I’m also thinking tonight, having read the gospel of John narrative at the Good Friday liturgy, this afternoon, of all those women named Mary at the foot of the cross. Hardly mentioned for the most part, but faithful to the end and undoubtedly the backbone of the disciples providing care, love and nurture. At the end of the account, Mary the mother of Jesus is committed to the care of ‘the disciple whom Jesus loved’. So His last act on earth was to look out for his mother and ensure her wellbeing.
It is not a matter of being good enough. Think of the repentant thief. We just need to believe and repent. God loves us just as we are ,warts and all. There is nothing we can do to make God love us more. We are accepted just as we are.
I really don't know about this except we should all hope when we say it at the time of our passing we will feel very comforted and happy. Am I being simplistic ? Is it just Jesus who can ask and expect this? Are we good enough in our lives that we can ask and expect it will happen, is this the message we must take away from His death and sacrifice?
' in my fathers house are many mansions, if it was not true I would not have told you, for I go to prepare a place for you .
In the seven words we know he went ahead of us and for us, we all have suffering at some time in life, he experienced it all, pain, desertion, betrayal, mockery, concern for a loved one, the dark night of the soul, and this is the triumph and promise of The Cross .
The Pope is alleged to have said there is no hell. Those who have sinned will just die and be forgotten , this makes me feel distressed that what we have always believed, that we must ask forgiveness and believe, to be saved is now in question. In Holy Week I find this disconcerting.
The plan for Jesus life was complete and He had completed all the work he had been set the most important of which was for us to be able to stand before Almighty God on the day of judgement and be seen through the light of Jesus the perfect sacrifice, the Lamb of God. Fully justified - just as if I had never sinned. We who acknowledge Jesus as Lord have nothing to fear on that day as Jesus has paid the price for all our sins, how amazing! Alleluiah!
If we think of the prophecies in the Old Testement then he had completed all so his work here was finished , for me it means completion of his earthly mission, we know it didn't end there
To me this also means acceptance, there is nothing more we can do to change the situation that exists. We must accept and adapt, things are as they are. Jesus is still talking to us today and things have never changed from that day to this.
The same as Teetime really, the knowledge that there is no more to be done, and a certain relief perhaps that it has been done, and is now over. There is always a sort of fatalistic relief (acceptance?) when things we do go wrong ( or when life just goes wrong) but there is no more that can be done, but in the instance of Jesus on the cross, it has gone right, not wrong.The fact that we are Christians discussing Easter is a testament to this.