Friday 18 April

Friday of the Passion of the Lord

Isaiah 52:13-53:12, Ps 31, Heb 4:14-16, 5:7-9, John 18:1-19:42

For our sins he died

Our images of Jesus on the cross dramatically portray the suffering, pain and anguish of a criminal who is tortured and put to death as a punishment for crime. But Isaiah reminds us that the crimes for which Jesus suffered and died were not his own crimes but ours. As we venerate the cross today, we repent our sins for which Jesus suffered. We also acknowledge that, through those sufferings, he brings peace and healing to us and to the world.