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When I was a boy I asked a question to my parents doubtless raised millions of times by the innocent young to their elders: “If Jesus was crucified, why do they call it Good Friday?” Good question.

In this era of growing cultural commercialism swallowing the meaning of holy days into secular holidays and religious feasts into commercial festivals (witness Christmas, though perhaps last year saw the slightest of pullbacks) Holy Week has maintained its meaning for the most part. Solemnity still reigns.

One of the best sermons I ever heard was a few years back at Christmas. While many expect a bright and cheery talk, the pastor starkly reminded the parishioners that “the wood of the manger is the wood of the Cross.” Christ humbly assumed a human nature and later died for our redemption. It wasn’t pretty — Roman executions were perhaps the most brutal in history — and we all share in the fault because Jesus died to redeem all sin. While today we commemorate a horrible event, we see the good in it which leads to the hope of the Resurrection on Sunday. Though victim, Christ wins the day. That is the “good.”

Here are some reflections on the meaning of Good Friday. First, an excerpt from a reflection by Pope John Paul II, from April 13, 2001, at the end of The Good Friday Way of the Cross at the Colosseum in Rome:

“Christ became obedient unto death, even death on a cross” (cf. Phil 2:8):

We have just concluded the Via Crucis which, every year, sees us gathered on the evening of Good Friday in this place, filled with intense Christian memories. We have followed the steps of the Innocent One, unjustly condemned, keeping our eyes on his adorable face: a face offended by human malice but full of the light of love and forgiveness.

Truly distressing are the dramatic events involving Jesus of Nazareth! In order to restore fullness of life to man, the Son of God humbled himself in the most abject way. But from his Death, freely chosen, life springs forth. Scripture says: oblatus est quia ipse voluit — he gave himself up because he so wished. His is an extraordinary testimony of love, fruit of an obedience without compare, carried to the point of the total giving of himself. …

How can we take our eyes away from Jesus as he dies on the Cross? His battered face disturbs us. The Prophet says: “He had no form or comeliness that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised” (Is 53:2-3).

On that face are concentrated the dark shadows of every suffering, every injustice, every violence inflicted on human beings throughout the course of history. But now, before the Cross, our everyday sorrows, and even death itself, appear clothed in the majesty of Christ abandoned and dying.

The face of the bleeding and crucified Messiah, reveals that, for the sake of love, God has allowed himself to become involved in the tormented chronicles of mankind. Ours is no longer a solitary suffering, because he has paid the price for us with his blood, shed to the last drop. He has entered into our suffering and broken through the barrier of our distraught tears.

In his death, all human life acquires meaning and value, as does death itself. From the Cross, Christ appeals to the personal freedom of men and women in every period of history and calls each one to follow him on the path of complete abandonment into the hands of God. He even makes us rediscover the mysterious fruitfulness of pain.

For a look at the importance of faith in the modern world and its impact on culture and even policy, Jennifer Marshall at The Heritage Foundation’s The Foundry poses these germane thoughts in today’s Morning Bell column. For those interested in the historical aspect of Good Friday, Linda Gradstein of AOL News reports that Simcha Jacobovici, the host of Naked Archeology on the History Channel, believes he’s found two of the nails used in Jesus’ crucifixion. Speaking of the History Channel, it repeats on Saturday at 3:00 p.m. the Ray Dowling’s acclaimed documentary The Real Face of Jesus?, which you can read more about here and here.

Who can forget The Passion of The Christ and the most realistic portrayal ever of a Roman execution? Jesus absorbed our sin manifest in physical suffering, so great is His love. That’s why today is “good.”

Elizabeth Gilbert, author of the best-selling book Eat, Pray, Love, now a major motion picture starring Julia Roberts, is doing a lot more than eating, praying and loving these days. She’s lobbying on Capitol Hill . . . for something called the Uniting American Families Act (read the bill).

Sounds All-American, right? But as one should expect from a bill sponsored by an ultra-liberal such as U.S. Representative Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), it has nothing to do with American families. Typical Orwellian speak from the Far Left. This bill would allow homosexual Americans to sponsor their alien ”permanent partners” into the U.S. as legal immigrants under the principle of “family unification” (see AOL News). Never mind that U.S. policy does not recognize domestic homosexual partners as families, but now the Far Left not only wants to redefine marriage in America, they want to redefine it internationally as well as redefine long-held and recognized principles of immigration law.

