HOMILY: Friday of the Passion of the Lord / Good Friday
John 18:1-19:42
29 March 2024
Fr. Ricky Cañet Montañez
I have been following some news in the UK because of the media storm that has been surrounding Prince William and Princess Kate. What spurred it was the noticeable absence of the Princess of Wales (Kate Middleton) from royal duties and the public eye for a lengthy period. She recently released a video statement on her cancer diagnosis and the treatment she has been receiving. Prior to her revelation, all sorts of conspiracy theories came out to speculate on the whereabouts of the Princess and her real condition. Through all the gossip and fake news, the Prince and Princess remained unperturbed, facing the outrageous accusations, intrigues and persecution with “grace and dignity”. I really admire them for that.
Today we have listened to the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ according to John. If we can truly picture what was happening in the story, the faint-hearted will have passed out. Jesus was treated pretty badly, and He suffered not just from the wounds inflicted on Him but from the torment of the mockery, ridicule and betrayal He must have felt. And yet, through it all, He endured this suffering with quiet dignity and grace. He chose not to respond to His attackers with violence. When He was arrested in the Garden, He reprimanded Peter for attacking one of the servants, and He took the time to restore the severed ear before He went with them peacefully. While His accusers were shouting, Jesus stayed silent. I am reminded of the saying that “Confidence is silent; insecurity is loud.” This angered them the more but Jesus did not do it to taunt them or antagonise them. He simply chose not to add to the hatred and evil that was already consuming his detractors. This is what separates Jesus from them. Pope Francis said that Jesus’ dignity shines through this “silence that triumphs over” His attackers. The Pope adds further “the truth is humble and silent, and is not noisy” acknowledging that what Jesus did is not easy. In the Gospel of John, we find Jesus in control of the situation. He knew the truth of Himself, His identity and His mission. Nothing, nor no kind of torture would change that nor deter Him from what He was determined to do for love. He endured His suffering because He loved us and He was confident in the Father’s love for Him.
Most of the time, we really have to know when we should speak and when we should stay silent. When couples fight, both their emotions are high so it is recommended that they take some time to cool off before attempting to converse and discuss again. In the height of anger, they are more likely to say things they do not mean and are less likely to see clearly how they have both contributed to the misunderstanding or how they have hurt each other. Kung may nasaktan tapos may gaganti, away na. Kaya nagkakasakitan. Wala namang away kung walang pumapatol sa pag-udyok ng isa. Sabi nga nila.. mabuti nang manahimik kaysa pahabain pa ang isyu. (If someone gets hurt and then the other retaliates, definitely a fight ensues. Thus, they would surely hurt each other. There is no fight if no one responds to the instigation of the other. As they say: “It is better to remain silent than to complicate and prolong the whole matter.” I imagine this was the strategy of Princess Kate and Prince William. We contrast this with local and international celebrities who air their dirty laundry in public and choose to ensue in word wars with their family members on Twitter (now X) or with vloggers who make such a big deal about small discomforts that normal people deal with every day such as queuing in line, the humid weather, crowded places, etc. A recent video shows a lady asking for a microphone change. Instead of going about it quietly, she announced that she couldn’t stand the foul smell of the microphone. (I do not want to judge her because she could just be joking.) Clearly though, it was not necessary to say it in public.
Our world is so imperfect that it cannot be devoid of suffering. To be silent in times of difficulties and to bear our pains with dignity and grace must be grounded on our desire to emulate Jesus. It is not the same as the silence of denial of what is reality or the silence that allows evil to persist. I have a friend who died of cancer two years ago. No one knew she had cancer. She never went to consult a doctor so no one knew she was in pain. She bore her physical pain silently and eventually died of some cancer that went undiagnosed and untreated. This is not what it means to bear one’s suffering gracefully. Neither is it correct to say, we should be silent when we are eyewitnesses to a wrongdoing. Kapag kitang-kita na nating may dinudukutan ng wallet hindi ito ang panahon para manahimik; o kapag nag-aaway na sa publiko ang ating mga kaibigan, dapat naman awatin natin sa mahinahong paraan. (When we see someone is being robbed, that’s not the time to be silent; or when our friends are fighting in public, we should intervene and break it off in a calm manner.) Silence should not add to the suffering in the world.
This Good Friday, we are asked to look upon Jesus, crucified on the cross for our sins. He did not deserve to suffer like that but He accepted it for our sake. “He was pierced for our offences, crushed for our sins; upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole, by his stripes we were healed.” (Isaiah 53:5) As the Suffering Servant of the Lord, “[Jesus] “though he was harshly treated, he submitted and opened not his mouth; like a lamb led to the slaughter…” (Isaiah 53:7) As long as we live in the world, we cannot escape from the reality of suffering, persecution and death. Jesus Himself experienced this. However, by His example we know that violence and evil will never have the last say. In closing, I invite each and everyone of us to reflect on these two questions when we go home:
1. “Can I keep myself from adding to the suffering in the world?”
2. “Can I bear my own share of suffering as a follower of Christ with the same dignity and grace as Jesus did?”
Sunday Gospel Reflections 