Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., will celebrate the Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion on Good Friday, April 10, in 3 p.m. in St. Rose Church, Belmar. The service, which will be livestreamed without a congregation, can be viewed on the Diocese’s YouTube channel and all other diocesan media outlets.

In a message released for Good Friday, Bishop O’Connell called upon his flock to reflect on the enduring symbol of the Crucifix and the love that it represents. An excerpt follows:

The cross that we behold, the crucifix that is the central symbol of our faith, held the body of the One whose only crime was that He loved us without condition or reservation and that He was willing to show the depth of His love with the ultimate and absolute sacrifice. “Greater love than this no man has than that he lay down his life for his friends (John 15: 13).”

This was the love of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, for us, His friends. It was He, this criminal who was considered unworthy of human life and breath and, so, put to death on a cross, it was He whose death made all human life worthy, whose sacrifice made every human breath holy.

In Jesus Christ, God’s love was made real, visible, tangible. God’s love makes no exceptions. As Jesus Christ walked to His crucifixion, He carried on His shoulders not only a cross but also the weight of us all. “It was our infirmities he bore, our sufferings he endured … he was pierced for our offenses, crushed for our sins … the Lord laid upon him the guilt of us all (Isaiah 53: 4-6).”

To read the full text of Bishop O’Connell’s homily, click HERE.