Religion in Our Lives

Today, Good Friday, is just about the most important day in the Christian calendar. Most of our world religions have days and periods in the calendar that have special significance. What I find wonderful is that people of different religions or no religion are still able to acknowledge these events whether as a matter respect to others or out of their own sense of interest, wonder or basic humanity.

No question that we are as a “world nation” unique people brought to levels of passion, emotion and even irrationality because of our religion. We fight in the name of religion, and we love in the name of religion. Hopefully one day we’ll get it right. In the meantime for those people that have the freedom to worship as they please and to acknowledge other religions, as they please, I hope you’ll appreciate that gift and take the time to acknowledge how important today is to Christian people.

Good Friday commemorates the day Jesus was crucified on the cross. Sunday we’ll celebrate his resurrection and have our Easter celebration. Even for people who are not Christian or even religious, the notion of celebrating life after death is one that predates Christianity.

For those who are interested, here are some traditions that will be followed today, especially in my home as we’re Catholic.

We’ll attend Church this afternoon for the Good Friday service where there will be a re-enactment of the Passion of Christ. This act is in fact the Church community’s way of commemorating the redemption of the world through Jesus’ arrest, trial, crucifixion and suffering, death and burial. The cross will be covered and all altar candles will be extinguished. Today will be a day of mourning and fasting.

But beyond the tradition and rituals above, is the very act of stopping our day to day material world “stuff” to take a moment to think and ponder about life in this world in a different way. Hopefully we will think about what we are here in this world to do, what responsibilities we have to fellow man/woman, and how special everyone of us is – no matter our color or creed or location.

There is a sense of love and connectedness that expresses itself to people around the world in different ways and in that I find hope and peace.