Blessed Schuster’s Daily Thoughts on the Rule: Good Friday

Good Friday
Station at S. Croce in Gerusalemme

The Redeemer’s Triumph

1. The Station is at St. Croce in Gerusalemme [Holy Cross in Jerusalem], where since the 4th century has been kept a notable part of the wood of the Holy Cross. Today, however, the Roman liturgy abstains from offering the Divine Sacrifice, because in ancient times the fast of the Parasceve [Day of Preparation] was not broken, as was done at Vespers of the preceding days of Lent, but lasted the entire day long.

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Today the spirit of the ancient liturgy proposed to the faithful the consideration of the triumphs of the Redeemer, more than the torments. The hymns of Venantius Fortunatus which are sung during the adoration of the Holy Cross transmit marvellously these sentiments of Christian antiquity.

After Christ’s Resurrection, the Cross has became the triumphal standard of the victorious King, Who has chained death and hell at the foot of His gibbet, and in that same sign has promised victory to His faithful: Hoc signo vinces [In this sign you will conquer]. The Constantinian Basilica in Rome represents the monument of the wondrous victory ad Aquas Rubras [at the Red Waters], near the Milvian Bridge.¹

The Cross has become today the chair of the Divine Master, and the seat where the supreme Judge sits to judge the world. Nunc iudicium est mundi. Nunc princeps huius mundi eiicietur foras. (John 12:31: ‘Now begins the judgment for the world. Now will the sovereign of this world be banished.’)

The Cross is revealed to us today as the throne from which the Saviour inaugurates His universal kingdom:  Dicite in Nationibus, quia Dominus regnavit a ligno (see Ps 95).

According to the acts of St Maurus, Saint Benedict gave an ivory pyx with a Relic of the Holy Cross inside of it to his Disciple who was about to leave for Gaul.

The Saint made us of that Relic to obtain numerous miracles for the benefit of the poor sick.

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2. The Liturgy today compares the Cross to a scale, on whose arms is hung Jesus Christ, price of our ransom:

Beata, cuius brachiis
Saecli pependit pretium,
Statera facta est corporis
Praedamque tulit tartari.

(From the Hymn of Passiontide: ‘Blessed art thou, on whose arms was hung the ransom of the world. The Body of Christ hangs there as on a scale, but at the same time snatches from tartarus [hell] its prey.’)

In considering the enormity of the ransom, there come back to mind the words of St Leo the Great to the people of Rome on Christmas Day: ‘Recognise, O Christian, your dignity.’

It is impressive how the Apostles Peter and Paul return so often in their letters to the thought of the enormous price of the Redemption: ‘Knowing well that you have not been ransomed with gold, nor with silver, nor with other corruptible goods, but with the Blood of the undefiled Lamb.’ (1 Pet 1:18-19) Thus Saint Peter.

Saint Paul then added: ‘Praetio [sic] empti estis; nolite fieri servi hominum’. (1 Cor 7:23: ‘You have been ransomed at a high price; do not make yourselves slaves of men.’) To abdicate one’s own liberty or that of the Church is like a renunciation of the efficacy of the Redemption.

For this reason Saint Benedict argued: ‘Whether slave or free, we are all now one in Christ, and we all serve equally under the same Lord.’ (Rule, Ch. 2)

It was thus that when he was presented at Subiaco with a rough Goth, of the race of the invaders, as a novice for the monastic life, the Holy Patriarch welcomed him, as Saint Gregory notes, libentissime [most willingly], even working a famous miracle on his behalf.

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3. The Holy Cross is the true tree of life, which rises in the midst of the garden of the Holy Church. Jesus Christ is her exquisite fruit, of Whom the one who eats will have eternal life. Qui manducat hunc panem vivet in aeternum. (John 6:52: ‘He who eats of this Bread has eternal life.’)

One should be aware, however, that, as the Apostle rightly observes, the Crucified is a bread for adults in virtue, and not milk for babies or beginners. Therefore they are relatively few who digest and taste of this strong and substantial bread, while most are pleased with milk. Rare is Saint John of the Cross who prays: Domine, pati et comptemni  [sic] pro te. ‘O Lord, to suffer and to endure contempt for Thee.’

As a sign of honour, early Christian art on sarcophaguses and in mosaics adorned the Cross with the imperial purple: Arbor decora et fulgida, ornata Regis purpura. (From the Hymn for Passiontide: ‘Tree majestic and radiant, who goest adorned with the imperial purple.’)

Jesus Christ was never presented so powerful and terrible to the demons as when, lifted on the Cross, He appeared to the world with arms open, in the act of inviting all to His Heart. For this reason the Church sings: Salva nos, Christe Salvator, per virtutem Crucis; qui salvasti Petrum in mari; miserere nobis. (From the Office of the Finding of the Holy Cross [3 May]) ‘O Christ, Saviour, save us by the virtue of the Cross; Thou Who didst save Peter in peril on the lake of Galilee, have mercy upon us.’

Against every peril, every temptation, every misfortune, brandish as arms and shield of defence the Holy Cross, repeating with the Church: Ecce Crucem Domini, fugite partes adversae. Vicit Leo de tribu Juda, Radix David. Allelluia. (Ibid.) ‘Behold the Cross of the Lord. Flee, O ye adversaries. The Lion of the Tribe of Judah hath conquered, of the stock of David.’

At Monte Cassino, before the war, one could see an ancient Cross of bronze, which a tradition held to be that planted by St Benedict on the pedestal of the idol of Apollo.

¹Site of the victory of Constantine over his rival Maxentius in 312.—Tr.↩