‘What lesson will Jesus teach you?’
‘What lesson will Jesus teach you?’CHARLOTTE — In a silent procession to begin the Good Friday liturgy, Bishop Jugis entered St. Patrick Cathedral and lay prostrate before the sanctuary steps, humbling himself before God and in the presence of the faithful. This annual service held at 3 p.m., the hour Jesus Christ died on the cross, recalled the sacrifice of God’s only begotten Son for the salvation of souls.
The liturgy began with the reading of the Passion narrated by transitional Deacon Christopher Bond, with Deacon Brian McNulty as the voice, Bishop Jugis as Jesus and the congregation responding as the crowd. They took those gathered on the tortuous journey Christ suffered from the Garden of Gethsemane through His crucifixion on Golgotha.
“Have you ever taken the time to take a good look at the crucifix that you have in your home? Especially if you are having a particularly difficult time or a rough day, to find strength or courage just by your union with the Lord crucified?” Bishop Jugis asked during his homily.
“The word ‘behold’ appears several times today in this celebration of the Passion of the Lord,” he noted. “The invitation to behold, or to take a good look at – just as you would take a good look at the crucifix. That word behold used in today’s liturgy receives many different responses from the various audiences to which it is addressed.”
Bishop Jugis elaborated by pointing out that Pontius Pilate, when he brings Jesus out and displays Him on the judge’s bench, says to the mob, “Behold your king.” And the crowd responds, “Take Him away, crucify Him!”
“Behold Him, look at Him, your king,” Pilate says. And the crowd answers back, “No!”
Jesus uses the same word “behold” later on, as He hangs on the cross. As He tells His disciple to “behold” his mother, the disciple responds: Yes! “Seeing His mother and His disciple there whom He loved, He says to His mother, ‘Woman, behold your son.’ And then to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother.’ And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.”
In today’s secularized world, Bishop Jugis noted, society gives the same negative response when Christians say, “Behold your King. Behold Jesus. Behold His teachings and His Church’s teachings.”
“Just as in Pilate’s time, the mob responds, ‘Take Him away and crucify Him,’” Bishop Jugis said.
In contrast, when a believer is asked to “behold,” the response is very different, he continued.
“In this liturgy today, we are asked three times to behold: ‘Behold the Cross. Behold the wood of the Cross on which hung the Salvation of the World,’ ” Bishop Jugis said. “Later on, at Communion time, we will be asked: Now, behold the Lamb of God who is really present! and we respond with humility and love."
— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter
MIDLAND — Nearly 500 young people and adults from 21 parishes attended the Diocese of Charlotte’s annual Catholic Camporee March 31-April 2 at Belk Scout Camp.
At this year’s Camporee, a record number of five Boy Scouts – Nicolas Martinez, Christopher Day, Zeke Adams, Franklin Burgess and Nathan Russell – received the Pillars of Faith Award for having earned all four Catholic religious emblems (the Light of Christ, Parvuli Dei, Ad Altare Dei and the Pope Pius XII). All five are members of Troop 958 from St. Leo the Great Church in Winston-Salem.
— Patricia L. Guilfoyle | Catholic News Herald