Every moment of the Lord’s life belongs to us; He lived each one fully for our sake. As God, He contemplated and held each of us in His view. Therefore, all the moments of His earthly life are entirely ours, serving as open windows that allow us to delve into His depths. We can revisit these moments at different times in our lives and discover new depths within them. At any time, we may feel drawn to one of these moments and be compelled to dwell in it for a certain period.
The Passion of the Lord, especially the six hours He hung on the Cross (three in daylight and three in darkness), holds a unique and irreplaceable place in our Christian life and prayer. The Cross is both an event in time, occurring two thousand years ago, and an event that transcends time, hovering above all ages. The Passion, particularly the six hours of His crucifixion and the moment of His sacred death out of love for each of us, holds absolute value. It is the pinnacle of God’s Love, shining with maximum power. The gates of the Triune God’s Love are opened widely, allowing Him to communicate His love, purification, illumination, and union to each of us.
Yes, each moment of the Lord’s life is ours and invites us to dwell within it, but the Cross is a uniquely privileged place to reside. This is something we come to understand through experience. Who among us is not carrying a burden? Who has not been hurt or saddened by life events? Who has not suffered? Who hasn’t felt, at some point, that evil seems to have the upper hand in their life? Who doesn’t need to experience not only God’s love and embrace but also His transformative power?
We often hesitate to draw closer to suffering. Most of the time, we want to escape from it, to rid ourselves of it. The word “cross” frequently evokes something heavy, a source of suffering, something painful we wish to avoid. This general use of the word “cross” can influence how we approach the real Cross and the Crucified Lord. We may not realise how much we stand to lose if we unconsciously choose to escape from the cross, any cross. The loss is immense.
One of the greatest lessons we learn from the saints is that the Cross is not merely a symbol of suffering and pain. Their experiences reveal that the Cross embodies a profound and transformative power. During the six hours Christ hung on the Cross, it was not just a place of darkness and agony but a moment of profound “transfiguration” for those who approached it with faith. The saints teach us that by standing before the Cross with their hearts and minds fully engaged, pouring their souls into the hands of the Crucified Lord, they entrusted Him with their sufferings, burdens, and pains. They surrendered everything to Him, and in return, they experienced a unique marvel: the Crucified One, though suspended on the Cross, continued to act in their lives, capable of transforming their suffering and darkness.
For the saints, the Cross became a place where God’s love was abundantly communicated. It was a source of transformative power. Jesus took the forces of evil, suffering, and darkness and transformed them into a higher good, bringing peace and a contagious power for change in the world. Only those who have experienced this can understand how such a horrendous moment can, in fact, become a shining beacon of hope. Consequently, the saints did not fear the Cross or flee from it; instead, they were drawn to the Crucified Lord and His transformative power, love, and capacity to renew our reality. Although His transformation occurs in His way, not ours, it brings profound peace and deep joy.
They were drawn to this divine magnet, this divine transformer. While the entirety of the Lord’s life is significant to them, the Cross holds a primary, unique allure. This attraction is not about merely contemplating the Cross or the Passion intellectually; it is about encountering the Lord who, even on the Cross, is victorious. St. John’s Gospel captures this aspect by presenting the Passion as the Lord’s “glorification” (see John 17:5: “Father, glorify me…”) and as a transformative moment for us. For St. John, Isaiah’s vision of Jesus’ glory is revealed during the Passion (see John 12:41). The glory described is not what we might expect; it is what God perceives, which is often very different from our own understanding: “’My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts’” (Isaiah 55:8-9).
From the outset of the Passion, St. John portrays Jesus as being in full control and power (“they drew back and fell to the ground” (John 18:6)). He reveals a deeper dimension of the Passion, showcasing God’s love in action—Jesus’ love and divinity radiating through the events of the Passion, culminating in the opening of the Lord’s side (John 19:31-37). For St. John, this moment signifies the opening of the gates of the Triune God and represents a moment of ultimate victory. In Eastern Theology, particularly Byzantine tradition, the Lord’s death is celebrated with “hallelujah,” proclaiming God’s victory over evil—a concept not typically emphasised in the Roman Latin liturgy. Indeed, His sacred death is both a profound act of love and a supreme victory, demonstrating the depth of divine love and the triumph over death.
St. Therese, inspired by St. John of the Cross’ depiction of Christian death (see here), recognised it as the most profound and precious act of love, an act of the Holy Spirit. She delved deeply into the reality of what occurs on the Cross, within the Crucified Lord, and during His sacred and most precious death.
Pope Benedict frequently highlighted the significance of the moment when the Lord’s side was opened in St. John’s Gospel. The promise of seeing heaven opened, given to Nathanael (see John 1:51), is fulfilled on the Cross (see this article).
It is essential to understand that the space before the Cross, the physical presence of the Crucified Lord, represents the Holy of Holies. It is the place where the veil separating us from the divine presence has been torn, granting us direct access to God’s love and glory (see Mt 27:51, Mk 15:38, Lk 23:45, Heb 9:3, 19; 10:20).
We need to learn to dwell in this sacred space to fully experience God’s love and extend it to others. A very deep Peace and Joy are given to us; unknown to the world. A unique knowledge of Christ is given to us. As we draw closer to the Fire of God’s love, it will naturally be communicated to those whom God places in our path. St. Therese of Lisieux, in the final sections of Manuscript C (33r-End), explains how her prayer for others reflects this principle.
May the Lord open the eyes of our souls to perceive this sacred space, strengthen our wills to remain in it, and expose us to the Sun of our lives, so we may benefit from His rays. Amen.
Our Lady, from the very beginning, your eyes were transfigured with understanding. You perceived that within the horrendous moment of your Son’s Passion lay the most profound revelation of God’s love and glory. You contemplated this Sacred Mountain, Mount Golgotha, and made it your dwelling place, fully immersing yourself in the intensity of God’s love. As our spiritual mother, guide us to this sacred site. Reveal its beauty to us, invite us under your protective tent, so we may continuously bask in the rays of Jesus’ infinite and all-encompassing love. Keep us sheltered under your care, and show us your Son, our Sun. Amen.
– Apply to the short Course: ‘Meditating the Passion’. (see first video)