March 28, 1997
Good Friday
"'And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw everyone to Myself.’ (Jn 12:32) Beloved sons, live, together with me, this day of the passion and death of my Son Jesus.
`When I am lifted up from the earth.' For this, the Word of the Father came down into my virginal womb; for this, He was formed for nine months in my motherly womb; for this, He was born of me in a poor and bare cave; for this, He lived through the days of his threatened infancy, of his adolescence and of his youth, bent over his daily work.
As I would watch Him grow in the beauty of his divine body, my thoughts would often go with trepidation to the place where He was to be immolated, as the victim prepared and awaited by the Father. And with Jesus, together we would gaze at this summit of Golgotha, where now his bloody Sacrifice is about to be accomplished.
`I will draw everyone to Myself’. The Father has so loved the world that He has given it his only-begotten Son, that the world may be saved by means of Him. Jesus offers Himself as the price of your ransom. Jesus immolates Himself for your salvation. Jesus is put to death on the Cross, so that the gift of his redemption may reach all humanity.
See in Jesus Crucified the living icon of the divine mercy of the Father. It is mercy which impels the Father to give you his only-begotten Son. It is mercy that leads Jesus to immolate Himself on the Cross for you. It is mercy that causes all the blows, insults and outrages of this day to fall upon his divine body.
See with me the new buds of divine mercy as they open upon his immolated body. Bend down with me to kiss the fragrant flowers of mercy, as they blossom from all his suffering. Let us kiss his body, reduced to one single wound; let us kiss his head, pierced by the penetrating thorns; let us kiss his face, stricken and disfigured; let us kiss his hands and his feet, transfixed by the nails; let us kiss his Heart, rent by the lance. Let us kiss, with love and sorrow, the true Lamb of God, immolated upon the Cross for our salvation.
I will draw everyone to Myself.’ All humanity is drawn into his love of Savior and Redeemer. From Him is born the new humanity, brought to full communion of life with his Heavenly Father. From his pierced Heart, divine mercy descends with water and blood. From here is born the Church and gush forth the sacraments of your salvation.
And thus the divine mercy becomes a defense for the innocence of the little ones, firmness for the vigor of youth, support for the weakness of the great, comfort for the suffering of the poor, pardon for the guilt of the sinners, hope for the fear of the dying, salvation and life for all.
In Jesus, raised up from the earth upon the Cross for you, see the triumph of Divine Mercy over all humanity, redeemed and saved by Him.
`I will draw everyone to Myself.’ I participate as Mother in this, his plan of salvation. For this reason, I am close to my crucified Son today, and I look upon Him with profound compassion, as He is raised up from the earth. I share in his every suffering; I feel upon myself the weight of his Cross; the nails transfix my soul; the lance of the Roman soldier pierces also my motherly Heart. And thus I participate, as Co-redemptrix, in the work of your redemption.
I unite my motherly sorrow to all the suffering of my Son, because I have been called to be the Mother of Divine Mercy. For this reason, redeemed humanity is entrusted by my Son to my motherly love as well. Jesus has given me as true Mother to all humanity.
All of you, let yourselves be drawn into the cradle of this, my new and spiritual motherhood. Enter into the safe refuge of my Immaculate Heart.
With his triumph, foretold by me at Fatima, you will see accomplished the greatest miracle of the divine mercy upon the world."
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