Today is Good Friday, the day that Jesus was crucified, and dozens of people observed it with the Way of the Cross walk from Brooklyn, over the Brooklyn Bridge, to St. Peter's Church in lower Manhattan. The group organizing the walk explains a little more about the walk below—and, no, it's not like actual Christians being crucified, the way Good Friday is being celebrated in the Philippines today:
In the heart of a city where millions of people carry their daily cross, most of the time dreadfully alone: if God exists, He has nothing to do with my daily life. This is the true cross of every day, the cross of a person abandoned only to himself in his most inner need for a never-ending love, truth, beauty, and justice.We need the presence of “God-with-us”, Jesus every day. And Jesus, because of the sacrifice of His cross and because of His resurrection, dwells among us every day.
The Way of the Cross in the heart of the city is a simple, humble sign offered to ourselves and to everyone as a witness to His merciful presence in our daily lives and as a plea, through His cross and resurrection, that our eyes and heart may be opened to His presence.
There will be noise on the bridge, possibly confusion. It is the very noise and confusion of our city, where we spend our days. We will need to desire great attention in order to follow Jesus and to fix our gaze on the event of His passion. It is that very same attention that is needed to look at the event of His presence among us every day.
This is why we suggest maintaining silence all along the Way of the Cross, a silence in front of God dying for us, a silence that isn’t merely not speaking, but is the simplest, purest way to beg to recognize His presence in our daily life.
And here's video from MyFoxNY:
During a televised Good Friday appearance, Pope Benedict offered words of comfort as he answered letters from around the world. In response to a 7-year-old Japanese girl's question, "Why do children have to be so sad? I'm asking the pope, who speaks with God, to explain it to me," he said, "that he too wondered why so many innocent people suffer, but that she should take heart in knowing that Jesus had suffered too. 'You can be sure that in the world, in the universe, there are many people who are with you, thinking of you, doing what they can for you to help you,' Benedict said. 'Be assured, we are with you, with all the Japanese children who are suffering.'"
