March 29th
Good Friday
Meditations from Thomas a Kempis (1380-1471), Confessor; Kempen, Germany 

"Lord, I praise and glorify Your steadfastness and perseverance in remaining on the Cross You embraced, and from which neither flattery nor empty promises could induce You to descend -- not for one brief moment would You have abandoned that which You had willingly ascended.  It was Your firm decision to remain unto the end and to die on the Cross You had chosen with so holy a love; likewise it was always Your desire to bring to a glorious end the work of salvation that You had initiated.  You, who taught others to persevere in doing good works, manifested Your obedience by remaining on the Cross, and, by that example of Yours, You indicated to Your followers that they too must show constancy in being obedient....

"Remember the Apostle's words:  Christ became obedient for us unto death, even to death on the cross.  Therefore, whatever the world may promise you or whatever may appeal to your body, no matter how severely the devil may tempt you or friends try to dissuade you, or even if the world laughs at you, pay no attention to all these, but ignore and scorn them.

"Stand firm in Christ; look upward, focus your eyes on the Crucified, who with wide open arms invites you and promises you, for a short period of toil, an eternal reward.  He says:  If you will suffer with me, you shall reign with me; and if you will die with me, you shall be glorified with me."

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"Notice the gratitude that the world shows Him in return for all of His extraordinary deeds and miracles.  He is put to death as if He were the worst of thieves and dies as the poorest of men.  He does not die in a comfortable feather bed, but on the hard wood of the Cross; not in a house or under a protecting roof, but in the open air, in a frightfully foul place; not in a private room, but publicly on a Cross; not in the company of His disciples, but between two thieves; not in the arms of His loving Mother, but between those of a tall Cross.

"He did not even have a few handfuls of straw beneath Him, nor over Him a covering of the poorest linen.  He had no pillow for His head, but a crown of sharp thorns instead.  There were no sandals on His feet nor gloves on His hands, but as substitutes He had iron nails that pierced through His flesh and bones.

"In this dire distress of His, there was no one to minister to Him, but an impenitent thief at His side, a degenerate criminal, who showered Him with shameful insults.  There was no one to console Him -- His followers and those with whom He had frequently sat at table had all but deserted Him.  He could move neither hand nor foot, nor turn on his side -- He found no relief for His body's pain, not even in the slightest.  He remained immobile, stretched to the straining point, every organ dreadfully distended.  No one there tried to console Him.  No one thought of helping Him.  No one was interested in Him.  His heart all but stopped beating.

"There remained only His tongue that He could use.  He prayed for His enemies, and from the pulpit of the Cross He preached seven worthy words counter to the seven deadly sins...."