"Behold the man." These words of Pontius Pilate are an unwitting invitation to contemplation. To behold Jesus in his passion is to see much more than meets the eye. The cross reveals God's judgment of the world, a judgment at once harsh and hopeful. The staggering mystery of good Friday is the mystery of the suffering and death of God himself.
For St. John Henry Newman's stunning sermon, see: https://www.newmanreader.org/works/parochial/volume6/sermon6.html
For the musical intro and outro, "Crosses to Bear," see my brother's album: https://open.spotify.com/album/5XqqbnE7ywxlAPO9jXBACh?si=DYb0d5L0RfO50xGiLl_tRQ
or
https://soundcloud.com/dave-grieco-1/tracks