Of course, Ms. Gilbert will draw cameras and probably get booked on every msnbc and CNN show, as well as the brain food known as the “morning shows,” perhaps even NPR. She’ll add to her celebrity, sell more books and movie tickets, and the Far Left will have a new insta-expert (who knows nothing about the topic) to fawn over. Kind of like when Ted Danson testified before a Congressional committee in the 1990s that the oceans would disappear in 10 years — and was taken seriously — or when Jessica Lange testified about agriculture issues because of the expertise she gained from . . . her role in a film.

Meanwhile, the rest of us need to take the second word in Ms. Gilbert’s title to heart to ensure this bill dies the legislative death it deserves. While it may show how far debased our culture has become that a bill like this could even be introduced (especially in this political atmosphere), much less be taken seriously, we still have prayer — and it typically trumps Congressional swoons over celebrity “testimony.”

Annotations & Elucidations

Obama Says Drill, Baby, Drill

Wow, the Obama administration is doing something that makes sense? Allowing drilling off the coast of Virginia? There must be some catch. But, at least in its preliminary stage, Governor Bob McDonnell and the vast majority of Virginians are getting their wish. Of course, he’s slamming the door on production in Alaska, California, Florida and elsewhere. No doubt, he’s aiming for some political cover, especially as he now pushes for extreme regulatory restrictions on U.S. energy consumption. (See? I’m for all types of energy, I support drilling.)

Elsewhere, does the governor’s “no major budget changes” include the status quo on Planned Parenthood, elective abortion and embryonic stem cell research? He also looks to make some permanent restructuring (smaller) state government. So have others. We’ll see.

Meanwhile, offering reason to the disingenuousness of the left, who claim Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli’s court challenge to the federal government’s health care takeover is a waste of taxpayer money, are editorials, commentaries and news coverage from all over the commonwealth. I commend them to you all. Speaking of the power grab, it’s not all as great as the libs projected as they find out not more than a week after it passed. So much for that child coverage being cheaper — or even existent; and Henry Waxman is showing his tolerance for speech and financial freedom by a witch trial for companies that dare say they will lose money because of the health care takeover. The AP has the details. 

News

Va. governor to name team to reshape, shrink operations (Washington Post)

McDonnell not expecting major budget changes (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

Cuccinelli: Health-care lawsuit could save state $1 billion (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

Obama to Allow Oil Drilling Off Virginia Coast (AP/AOLNews)

Group opposing health care orders DNC to stop using its slogan (Washington Post Virginia Politics Blog)

One threat proven real against GOP Congressman (AP/GOPUSA.com)

Editorial: Health Care: Unconstitutional (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

National News

University of Wyo. cancels William Ayers speech (AP/GOPUSA.com)

Health premiums could rise 17 pct. for young adults (AP/GOPUSA.com)

Obama administration moves to fix kids coverage gap (AP/GOPUSA.com)

Obama: Tea party features ‘core group’ against him (AP/GOPUSA.com)

Obama signs student loan/health care legislation in Virginia (AP/GOPUSA.com)

Commentary

Is the Va. attorney general wasting tax money on Obamacare lawsuit? No. (Mark Hemingway/Washington Examiner)

Virginia Democrats suddenly discover spending discipline (Mark J. Fitzgibbons/Washington Examiner)

‘Change’ Is Not New (Thomas Sowell/GOPUSA.com)

Liberals In Vitriol Denial (Brent Bozell/GOPUSA.com)

Henry Waxman: the Witch Hunter of Capitol Hill (Michelle Malkin/GOPUSA.com)

Frustrating, Stubborn Facts (Tony Blankley/GOPUSA.com)

Why the Tenth Amendment is Important (Richard Olivastro/GOPUSA.com)

Obama’s Gifts to the ‘Outlier’ Have Only Just Begun (David Limbaugh/GOPUSA.com)

The (Health Care) Law of Unintended Consequences (Doug Patton/GOPUSA.com)

Clowns to the left, Jokers on the Right (Debra Saunders/GOPUSA.com)