04/03/26 Good Friday: Everything is Taken
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In this powerful Good Friday homily, Fr. Mike Schmitz reflects on the profound mystery of Jesus' crucifixion as the ultimate act of divine love—where the King of kings is stripped of all His power, dignity, and possessions, revealing a heart that still chooses love. Drawing from personal experience with a dying friend named Ray, Fr. Mike illustrates how every human being, no matter how strong, charming, or loved, will one day face the moment when everything is taken—strength, independence, even words. He uses the metaphor of a child leaving for the airport before 2001 to capture the solitude of the final journey through death, emphasizing that while loved ones can walk with us as far as they can, the last step must be taken alone. Yet, in Christ’s nakedness on the cross, we see God’s intimate understanding of suffering and abandonment. The story of Chiara Badano, a 17-year-old Italian girl who embraced her terminal illness with faith and joy, becomes a living example of how, even when everything is taken, love remains possible through a heart still intact. Fr. Mike concludes that Good Friday reveals not weakness, but the deepest expression of divine love: a king without armor, yet still loving.
On Good Friday, Jesus reveals His true identity not in power, but in vulnerability—stripped of everything, yet still loving.
Every person will face a moment when everything is taken—strength, independence, health—and must walk the final step alone.
True love persists even when all external gifts are gone; what remains is the heart, which can still love.
Suffering, when embraced with faith, becomes a path of communion with Christ.
Chiara Badano’s story shows that presence in pain, without medication, allows deeper connection with God and others.
…and 3 more takeaways available in PodZeus
Welcome and Introduction
Fr. Mike Schmitz welcomes listeners to Sunday Homilies and invites them to subscribe for weekly resources and updates.
Lent and the King in the Wilderness
Fr. Mike reflects on the first Sunday of Lent, where Jesus is anointed and enters the wilderness as a brave, wise, and powerful king, setting the stage for His ultimate sacrifice.
Jesus: The King Without Armor
“Here's Jesus on the cross. He holds onto nothing for himself. He is a king without his armor, and he holds onto nothing for himself. Everything is taken.”
The Universal Experience of Loss
“There's no strength anymore. There's no independence. There's no funny words. In fact, there's no words. There's no charming smile. There's just the man himself.”
The Final Step: Walking Alone
“Even though I was surrounded by my family, surrounded by these people who just loved me so much, I knew there was a moment when I had to walk away from them and I had to go down the jetway and they couldn't come with me.”
“I have nothing left, but I still have my heart. And with that, I can always love.”
“Here's Jesus on the cross. He holds onto nothing for himself. He is a king without his armor, and he holds onto nothing for himself. Everything is taken.”
“Forgive them for they don't know what they're doing. Everything is taken and yet he can still love.”
Host
Jesus Christ
person
Fr. Mike Schmitz
person
Chiara Badano
person
Ray
person
Last Supper
other
Ascension Press
organization
Osteosarcoma
other
Morphine
other
Cardinal
person
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