence of suffering was aptly described in John’s account of the Lord’s Passion and Death. After examining the accounts in the Synoptic Gospels, Evangelist John chose to emphasize less our Lord Jesus’ human expressions of abandonment and fear and more the purifying essence of His Passion, His triumph, and His glory upon the Cross.

In other words, John’s Good Friday account of the Lord’s passion and death highlights not only our Lord Jesus’ fears, feelings of abandonment, and suffering but also provides an inspiring narrative of life lessons from the true Lamb of God, whose blood cleansed our sins and fulfilled the Father's work for our redemption.

Therefore, we can conclude that those who seek the Lord’s merciful love will not be forgotten in times of trouble. For the One whose Cross became His glory – a visible reflection of His self-emptying love and a testament to His faithfulness – can transform our sufferings and life’s difficulties if, as the Psalmist says, we flee to, trust in Him and remain in His love.

For Evangelist John, the crucifixion and glorification of our Lord Jesus were one event in His life, revealed as He hung on the cross. Therefore, just as it happened for our Lord Jesus, healing and salvation would evolve through our sufferings if we remain in His love.

Thus, Good Friday reveals the power of the compassionate, true High Priest who never abandons those in His love during sickness, suffering, or trials. Therefore, anyone who calls on His name will not be denied His deliverance and comfort, whether in this life or the next. We must learn to believe and trust that the One who fulfilled the Father’s will, crucified and glorified on the throne of the Cross, will surely perfect our services, joy, success, and happiness. Let us remain in His love, for those days of pain will pass.

(Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14; Psalm 116(115); 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; John 13:1-15)

Theme: The Memorial Ritual of Salvation

Before laying down His life for us on Good Friday, our Lord Jesus had supper with His disciples; as St Paul noted in the second reading, during that supper, He instituted the Eucharist, which He asked us to do in remembrance, memory, or anamnesis of Him.

In other words, He provided us with a ritual for the New Passover meal that supplants the annual Jewish Passover celebration of the Lord's liberative act, as referenced in today’s first reading, which vividly recounts the suffering and liberation of the People of Israel from Egypt.

Through the Mass, we recall our Lord’s sacrifice on the cross, the establishment of the new Passover, His blessed Resurrection, ascension into heaven, and our purification and redemption. The Mass is an anamnesis, or memorial, of the once-and-for-all sacrifice by the Redeemer, who continues to share with those sincerely gathered to receive His cleansing and redeeming grace.

Indeed, the bread of blessing we consume and the wine in the cup of blessing we drink serve not only as a communion in the Lord’s salvific sacrifice but also as a participation in His banquet of love, which is brought to life within the hearts of those partaking in the Eucharistic celebration; we are not only called to embody its fruits of love and compassion but also to share this grace for the salvation of the world.

And so, the passion of our Lord Jesus is not repeated but commemorated. By it, we are inspired to renew our lives and remain open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. In other words, tonight's celebration reminds us that our past salvific stories and all Eucharistic celebrations today have become one; therefore, when we hear the phrase “body of Christ,” it is the Lord Himself offering His body and blood to us, for our purification and salvation.

A purification He demonstrated when He washed the feet of His disciples. By doing so, our Lord revealed that He intends not only to wash our feet on Good Friday but also to cleanse us from sin. In response, our task is to present ourselves to the Lord each day for purification; to partake with a pure heart in His banquet of love; and, before leaving this world, share with others the joy, happiness, success, security, and peace gained from the Lord’s Holy Mass of remembrance.