AN ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT GOOD FRIDAY

    On this Good Friday we find ourselves witnessing an innocent country being crucified by a diabolical force.

    Actually, we must pray that Ukraine is experiencing a crucifixion from which it will arise and not totally be destroyed by the force of hell that is attacking it.

   The few people that crucified Jesus thought they were eliminating him forever.  I say, "the few people" because the people of Israel did not know what was happening on the hill where the Romans carried out their sacrilege.

   The lesson of Good Friday is that we will suffer crucifixions, small and large, in our lives.  For example, today we are suffering from a seriously collapse political atmosphere, daily murders in our cities, an uncared for climate, etc.  

   Will we experience a resurrection?  The Church has the way.  In the 1960's Vatican II gave us a clear way to put away our irrelevance to the everyday world and showed us with great detail how we must be actively working in our own homes, neighborbhoods, workplaces, schools, et al. to do whatever we can with the gifts and opportunities we have, to help make our society more peaceful, more healing, more open to a better future--in sum, more human

     Right now in Ukraine, we have a horrific example of the total opposite of helping to make the world more human. The horror being inflicted upon the people of Ukraine severely contradicits the teachings of the crucified and risen Christ, whom the people of Ukraine, Russia, and we worship.

   Here in America we are free to choose our own leaders.  And to vote them out of office if they don't serve our Constitution well.

I did not say, serve our deepest prejucises well.  I said to service our Constituton well, with the clarity and love given to us by Him, who is the Light of the World.

   This Good Friday and Easter, we are especially called to renew our determination to help bring ever new life and new love to everyone we meet and to all the leaders of our country.

   Let us thank the Crucified and Risen Christ that we have the opportunity and power to turn our Good Fridays into Easter Sundays.  And let us pray that we are able to reach out and help our crufidied neighbors from the diabolic attack from hell.