Viernes Santo

Philippians 2:1-5

If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,
who, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
as something to be exploited,
but emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
being born in human likeness.
And being found in human form,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to the point of death—
even death on a cross.

Lord, we resist yet know you call us to die to self that we might truly live and we know it is the false self we must die to, not the truest self you created us to become. We usually think of this in terms of our individual selves but do you not also call our collective false selves to die? The Church, on every level, is going through bad times these days. Could you help us as your body to also die to self - to forget, by your grace, about institutional survival and abandon ourselves to service and embodiment of Gospel? I think it would joy your heart and suspect the world would know more joy also. Thanks.

Lord, when Thou hast ascended on the Cross, fear and trembling seized all creation. Thou hast not suffered the earth to swallow up those that crucified Thee; but Thou hast commanded hell to render up its prisoners, for the regeneration of mortals. Judge of the living and the dead, Thou hast come to bring, not death, but life. O Lover of souls, glory to Thee.
--Lenten Triodon [adapted]