Shannon had to work until 7 on Good Friday. The church of St. Francis of Assisi is near her work, and they had a 7 p.m. Good Friday Mass. So I went early, got us a seat, and she made it in the nick of time.

In all the homilies I have heard given that day, this year was the first time I ever heard what Barabbas meant, “Son of the father,” or that Barabbas had a first name, “Jesus.” It sent me scrambling to Wikipedia when I got home.

There, I found this: “Barabbas’ name appears as bar-Abbas in the Greek texts of the gospels. It is derived ultimately from the Aramaic בר-אבא, Bar-abbâ, “son of the father”. Some ancient manuscripts of Matthew 27:16–17 have the full name of Barabbas as “Jesus Barabbas” and this was probably the name as originally written in the text.^[13] Early church father Origen was troubled by the fact that his copies of the gospels gave Barabbas’ name as “Jesus Barabbas” and declared that since it was impossible he could have had such a holy name, “Jesus” must have been added to Barabbas’ name by a heretic.^[14] It is possible that later scribes, copying the passage, removed the name “Jesus” from “Jesus Barabbas” to avoid dishonour to the name of Jesus the Messiah.^[15]”

The Deacon delivering the homily this year remarked it about the tale of two Jesus’.  The first, Barabbas, was the one people wanted in their Jesus:  a revolutionary who would restore power.  The second, Christ, had an approach different than that.

It seemed a topical message that day.  Perhaps it has been topical all days.  Perhaps it always will be.