A Meditation on the Lifeless Body of Christ on Good Friday
The drama between chaos and grief and the still repose of death.
“But he was wounded for our iniquities, he was bruised for our sins: the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and by his bruises we are healed.” [Is 53:5]
Christ has just poured out everything of Himself for mankind, and now He appears in a kind of repose that speaks of completion.
He held nothing back and gave of Himself entirely. Essentially saying, “I love you this much!”
We can imagine how chaotic that scene at Calvary was on Good Friday. Panic, disbelief, fear, grasping to bring things back under control… a grief and confusion like no other.
The scene I chose to contemplate more deeply by singling out and drawing the lifeless figure of Christ is from a marble relief by Pierre-Etienne Monnot. It shows a dynamic contrast between Christ’s peaceful looking lifeless body and the various onlookers, full of twists and turns, trying to make sense of it all at the foot of the cross. See below.
While I’m sure that the actual scene of a crucifixion, especially Christ’s, would have looked a lot more gory and distressing, what I love about praying with art is that it can distill a mystery of our Faith into a bite sized truth that would otherwise be too overwhelming for our senses.
In short, it helps us focus. When gazing upon a work of art, our mortal, finite minds can more freely sit with and ponder a particular aspect of an ineffable mystery.
Depicting every historical detail would not lead to deeper prayer potential, but more likely, overwhelm. Which is not dissimilar as to why Christ choses to remain with us as humble Bread, something bitesize and digestible.
I can’t imagine anything more brimming with finality than seeing a body give up its last breath, let alone that body being Christ’s.
So many questions can arise as one senses death approaching. Did I do enough? Was I faithful in everything, in anything?! Did I leave things undone; any words unspoken?
So often the crucified Christ looks oddly at peace for how extreme a death He just experienced. And I think it is profoundly fitting.
The more complete or perfect the sacrifice, the more at peace one can be.
The sense of fulfillment from being in union with God’s will after completing the act of redemption for all mankind, must have yielded Christ the most profound exhale or sense of resolution.
“When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” [Jn19:30]
I know I would want that peace of being able to say, ‘it is finished’, that I have accomplished what God has entrusted uniquely to me. That would surely give me a peace in death. But why wait until death? I want this peace now!
Digging Deeper
One path to holiness, as in ‘being made whole’ in the way God designed us to be, is to find and rectify areas of misalignment with His will.
When we engage a task, how dedicated is our disposition to it? Where are we not syncing? Could it be that we are not fully in the will of God and that is why something feels off?
Do we pursue our vocation with a wholehearted trust in God’s providence? If not, what areas do we hold back on? What areas are we operating out of our own strength or just trying to stay in control on our terms?
Can we articulate any particulars that fuel that need to hold back or maintain control?
Is the need to stay in control a self-preservation artifact from an old wound that still feels raw or needs healing?
Jesus is waiting for us in this moment to surrender our heart and will, so that He can take on any of our wounds, scraps of pain, bad habits, or sins unto Himself to redeem them on the Cross.
If we need a model for how to do this, the marble relief shows Our Lady close to her Son (literally holding his hand) and echoing his posture. She too has surrendered everything in that moment and shows us how to partner with Christ in the work of redemption.
On this Good Friday, or whenever you’re reading this, may you find the blessed repose of living fully in God’s will, anchored in the Sacred Heart of Jesus, now and at the hour of your death.
Self-Reflection:
Can you place yourself in the scene? What emotions or thoughts come up as you look at the lifeless body of Christ amidst the confusion of the witnesses? Does anything parallel an area of your life now?
If you’ve identified any areas where God is not truly in the lead, take some time to surrender those things like a giant exhale. Let them be nailed to the Cross and die with Christ today, so that you can feel His repose from having surrendered all with Him.
You might also like:
‘Pressing in’ on Good Friday
Grieving with the Angels. I was deeply moved by a small marble relief sculpture of the “Deposition” by Antonio d’Este, c1800, after a Canova model, that I saw at the Chicago Art Institute, and I had to make a drawing study (below) of a little detail so I could contemplate it more.
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Photography, drawing, and text by Renata Grzan Wieczorek. All Rights Reserved. Visit my About page for more information on usage.