Today, on this holy day of Good Friday, a day of reflection, of remembering how deeply you are loved and how precious you are in God’s eyes, of both sorrow and of hope, I want to share with you a song that beautifully calls to prayer. In the midst of the busy-ness of this day, if you can find just 8 minutes to watch this, I cannot recommend it enough.

I was at a loss for words of how to adequately introduce this song, but fortunately for me, my sister in-law and composer/vocalist of this song, Christina Yep, wrote a beautifully moving reflection that she has so generously allowed me to share with you all. It needs no other introduction.

Today a couple of worlds collided for me. I drove the car home from Holy Thursday confession while my middle daughter heartfeltedly belted this song in her “best voice” and commented every now and then at how emotional it made her and how absolutely beautiful it was to listen to “You, Mom, and Uncle Brendon.” Mercifully, Dad Thomas has been dropping the girls often at school in the mornings, and unbeknownst to me, she and her sister have been listening to this song on repeat all of Lent. She knew every word as she sang, and reflected throughout on all that Jesus has done for her.
Sometimes it seems like such a lifetime ago. Many people tag us in this song at this time of year and every now and then, I will click on it and give it a listen…and it’s an out of body experience. Can you BELIEVE what Jesus did for us? Can you believe his mother was aching so badly as she sopped up his blood of the dusty ground, because there was so much shed? How confused everyone was…the utter mayhem in Jerusalem and the frenzy the authorities had worked themselves into, so that they couldn’t even grasp what it was they were doing, in their pride? Can you believe that God chose ME to write a song about it, and gave me all this melody, and all these words and even let me sing it and even let me sing it with my brother…and even let us immortalize it?
I just thank God that He inspired this. It really was the graces prepared through Mel Gibson, Jim Caviezel, and Benedict Fitzgerald’s script and of course, the real real TRUTH, the WORD…the ONE who died, who wants His story to be known by any means possible. I just watched a 20 minute interview with Jim Caviezel posted by my friend Erin and I was deep in tears hearing all that he bore throughout the filming…his shoulder dislocating in and out, in and out…the scenes where the doctors said, if you keep filming, your heart will literally stop…but he carried on because he said (totally paraphrasing the concept): “I never thought I was really good. Yeah, I tried. But when they told me that I might die filming, I was so relieved. Because I thought if I die making this movie, right now, that’s ok…because I finally know that I may actually go to heaven. This movie is going to change so many lives, I have to make it. And if I die during it, then I actually did something worthwhile in my life.”
So as your children ask in their hearts and aloud this Holy Week, as the Israelites did thousands of years ago, “Why is this night not like any other night?” Then remember why. Through the triduum and the liturgies, we are literally transported back and we can witness again what happened.
There are stories behind this song too…sooooo many details, sooooo many people who probably have no idea of their influence. There were a lot of people involved in encouraging me while I wrote it, in prayer times, memorizing as I fell asleep because I couldn’t get up to write anything down, in the back of the bus on the way to day trips with friends (Jill, Bridget, and Alexandra were very much a part of it)…and Monica was the one who motivated a beautiful, non-theatrical, intimate version, that wouldn’t scare people with how realistic it was, but move them to prayer. Fr. Alvaro Corcuera (RIP) finally opened the song up to Brendon to sing and there’s a great story behind how John drove him to the studio. The funding came from a dear girl and her family who we will all be indebted to forever. So see…there are so many people who make the mission happen and so many people who have no idea how many lives they may touch. You know…obviously your life matters. People need you in their life, whether they realize they do or not.
So happy Good Friday, friends. I can say “happy” because I believe as a Christian that it was a “happy fault” as we call it, that won us so sweet a savior. (Anyone remember Fr. Alonso singing this with such gusto lol.) The belief is that if we don’t fail, we don’t sin, we don’t make the mistake or the bad choice, there is no apology, no forgiveness, there is no rescue, there is no scooping us up in His tender arms and infusing us with His healing grace. For God allows (permits, does not wish or will) evil to happen that He may bring something greater out of it, of course. Death is not an end…it’s just a means to our true home.
When I began to write this, I didn’t intend a lengthy and preachy post… We will be traveling tomorrow, so I wanted to make sure to send a blessing each of you this Good Friday as we go into the great silence and allow our souls to be penetrated by these realities of our salvation. So if you’ve had a hard week, you’re not the only one. But the happy fault of the matter is that through our sin, we’ve merited a Redeemer and He’s dying and rising this weekend. For us!”

 

This beautiful tribute video was created by Br. Vinh Pham LC, with clips from The Passion, and is sung by Christina Yep (voice of Mary) and Brendon Brown (voice of Jesus) aka Island Boy aka husband of this very proud wifey. ❤️

*Disclaimer: This video has powerful, graphic images which may not be suitable for young eyes.
Image credit: Th Catholic Company website.

May God bless you!
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