Robert Barbry

Following Jesus and truly having faith in His Church is undoubtedly the hardest thing that anyone in this life could undertake. On this Good Friday, I often reflect on the role of the disciples during the arrest, trial, scourging, and eventual crucifixion. These men were in the inner circle, they fellowshipped with the Christ on a perpetual basis. Yet at the first sign of dissention, these great men of faith scattered. More importantly, Jesus knew they would do just that.

What more, does this day about our own faith? Us, Christians, we are the flock of the successors of the men who fled and even denied Christ in His final hours. In times of uncertainty we immediately turn our trust in on our own devices. So often, if God’s plan isn’t what we had pictured, we take up matters in our own hands. Each and every time we find that when we put our full reliance in ourselves that we are left unfulfilled and often in a worse position than when times were seemingly uncertain.

When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.
-John 19:26-27

Fortunately, we are not alone in this journey. We have the Church, guided by the Holy Spirit, in communion with all the saints and this community will not fail us. Even Christ’s mother, our Blessed Mother, was left in the care of the His disciples, the foundation of our Church. It is only when we orient our trust inward that our situation begins to deteriorate. Christ promised us there would be suffering, because he suffered. Like the disciples, we become cynical when the suffering begins. It is only when we cling to the faith we have in the Catholic Church and embrace the grace in the sacraments that we will be able to face uncertainty without hesitation.

On this Good Friday, when we travel into the hours leading towards the cross, let us be reminded that we too are called to carry a cross. When trials befall us, let us consider that our only recourse is to believe. Let us keep the faith and if we don’t quit, we win.