On this most solemn day of the Church’s liturgical year — Feria Sexta in Parasceve, or Good Friday — we turn our eyes to the Lord crucified. The Passion according to St. John, chapters 18 and 19, unfolds before us not merely as historical narrative, but as the divine drama of redemption — the Lamb of God offered for the salvation of the world. Let us enter into the sacred mystery with the Fathers of the Church, whose luminous reflections can deepen our understanding of this ineffable sacrifice.
1. The Garden of Gethsemane: The New Eden
John 18 opens with Christ entering a garden — hortus in the Latin Vulgate — a deliberate echo of Eden. As the first Adam sinned in a garden, the New Adam begins His Passion there, willingly giving Himself up.
“It is no accident that the Passion begins in a garden,” writes St. Ambrose, “for it was in a garden that man was first deceived and cast out. Now in a garden, Christ begins the restoration of man.” (Expositio Evangelii secundum Lucam)
Unlike Adam who hid when God came looking for him, Christ steps forward: “I am He.” With this divine utterance — echoing the Ego sum of Exodus — the guards fall to the ground. St. Augustine marvels at this moment:
“He shows that unless He wills it, they can do nothing. His power is such that even in surrendering, He overcomes.” (Tractates on the Gospel of John, 112)
2. Peter’s Denial: The Frailty of the Fervent
Peter, who had so boldly declared he would die for Christ, denies Him three times. This fall is a warning to all who rely on themselves.
St. Cyril of Alexandria writes:
“The Evangelist presents Peter’s fall to teach us humility, that none should trust in his own strength but rather flee to God for steadfastness.” (Commentary on John, Book 12)
And yet, even in this failure, there is a quiet grace. The cock crows — a signal not only of Peter’s sin but of the dawn of mercy.
3. Pilate’s Judgment: Truth Before the World
In John 18:38, Pilate asks the question of all ages: “Quid est veritas?” (“What is truth?”) Yet the irony is tragic: Truth Himself is standing before him.
St. Augustine observes:
“Pilate asked ‘What is truth?’ but did not wait to hear the answer. He turns away from the Truth to curry favor with the crowd. Thus do many lose the truth — not because it cannot be found, but because they do not remain with it.” (Tractates on John, 115)
Christ, silent before Pilate, fulfills Isaiah’s prophecy: “Like a sheep before its shearers, He was silent.” (Isaiah 53:7)
4. The Crucifixion: The Throne of Mercy
When Christ is lifted up, He draws all men to Himself (cf. John 12:32). On Calvary, the King reigns from the Cross. The inscription Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum declares what is always true: He is King — not in spite of the Cross, but through it.
St. John Chrysostom explains:
“The Cross is not a defeat, but a trophy. It is by the Cross that the devil is defeated, sin is abolished, and death is destroyed.” (Homilies on John, 85)
At His side flows blood and water — the wellspring of the Sacraments. St. Augustine sees here the birth of the Church:
“Just as Eve was formed from the side of sleeping Adam, so the Church is born from the side of Christ as He sleeps the sleep of death upon the Cross.” (Tractate 120 on John)
5. The Burial: Hidden Glory
Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus bury Christ with reverence and courage. Though the world sees a corpse, the Church sees the Seed buried in the earth.
St. Leo the Great preaches:
“The Lord’s burial shows us the Sabbath rest of the Creator, as He finishes the work of new creation by resting in the tomb.” (Sermon 66 on the Passion)
This tomb will not hold Him. But today, we mourn in silence. The bells are stilled, the altars are stripped, and the faithful come to venerate the Cross — not as a token of defeat, but as the Tree of Life.
Final Reflection: “Consummatum est”
As He breathes His last, Christ declares: “It is finished.” (Consummatum est). Not in resignation, but in triumph. The work is done. The ransom paid. The new Exodus begun.
Let us sit in silence, as the world darkens and the veil of the temple is torn. We are not abandoned, but invited into deeper hope — hope that springs not from avoidance of suffering, but from the victory of Love through it.
Prayer
O Crucified Lord,
Pierced for our transgressions,
wounded for our iniquities —
teach us to remain with You at the Cross.
With Mary and John, let us not flee.
Give us the grace to die to sin
and rise with You in glory.
Amen.
Suggested Meditation for Today:
Spend time in silence before a crucifix. Slowly read John 18–19. With each passage, pause and ask: What does this reveal about Christ’s love for me? Where am I in this Passion? Am I with Peter? With Pilate? With the Blessed Mother?