Just a few words, 'cause
the reading of the Passion o the Lord speaks for itself.
I am sure you
all remember very well: a man with leprosy comes before Jesus and is healed. Jesus
tells him: see that you say nothing to
anyone about this…[1]
A deaf man comes
to the Lord, and Jesus says Ephphathat,
be opened, and the man hears, then Jesus tells him to say nothing to anyone[2].
A blind man has
his sight returned, and, similarly, Jesus says to him, keep this quiet--don't even enter the villages.
Finally, Jesus
dies on the Cross and a pagan, a Roman centurion now makes the announcement: surely this is the Son of God[3].
So, to really understand
who Jesus is, we have to stand under the Cross, [I mean] to recognize how much God loves us, we have to realize the extent of
his suffering for us. To realize that we are his followers, we have to join
Him on the Cross. This is the invitation for this week, the most important week
in the year: Holy Week.
And you know, love
gives joy, but this joy can result in pain. Love means giving, but this gift
can result in suffering as we say no
to our own desires for the sake of the one whom we love. Love gives life. The
Lord loves us so much that we receive his life…
So, as we begin
this Holy Week, my brother, my sister, let us pray together that we might have
the courage to follow Christ in embracing our own crosses.
May we make real
the cross of Christ in the world by giving ourselves to others in love ■
