Good Friday - The Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ

Jose climbed down the rickety ladder.  The coyote, who had taken his last dollar, assured him that this was the safest way to get into the United States.  The empty tank car was never checked by the border patrol.  When he reached the bottom of the tank, the coyote dropped the paper bag that contained all of Jose's  worldly possessions, a pair of pants, some underwear and socks and an old Bible that was all he had left of his old life.  As his eyes adjusted to the darkness of his temporary shelter he saw that he was not alone.  There were twelve others including two young children and a very old man. The coyote called out and threw down two flashlights and a couple of gallon jugs of water.  Then the shaft of light disappeared from the opening as they heard the hatch close and lock. Jose clicked on the flashlight and played the dim beam around the tank. It was getting hot. The twelve other people had sat down and he could see them each with a rosary in their hands.  He remembered the prayers from his youth and he moved nearer to them and joined in.  He had not prayed for years.  A week later the empty tank car was opened by the border guards for inspection after it had crossed into the United States and the thirteen immigrants were found dead, dehydrated, with two flashlights and two empty gallon jugs beside them.  The Lord Jesus Christ died for such as these.  

Simar turned his head and looked at the young nun dressed in white and blue. He was burning up with fever and the nun wiped his brow and smiled at him. When she found Samir on the street she had summoned an ambulance and when the driver said that no hospital would accept this dirty beggar, she told him where to take the man. The driver took pity on the nun and with her help, he loaded the stinking drug addict into the ambulance and brought her to the nun's makeshift hospice.  He helped her unload the man and to bring him inside. He then turned his back and left the hospice.  The nun called one of the volunteers and together they removed the beggar's rags and tenderly bathed him with warm water and scented soap.  They carefully dressed him in new pajamas that had been donated to the hospice and laid him on clean sheets on a soft mattress. Simar had not felt a soft mattress in years. Tears formed in his eyes and flooded down his cheeks. He had lived on the street like a dog, but he would die like a man.  The Lord Jesus Christ died for such as these. 

Jerry had beaten her. She looked in the mirror.  The face that looked back at her was a mass of bruises and cuts. The neighbors had heard the commotion and had called the police.  They came and although Hilda said she did not want to press charges, Jerry sucker punched one of the policemen and the other cop shot him with a taser that took him down to the ground.  The cops said told her that he was now under arrest for assaulting an officer and there would be no point in trying to bail him out because they were going to see to it that he would miss night court. They also told her that there was a good chance that Jerry would be going to jail for awhile because he had committed a felony.  They took him away and Hilda felt very alone. The policemen gave her a card with a phone number on it, it was a shelter for abused women.  They told her that they could help.  She called the number and the shelter came and helped her pack some things and took her in.  She was beginning a new life.  The Lord Jesus Christ died for such as these. 

Jay and Jill were brother and sister, twins as a matter of fact.  They had a wonderful home life, got good grades in school, and they got along with each other.  Today was Good Friday and they were going through their possessions and carefully selecting things that they would be donating to the poor.  They went through their toys and each of them chose not only things that they did not play with anymore, but at least one of their newer, favorite toys to give to another child who had nothing new to play with.  They listened carefully to the story of Jesus and how he sacrificed His life for them and they wanted to make a sacrifice to show how thankful they were for what He did for them.  The Lord Jesus Christ died for such as these. 

Anna sat looking out the window, not that there was much to see. But she could not get around like she used to and the window was her only connection to the world.  She longed to hear from her son and two daughters but they did not call. To say she was lonely would certainly be an understatement. Her arthritic arm reached to the table and picked up her Bible.  She opened and began to read. The doorbell rang. She looked at her watch.  It was eleven o'clock already.  She stood up on shaky legs and slowly walked to the door.  She looked through the peephole and saw it was David!  She opened the door and David smiled at her as he brought in her lunch. Usually, he just brought in the lunch and left but today he asked if he could stay and visit for awhile. With a twinkle and a tear in her eye, she said yes.  The Lord Jesus Christ died for such as these.  

All of these stories profile Jesus on the Cross. We speak of the passion of Jesus.  His death on the cross was meant to be an example to us. He had a passion for people and He is calling us to have that same kind of passion. The story of His death on the cross is well known to all Christians.  The passion of Christ sometimes escapes our notice due to the drama of the story.  May the passion of the Christ of the Lord inflame you this day as you meditate on what this day means to you.  Remember, your mother, father, sisters, brothers, your boss, your enemies, the Lord Jesus Christ died for such as these.