Reflect on the solemness of Good Friday, Jesus' s ultimate sacrifice, and the deep connection between love and suffering. Join Sheri Wohlfert in a personal and profound Gospel reflection.
Today's Gospel: John 18:1-19:42
A few years ago, I attended the wedding of a former student and today's Gospel was the same Gospel I heard at his wedding. At first, I didn’t get it because on this fancy, happy, sparkly day, all I was focused on was the pain, brutality, and sorrow, but there was so much more to the story.
Today is the day we sit with the reality of the events described in this Gospel. We are invited to mourn, to cry, to reflect, and to ponder the enormous gift and grace that we received in Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross. We don’t like to dwell in the unpleasant; we’d rather skip to the happy part, but not today. Today we dwell, and we enter in with our whole heart because the solemness of this Gospel is where Jesus will meet us, love us, comfort us, and show us His ultimate sacrifice for us, all the while reminding us there is so much more to the story.
Bryce and Kelsey used this story at their wedding to anchor their covenant in His loving sacrifice. They used this story to begin their life together with the full realization that love requires sacrifice and that sorrow and love are tightly knit together. Woven within the details of brutality and cruelty and injustice we find the story of mercy, surrender, and love beyond all human comprehension. This story is deeply personal, and it echoes an invitation to answer the question Jesus asked:
“Whom are you looking for?”
Ponder:
As you dwell in the story, what burdens and sufferings can you offer Jesus to unite with His? As you draw close to Jesus, answer His question: "Whom are you looking for?
Pray:
Crucified Jesus, grant me the grace to join You today. Help me feel Your love, help me imitate Your mercy, and help me grow in gratitude for the gift of Your cross.
Pray Together:
Holding a crucifix, share an example of a way Jesus has shown His love for you.
Copyright 2026 Sheri Wohlfert
About the Author
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