Good Friday 2010

I have always been fascinated by the devotions in the Holy Week. In my younger days before marriage, I was instructed and baptized in Choi Hung. There was a good tradition. After Maundy Thursday, the Church kept her door open to allow parishioners to stay with Jesus who was in agony in the Garden of Gethsemane after the Last Supper. All the apostles had fallen asleep but modern day Christians are in a better position. They would pray in front of the Eucharist for an hour in relay. This was called "Keeping the Holy Hour". Usually, the laity associations, such as Legion of Mary, and St. Vincent Society etc. would take turn to stay with Jesus until dawn. On Good Friday morning, students from the schools in the region: Choi Hung Estate Catholic Secondary School, Good Hope School, St. Joseph Anglo-Chinese Secondary School and the primary schools, flocked into the church to pray for an hour. In the afternoon, there would be Stations of the Cross and in the evening, the Passion Liturgy. These are some of the fond memories I cherish.

My life has been fully occupied with all sorts of work. I am desperately in need of spending some quality time alone with God. Today, I decided to return to the parish to join the annual retreat. Indeed, I managed to spend many hours inside the Church. Of course, I know that God has a large heart. Wherever I am, He would be there, within or without the Church.
Fr. Martin Ip taught us Lectio Divina. I know the basic elements but need to practise. Of course, whether I am able to attain the contemplation stage is a matter of God's grace. For me, staying in the Church is enough for me. I am contented to be in the presence of my Lord. Fr. Martin had chosen four passages of the Suffering Servant from Isaiah. After a while, I focused on the following verse.
for that which has not been told them they shall see, and that which they have not heard they shall understand (Isaiah 52:15b).
God is doing something new, something unheard of. Now we have seen. We have been a crucified God. We are dumbfounded and yet we understand. Praise be to God.
Biblical messages are full of tensions. We reach the greatest paradox in the crucifixion of Jesus. He embraces the cross because his glorification is his being hoisted on the cross.
And Jesus answered them, "The hour has come for the Son of man to be glorified.
Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit (John 12:23-24).
We need to keep this tension in our spirit to move ahead.

Dear Lord, may glory and honour be Yours forever and ever. Amen.

Appendix:
for that which has not been told them they shall see, and that which they have not heard they shall understand.

כִּי אֲשֶׁר לֹא-סֻפַּר לָהֶם, רָאוּ, וַאֲשֶׁר לֹא-שָׁמְעוּ, הִתְבּוֹנָנוּ
(Isaiah 52:15b)