Good Friday
April 3, 2026
Good Friday — April 3, 2026
There is a road of sorrow that runs through Jerusalem, through the heart of the world, and somehow, it also runs through each of us. However, this sorrow is unlike other sorrows; it is “good sorrow.”
I have never walked the Via Dolorosa, the “Way of Suffering,” a narrow 650-yard route through the old city of Jerusalem. It is believed to be the route Jesus was forced to walk on this day over two thousand years ago, under the weight of his wooden cross. On the stone streets that make up the Via Dolarosa, Jesus was scourged, whipped, and insulted all the way to his crucifixion site. On the terrible walk were also scenes of mercy and wonder. I have never been to Jerusalem, but in my mind’s eye I have walked these streets many times.
The Via Dolarosa begins near the Antonia Fortress, by the Lion’s Gate, and winds its way to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Along this path are the 14 Stations of the Cross, each marking a moment in the unfolding of Jesus’s Passion. For centuries, pilgrims have traced these steps in prayer and reflection. And even those of us who have never set foot in Jerusalem have, in our own way, likely followed that path—pausing at each station, praying then contemplating the suffering of Christ at each point. We enter the mystery step by step.
Today we remember that on this day—Good Friday—Jesus walked in suffering to his death. The early Church called this day “good” because the words “holy” and “good’’ were used interchangeably. His sacrifice was holy and therefore good. His surrender was complete. And through what seemed like unimaginable loss, something greater was made possible. A way forward for us to have union with the Divine.
This is the mystery at the heart of Good Friday: that suffering, offered in love, can become a way from darkness to salvation.
But what is the salvation this day points toward?
It is the saving of our lives from unconsciousness… from the narrow confines of an ego-driven existence. It is a release from the endless cycle of self-centered desires that close our eyes to what is real, good, and true. Left to these impulses alone, we lose sight of who we are. We forget that our deepest identity is not found in what our personality searches for, but in giving and receiving love, the pure love of the soul, the very love Jesus taught.
Salvation, then, is awakening.
We are freed from the illusion that we are separated, isolated, and defined by our ego’s wants and needs. It is remembering that we are made for communion with God, with one another, and with the sacred life within us. When we awaken, we no longer live from the surface aspects of ourselves, but from a deeper center where love leads, and light is not hidden. Among many spiritual paths, The Enneagram of Soul reflects the message of Christ: Sacred Power, Loving Peace, Righteousness, Compassionate Benevolence, Action, Creativity, Wisdom, Kinship, and Joy.
Without this awakening, we remain lost in the dark of our own making. But with it, a path opens toward union with the Divine.
Prayer:
Dear God, As I pause at each station along the way of the Cross, help me to see not only suffering, but love. Awaken me from all that keeps me bound and blind. Lead me from self-centeredness into the freedom of the soul. And in this holy mystery of Good Friday, let me remember the path that leads me back to You. Amen.
