Since the first century, the Church has always remembered Friday as the day the Lord died and has always practiced Penance on that day.  The forms of penance have varied over the ages but always included prayer, works of piety, almsgiving and denying oneself.  This day of Penance has helped the faithful devote themselves to living the Christian message and remembering what Jesus did for us by dying on the cross.  Many of us living today remember that every Friday we abstained from eating meat.  Presently this requirement is only for the Fridays of Lent.  HOWEVER, we are all still under the obligation of making Friday a day of Penance and remembrance of Jesus dying on the cross for us.

We are all under obligation to make Friday a day different from all the others.  For my wife and I we abstain from meat on Friday, every Friday.  We find this a great way to live out the love of Jesus and remembering what He did for us on Friday.  We also try to remember the hour that He died.  It is said that Jesus died at 3:00pm on a Friday.  My wife and I stop what we are doing every day (when possible) and pray together the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.  But, many would ask, why do all this and why remember every Friday and also the 3:00pm hour?  I would like to take a look at this by examining Psalm 51.  To me, this says it all.  The Church puts this Psalm in to every Friday morning prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours.

Psalm 51 is also sometimes known as the Misere.  It is a Psalm written by King David in response to his calling to mind his sins.  Truthfully the prophet Nathan helped him to think about the wrong things he had done (read 2 Samuel 12: 1-13).  When David was king he sinned greatly.  First of all he was a “peeping Tom” watching Bathsheba take a bath and lusted over her.  Secondly he had Bathsheba brought to him and formed an adulterous relationship with her.  Thirdly, when Bathsheba became pregnant with David’s child he had Bathsheba’s husband Uriah (one of David’s loyal soldiers) killed.  He then took Bathsheba as his wife.  To think that God’s beloved David would do all this is hard to believe.  God had given him everything, including being a forefather of the Messiah, Jesus.  He sinned greatly.  The reason that God reinstated David  to his position in salvation history is that David deeply repented of his sins.  David’s Psalm 51 tells us of God’s love and Mercy and our need to seek forgiveness.  Take a look at this Psalm.  This is the translation taken right out of the Liturgy of the Hours.

Psalm 51 – The Miserere

Have mercy on me, God, in your kindness. *
In your compassion blot out my offense.
O wash me more and more from my guilt *
and cleanse me from my sin.

My offenses truly I know them; *
my sin is always before me.
Against you, you alone, have I sinned; *
what is evil in your sight I have done.

That you may be justified when you give sentence *
and be without reproach when you judge.
O see, in guilt I was born, *
a sinner was I conceived.

Indeed you love truth in the heart; *
then in the secret of my heart teach me wisdom.
O purify me, then I shall be clean; *
O wash me, I shall be whiter than snow.

Make me hear rejoicing and gladness, *
that the bones you have crushed may revive.
From my sins turn away your face *
and blot out all my guilt.

A pure heart create for me, O God, *
put a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from your presence, *
nor deprive me of your holy spirit.

Give me again the joy of your help; *
with a spirit of fervor sustain me,
that I may teach transgressors your ways *
and sinners may return to you.

O rescue me, God, my helper, *
and my tongue shall ring out your goodness.
O Lord, open my lips *
and my mouth shall declare your praise.

For in sacrifice you take no delight, *
burnt offering from me you would refuse,
my sacrifice, a contrite spirit. *
A humbled, contrite heart you will not spurn.

In your goodness, show favor to Zion: *
rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
Then you will be pleased with lawful sacrifice, *
holocausts offered on your altar.

There are many important things to see in this Psalm.  First of all, we all sin and God abhors sin.  Secondly, God is merciful and when we come to Him with sorrow for our sins, He forgives us.  David acknowledged his sin and God forgave him.  Thirdly, God sees all things and knows of our sins.  We cannot hide them from Him.  We may be able to hide them from others, but not from God.  Fourthly, we need to have a change of heart.  God is able to change our hearts to make them avoid sin.  And lastly, even though our sins bring consequences to us and those around us, God does not hold a forgiven sin against us.  He allows us to be who He has called us to be.

All of this is because of God’s love and mercy.  It is because God loved us so much that He sent His only son Jesus in to the world and allowed Jesus to die for all of our sins.  Just as Jesus rose from the dead, we too, once we ask forgiveness can rise up from our sins.  It is certainly right to remember every Friday as a special day when Jesus died for our sins.  It is certainly right to remember the 3:00pm hour as the hour that Jesus died for us so that we might have life.

I would urge you to make Friday a special day, a day of remembrance, a day of Penance.  Take some extra time to pray.  Take some extra time to help others.  Try giving up something, denying yourself to help join Jesus in His gift of giving up Himself.  Earlier I mentioned the Chaplet of Divine Mercy that my wife and I pray every day at 3:00pm.  If you are not familiar with the devotions of Divine Mercy, I suggest that you make yourself familiar to them and use them.  Here is a link on how to pray the Chaplet and has more information about the Divine Mercy: https://www.thedivinemercy.org/message/devotions/pray-the-chaplet

Our God is a merciful and loving and forgiving God.  We, as His children are far from perfect.   Our sins pull us away from God, but He never gives up on His call to bring us back to him.  All we have to do is acknowledge our sins and ask for forgiveness.  The Church has given us a real healing Sacrament in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, commonly known as confession.  Make use of it.  God wants you, His child, to be near to Him.  He does not want sin to separate us from Him.  Remembering every Friday helps us to acknowledge our sin and see what God has done so we can be free.