Scripture scholars call Good Friday a day of celebration. But, Jesus is dead. How can we celebrate?

The actual Friday of Jesusí death certainly was not a day of celebration because Jesusí original disciples thought he was really dead. They had seen him die and be put into the ground. They understood Jesusí humanity at this point of time, but they would not learn more about his divinity until Easter when he would rise from the dead. But for us, Good Friday has always been a day of waiting because with our post-resurrection eyes we know that on Easter Jesus rose from the dead.

The wake service used in the Catholic Church gives us some insight into Good Friday being a day of celebration. At the wake service, family and friends assemble the evening before a funeral to celebrate the wonderful things the deceased did during her or his temporary life here on earth. Even though some mourners have misty eyes, there is much happiness through celebration of the life of the deceased knowing that he or she has passed on to eternal life with God.

This is what we do here today. We celebrate the life of Jesus and what he did for us.

Good Friday is the most solemn day of the whole Church year. There are no sacraments celebrated on this day. The altar is bare. There were no greetings, genuflections, opening song, processions: we simply are here to prostrate ourselves in humble submission before the Word and the Cross of Christ.

We celebrate Jesusí death to save us. God the Father loves us so much that he sent his Son to become human just like us. He remained human in every way, yes, even to death. Jesus is the Fatherís "show and tell." Jesus shows and tells us how to live our lives on earth so as to inherit eternal life with him.
 We just heard the Passion account according to John. Johnís Gospel was written some years later than Matthewís Gospel that we read on Passion Sunday. John had more time to reflect on the meaning of the Messiah. In Johnís Gospel, Jesus is victorious on the cross: Jesus reigns from the tree. The cross is our glory. The instrument of death is the instrument of salvation. The universe is changed and the world will never be the same again.

After I finish my homily, a large cross will be brought forward and we are invited to come to it. As we approach the cross, we might ask ourselves:
- Where am I with death?
- What has Christís death done to my future death?
- What part of me has died this Lent?
- Where in my life has the cross led me to hope?

These are some thoughts and emotions that go through our minds as we approach the cross and reverently touch the wood or even kiss this instrument of torture and death.

This is a time of Good News, a time of celebration: for, by dying with Christ in baptism, we will surely live with him forever.