*Above: Bloodied body, divine soul, perfect love.*

In the Christian tradition, today marks a most solemn day. Good Friday commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary.

To view traditional, torturous capital punishment (i.e. crucifixion) as representative of both hope and reincarnation demands a great deal of thought, meditation, and prayer.

In my experience, no piece of writing better articulates the passion and poignance of Jesus’ sacrifice than the below prayer I happened upon in an old Dublin Cathedral many moons ago.

Prayer Before the Crucifix

Before the crucified Christ I kneel to pray.

To see in this scene a sign of hope, and a sign of victory doesn’t always come easy.

To see here the point to which Perfect Love was pushed is as inspiring as it can be frightening—I believe—help my unbelief.

To kneel before the image of a lifeless body, as the reminder of Christ’s victory over sin and death, is the challenge onto which I hold when my life hurts — and when my life hopes.

Your words from the Cross:

“I thirst” — sometimes so do I.

“My God why have you forsaken me” — sometimes I too have that cry.

“Father forgive them” — that can be hard in the case of some but help me try.

Jesus remember me.

I burn this light before you to prolong my presence and my prayer.

As it glows after I go may it attract others too to wonder and to prayer.

Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.