HOLINESS NEXT DOOR (19)
Fr. Joe Andrew SDB

SAINTS KNEW THAT
AFTER EVERY FRIDAY,
THERE IS A SUNDAY

There is a powerful poetic prayer that I often
use in the vigil on Easter Sunday. It is a summary
of the Holy Week. This poetry-prayer sermon is
attributed to a black pastor and narrated by Tony
Campollo, a preacher. "It's Friday, Jesus is praying,
Peter is sleeping, and Judas is betraying. But
Sunday's coming! It's Friday; Pilate is struggling,
the council is conspiring, and the crowd is vilifying.
They don't even know that Sunday's coming. It's
Friday; the disciples are running like sheep without
a shepherd, Mary's crying, and Peter is denying, but
they don't know that Sunday's coming. It's Friday,
the Romans beat my Jesus, they robe Him in scarlet,
they crown Him with thorns. But they don't know
that Sunday's coming. It's Friday; I see my Jesus
walking to Calvary, His blood dripping, His body
stumbling, and His spirit burdened. But you see,
it's only Friday - Sunday's coming. It's Friday, (they
say), and the soldiers nail my Saviour's hands to the
cross. They nail my Saviour's feet to the cross, and
then they raise him up next to criminals. "It's Friday"
- But let me tell you something" (The congregation
shouts), "Sunday's coming." It's Friday, the disciples
are questioning what has happened to their King,
and the Pharisees are celebrating that their scheming
has been achieved. But they don't know that it's
only Friday - Sunday's coming! It's Friday, and He's
hanging on the cross, feeling forsaken by His Father,
left alone and dying. Can nobody save Him? It's
Friday - But Sunday's coming. It's Friday, the earth
trembles, the sky grows dark. My King yields His
spirit. It's Friday! Hope is lost! Death has won! Sin
has conquered, and Satan's just laughing. It's Friday,
and Jesus is buried. A soldier stands guard, and a rock
is rolled into place - But it's Friday - it is only Friday!
SUNDAY IS COMING!"

.... Easter Sunday calls us passionately to accept our
suffering and pain (our Fridays) and convert them
into the joy of Sunday. It calls for perseverance,
resilience, patience and hope. At times, we all fall into
the temptation of remaining on the ground when we
fall. The challenge is to get up and walk. As Nelson
Mandela says: "The greatest glory in living lies not
in never falling, but in rising every time we fall." Or
Ralph Waldo Emerson, who says: "Our greatest glory
is not in never failing, but in rising every time we
fail." This is part of our daily holiness.