Florida Catholic | Joy Before Easter

Previous by Laura Curll: Making the Church the subject of your love | The take–and–give experience

Joy before Easter

One in a series of columns on evangelization. The Year of Evangelization officially began Dec. 2, 2007, with a proclamation by Bishop Thomas Wenski. The year will include many celebrations of faith, including the May 8-10 celebration, Festival of Faith, at the Orange County Convention Center. The year 2008 also marks the 40th anniversary of the Diocese of Orlando.

LAURA CURLL | SPECIAL TO THE FLORIDA CATHOLIC

Published: 03.21.08

Bishop Wenski asks the faithful of the diocese to observe this year with gratitude and to share the Good News of the Lord Jesus Christ.

About two weeks prior to Holy Week last year, I thought about making a trip to visit with those who are homeless. I usually don’t set up a specific date on the calendar for working with the poor, instead choosing to do it often when I’m the most pressed for time. It’s one way in which I interpret Jesus’ words to “deny yourselves and follow Me” (Mk 8:34). However, during the Lenten season I become most eager to connect with the journey of Jesus to the cross and to our resurrection in Him, and so I decided I would venture out on Good Friday.

I started out in the early morning, searching the streets for those most in need. I usually come upon squatters rather quickly, but on this day, I was in a city in which I had never served the poor before. As a rule of thumb, I go where God sends me and on this day, He decided I should go somewhere new. It is how I conform to leaving behind what is cherished and familiar. As Jesus said, “but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest His head”
(Lk 9:58).

Eventually, I came upon a man sitting on a bench drinking a cup of coffee. It was obvious just driving by that this man had not bathed himself in quite some time. Upon closer inspection, it’s fair to say he had not seen a toothbrush either, as his teeth wore a dark brown coating on them. I stayed with this man a while and we discussed many things about life, and especially since this was Good Friday, I proceeded to share the Crucifixion story and what it meant for humanity. I asked his name and made sure to shake his hand. I told him I would pray for him and asked him to pray for me. I offered him some toiletries and a blanket for the coming cooler nights, but he was only interested in having a Bible and I was thrilled to oblige.

I then drove to the outskirts of town and on a desolate stretch of highway (kind of hard to imagine an empty road here in central Florida), I saw a man walking beside an old, rusty bicycle. He also appeared dirty and unshaven. This man had a weeping eye and I noticed he was quite older than the last gentleman. He was interested in a blanket and asked if I had shoes, because the shoes he had on were squeezing his feet that were already aching from many miles of riding. I had one extra pair of men’s shoes with me that fit him quite well. Again, we shook hands and called each other by name. I felt important to make this contact with each of the gentlemen I met, as I relate this symbolism to the “washing of the disciples’ feet” (Jn 13:5).

As I headed for home, I couldn’t help but feel joy on a day that could also be sorrowful. While what was done to our Lord was unthinkable, what was done for us was utterly remarkable. Mourning for the torturous price Jesus paid for our salvation has its rightful place, but Good Friday also provides us the opportunity of knowing that all God’s children have an invitation to His eternal Kingdom. When the Lord said, “Forgive them, Father, they know not what they do” (Lk 23:34), it relays to me the extent of His acceptance — that God desires all of His children to be reconciled to Him, and that those who are already Christ’s faithful servants have received the grace of inspiring others to come into the fold. What a peace it gave me to convey this to these two individuals and many others over the years , folks who are under the impression that their marginalized life circumstances keep them from receiving God’s love, grace and redemption. There was nothing better than being able to tell them this just isn’t so!

Even when parents are about to die, they sometimes leave the message to loved ones not to cry, but to be happy and honor them by going on to make the best life possible for themselves and others. Christ’s ascension into Heaven, if you will, could be viewed as the same. He gave us one last command that would bring honor to the Father and ensure the best life possible for us: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations” (Mt 28:19), opening discipleship and its eternal reward to those who would follow Him. What could be more satisfying than to let our brothers and sisters know this reward can be theirs as well as yours and mine?

Sorrow every year on Good Friday can reveal that we recognize the ransom Jesus paid for us. To show true appreciation for the sacrifices of Christ, we must also stir others’ hearts, minds and souls. We must be willing and committed to offering the Gospel message to others. This is when my heart says, “Thank you, Jesus.” This is when my cup of joy is full. Jesus died on the cross for the benefit of all creation, and I am truly humbled to deliver this amazing news to the world. This, in and of itself, makes Good Friday truly “good.”

Curll is a member of the Diocesan Pastoral Council and serves as chairwoman of the Evangelization Commission. She is a parishioner of Holy Family Parish in Orlando.

Return to Diocese of Orlando Front Page

Joy before Easter

Other Stories