It's Good Friday; God died for you, what have you done for Him lately?

God was perfectly happy.  He didn't need us at all.

Yet He decided to make us knowing that it would entail His taking on a human nature and being tortured to death for us.

That's how much He loves us.

Ask yourself if you've returned that love.

Since He's perfectly happy we can't really do anything for Him.

However because He loves us more than we love ourselves He has given us two ways to return His love.

We should love Him above all others.

We should love our neighbor as ourselves.

Jesus suffered and died on the cross for you.  Return the favor by helping the poor and the sick, by being kind and considerate to your neighbor.

Essentially the best way to thank God for having made you despite knowing that that would inevitably lead to His dying on the Cross is to be like Him; be love.

The most amazing thing is that loving our neighbors doesn't make us sad rather it brings us true happiness.

Contrary to the claims of the world being selfish doesn't lead to happiness only to isolation, greed, and an unquenchable sorrow.

The reality is that all God asks of us in return for His suffering on the Cross is that we be the best people we can be.

Given that we all should want to be the best person we can be it's clear that God isn't asking us to repay Him for His suffering but rather He's using His suffering to show us the path to what will make us happiest; as in all things God is totally unselfish, the perfect Father.

Use this Good Friday to see if you're following the path to perfect happiness that Jesus described.  If you're like most of us you'll see that some level of course correction is needed.

By reflecting on how much God loves you it will become clear that He doesn't command us to love out of selfishness but because He knows that if we truly love others, including Him, we will be happy.

Good Friday is sad because we are reminded about how our sins lead to God's suffering.  But it should also be an occasion of joy because it shows us just how much God loves us and how much He wants us to be perfectly happy with Him in Heaven.

Embrace that joy by following the perfect guide Jesus Christ and love God and your neighbors.