Every year since I can remember, we’ve linked to or cited a few lines from Fr. Richard John Neuhaus’s Death on a Friday Afternoon. I see Kevin makes reference to it today. But today my eyes are not only drawn to the obvious: The longing to linger here on Good Friday in silence, in awe of the love that is at the heart of Christianity and in sorrow for our sinless ways, but also the words that get us there — the woman who gets us there! The woman who has been in the news since Monday afternoon, Notre Dame, “Our Lady.”

Fr. Neuhaus wrote:

Through Mary he received his humanity, and in receiving his humanity received humanity itself. Which is to say, through Mary he received us. In response to the angel’s strange announcement, Mary said yes. But only God knew that it would end up here at Golgotha, that it had to end up here. For here, in darkness and in death, were to be found the prodigal children who had said no, the prodigal children whom Jesus came to take home to the Father.