There is a strange irony that every day of the year, including Christmas, we celebrate mass in front of an image of Christ crucified on the cross except for the very day it happened. On Good Friday there is no consecration as we continue the Triduum and consume pre-consecrated Eucharist that we adored after the Solemnity of the Institution of the Eucharist.
Today, churches around the world feel cold and dark. Altars are bare, there is no holy water, and Jesus is gone from sight. Today we fast and avoid things like TV and other forms of entertainment. Today is not a fun day, but it’s not supposed to be.
There are so many things to be said about Good Friday, but the best expressions of today come through the art of the Church. I would like to share with you some of the art that speaks most to my heart about this day.
These first three all have a connection to each other. Salvador Dali had a conversion to Catholicism late in life, but he was very influenced by the print of the Velasquez’s painting hanging over his mother’s bed when he grew up. Later His inspiration came from the drawing by St John of the Cross that has a unique perspective from above.
These remind me of much the Father’s heart broke to see us, His children, put Jesus on the cross.
The Crucifixion – St John of the Cross
Diego Velasquez – The Crucifixion of Christ on the Cross
Crucifixion – Salvador Dali
Does your heart break? – The Brilliance
Then There is the pain of our mother as she held her son’s dead body knowing Jesus’ innocence better than anyone else.
La Pieta – El Greco
Stabat Mater Dolorosa – Antonio Vivaldi
Today we remember the day that Heaven’s heart broke so profoundly that it caused the earth to shake and hide in the dark as the sky cried out in pain.
Does your heart break?
My heart breaks every time.