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And let those of us who have been Catholic Christians our whole life long rejoice, rejoice as new members are incorporated into the Body of Christ, rejoice as we are renewed in our own baptism, rejoice as we promise anew to life as children of the light, rejoice as we share the banquet of Christ’s sacrifice with the newly initiated.

As on this Good Friday we bend low to worship the Cross of our salvation, let our love for the Crucified Savior rule out mere lip service, complacency, and presumption on our part.

So, let us rejoice as Jesus washes our feet and sets before us the Paschal Meal: rejoice in the cleansing waters of baptism and the cleansing tears of penance; rejoice in Jesus’ eucharistic gift of self in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the true presence of the One who loved us to the very end.

Less than 24 hours ago, this very Cathedral was packed with faithful from across the Archdiocese to celebrate our annual the Chrism Mass. In the midst of that joyful celebration, little could we have imagined the tragedy that would unfold four hours later, while most of us were asleep, as the cargo ship Dali unexpectedly hit the Key Bridge leading to its collapse. And so it is that we gather once again in this Cathedral church.

We are not alone. We journey together. Your presence this night in such great numbers testifies to this – our priests, deacons, religious, laity, seminarians and discerners.

Throughout history, many have willingly gone to their death for a good cause. What sets Jesus apart from every other hero in human history is that Jesus faces certain death, not merely for a good cause but to enter into the realm of sin and death itself, there to confront the powers of darkness.

This evening may our minds, our hearts, and senses be struck by the beauty of this sacred space and the beauty of these sacred rites.