March 29 2024: Bible Verse of the Day – Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion – Jesus Dies for Our Sins on the Cross
When Jesus had taken the wine, he said, “It is finished.” And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit. – John 19:30
Catholic Readings for Today
Bible Verse of the Day Reflections for Good Friday
Reflect on this solemn day, on the last words of Jesus as recorded in scripture. There are seven final statements known as the “Seven Last Words.”
Take each phrase and spend time meditating on it, seeking to understand its deeper spiritual significance in your life.
“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” – Luke 23:34
Jesus displayed a unique and unprecedented level of forgiveness towards others. Even when subjected to cruelty and hanging on the Cross, He offered words of forgiveness to those who wronged Him. In the midst of His persecution, He chose to forgive them.
Moreover, Jesus went further to acknowledge that those who were crucifying Him were not entirely responsible for their actions, as they were ignorant of the full extent of their wrongdoing.
This humble recognition highlights the depth of Jesus’ compassion and mercy. It demonstrates that He did not die out of anger or bitterness, but as a willing sacrifice.
Consider the power of forgiveness, even in the face of injustice and cruelty. Ask for the grace to forgive those who have hurt you, and pray for those who have not yet realized the gravity of their actions.
Consider bringing to mind the person who has caused you harm and praying for their forgiveness from the Father. Choose to leave any judgment to God and extend to them mercy and forgiveness.
“Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” – Luke 23:43
It is likely that hearing these words brought great comfort to the good thief. At that moment, he was facing death on a cross alongside Jesus and may have been experiencing feelings of despair.
It was undoubtedly a great privilege for the good thief to be present next to the Savior of the World and to share in His sufferings in such a profound way.
This man was among the first to receive the gift of salvation that Jesus won on the Cross. It was truly a remarkable gift that he received, despite his past mistakes and sins.
Jesus extends the same assurance to us today, offering us salvation even in the midst of our suffering and sin.
Can you hear His voice offering you this gift of mercy? Can you sense His invitation to share in the gift of eternal life that He has won for us?
Allow Him to speak this invitation to you and let the eternal life of paradise begin to take root more deeply in your soul from this day forward.
Reflect on the hope of eternal life and the promise of salvation. Consider your own mortality and ask for the grace to live a life that will lead you to paradise.
“Woman, behold your son.” / “Behold, your mother.” – John 19:26-27
Truly, it is a remarkable gift that Jesus entrusted His own mother to John while He was dying on the Cross.
Through this act, He also entrusted her to each one of us, making us members of His family and, thus, sons and daughters of His own mother.
Our Blessed Mother embraces this responsibility with great joy, accepting and holding us close to her loving heart.
Have you embraced Jesus’ mother as your own spiritual mother and consecrated yourself fully to her? This act is believed to put you under her care and love.
Contemplate the importance of caring for others, especially those closest to us. Consider the ways in which you can be of service to those in need, and the responsibility you have to care for those in your life.
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” – Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34
Jesus did not actually experience abandonment by the Father, but He willingly allowed Himself to feel and undergo this intense sense of separation in His human nature. He intimately knew the feeling of profound despair.
By allowing Himself to experience the effects of sin, Jesus gained a deep understanding of what we go through when we face despair.
He can empathize with us and knows how it feels. Jesus is there with us in those moments of temptation, enabling us to persevere through despair and to grow in faith and trust in the Father.
Reflect on the pain of feeling abandoned or alone. Consider the ways in which you can reach out to those who are struggling with loneliness and isolation, and ask for the grace to feel God’s presence in times of darkness.
“I am thirsty.” – John 19:28
It is a powerful statement indeed. As Jesus hung on the Cross, He was not only physically thirsty and in need of water to quench His dehydration, but He also thirsted spiritually for the salvation of all our souls.
Even today, His spirit yearns for the gift of salvation to be bestowed upon us. He desires to call us His children and longs for our love.
Reflect upon these words of Jesus directed to you: “I thirst for you!” He expresses a profound and intense thirst for your love. Your love can satisfy His thirst.
On this Good Friday, show your love for Jesus and quench His thirst by offering Him your love.
Contemplate the human experience of physical and spiritual thirst. Ask for the grace to recognize your own needs and the needs of others, and to seek refreshment and renewal in God.
“It is finished.” – John 19:30
It’s significant that He said “It is finished” as His last words. What does this mean? What is finished?
When Jesus said, “It is finished” as His last words, He was declaring the completion of His mission on earth. He had accomplished what He had been sent by the Father to do. He had finished the work of salvation for which He had come.
By His suffering, death, and resurrection, He had paid the price for the sins of humanity, offering a way for us to be reconciled with God. His mission was not only to offer salvation but to perfectly fulfill the law and to show us how to live in the way of love.
Therefore, when Jesus said, “It is finished,” it was a powerful statement of triumph over sin and death, a fulfillment of prophecy, and the ultimate act of love.
“Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” – Luke 23:46
These words of Jesus, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit,” are of utmost importance in prayer. They represent a total surrender to God, which is at the heart of prayer. Prayer is ultimately an act of surrender and trust in God.
It can be helpful to repeat these words in prayer as a way of imitating Jesus’ surrender to the Father. By doing so, we can let go of our own fears and worries, and entrust ourselves fully to God’s loving care.
So let us pray these words over and over again, allowing the perfect surrender of Jesus to inspire and guide us in our own surrender to God.
Yes, surrendering to God means acknowledging that He is in control of our lives and that His will is greater than our own. It requires us to let go of our own desires and to trust that God’s plan for us is the best one.
When we surrender to God, we are making a conscious decision to follow His lead and to trust in His love and wisdom. We can trust that He will guide us toward the path that will ultimately bring us the most joy and fulfilment.
Through surrender, we open ourselves up to the transformative power of God’s grace and allow Him to work in us and through us. And as we let go of our own will and trust in God’s plan, we can experience a deep sense of peace and freedom that comes from knowing we are in His loving hands.
Summary for Good Friday
The image of the Cross and the sacrifice of Jesus has become familiar to us. We see it every day and it may cause us to overlook the significance of the sacrifice.
However, it is important to understand what Jesus accomplished for us on the Cross. He completed the act of salvation and now offers it to us.
We should allow the act of Divine Mercy to touch our souls deeply. Jesus desires to say to us that His sacrifice has finished its work in our souls.
On this Good Friday, it would be beneficial for us to devote time to meditate and reflect on the reality of Jesus’ sacrifice.
We can try to comprehend what it was like for God to suffer and die in human form. We can reflect on the profound love and humility that compelled the Creator of the universe to allow Himself to be put to death by His own creations, those whom He loved with a perfect love.
By understanding Jesus’ sacrificial love, we can learn to love like Him. This love is all-encompassing, generous beyond measure, and can enable us to love those who have hurt us or those who persecute us.
Through His sacrifice, Jesus teaches us to love unconditionally and to offer forgiveness even to those who do not deserve it.
Let us Pray, Dear Lord, I am aware of Your desire for my soul. Your sacrifice on the Cross completed what You started, saving me and the world. I ask for Your guidance in comprehending Your love and accepting it into my life. Please aid me in forgiving others and inviting You into my darkness and sin.
I surrender everything to You. I am grateful for Your suffering and the gift of Your Precious Blood that brought salvation to the world. Amen.
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