Hey Deacon!

Why do Christians call Good Friday “Good”?

Growing up in a Catholic family, I found it odd that the Church called the day of the week when Jesus was nailed to the cross, “Good Friday”. How can the day of Christ’s suffering and death be called “good”?    The title seems almost contradictory.   Nothing about the events of this day feels “good” in the ordinary sense of the word. And yet, for all Christians, Good Friday is one of the holiest and most hope‑filled days of the entire year.

The heart of the answer is simple: Good Friday is “good” because of what God accomplished through it. The Cross, which appears to be the triumph of darkness, is in fact the moment when divine love breaks the power of sin and death. The Church dares to call this day “good” because it is the day our salvation was won.

From the beginning, Christians understood that the Crucifixion was not an accident or a tragic detour in Jesus’ mission. It was the very purpose for which He came. In freely offering Himself, Christ takes upon His shoulders the full weight of human sin—every betrayal, every injustice, every wound we inflict on one another and on ourselves. He enters the depths of human suffering so completely that nothing in our lives is untouched by His redeeming love. The “good” of Good Friday is not found in the brutality of the Cross, but in the love that transforms it.

It is also good because evil was defeated on its own battlefield. What looked like the triumph of darkness was actually its undoing. In offering Himself freely, Jesus broke the power of sin and death. The Cross becomes not a symbol of defeat, but the moment when God’s love proves stronger than every force that opposes it.

And of course, Good Friday cannot be separated from Easter. The Paschal Mystery is one seamless act of redemption:

• On Good Friday, Christ enters death.
• On Holy Saturday, He descends into its depths.
• On Easter Sunday, He rises, carrying humanity with Him.

There is no Resurrection without the Cross. Easter joy is the fruit of the love revealed on Friday.

Ultimately, Good Friday is “good” because it reveals who God truly is; a God who would rather suffer for us than lose us. A God whose love does not retreat. A God who transforms the darkest day into the doorway of eternal life.

Finally, Good Friday is good because it changes us. It invites us to stand at the foot of the Cross with Mary, John, and the faithful few who remained. It calls us to remember that Christ’s sacrifice was not a distant historical event, but a personal gift offered for each of us. In the shadow of the Cross, we rediscover our worth, our dignity, and our calling to love as Christ loves.

Good Friday is good because God is good, and on this day His goodness was poured out for the world.

"We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you, 

because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world."  -- St. Francis of Assisi