1 April, Antonio, Cardinal Bacci: Meditations For Each Day

The Passion of Our Lord

1. The Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ is one of the most profound mysteries of our religion. It is a mystery of infinite goodness and mercy that, out of love for fallen humanity, the Eternal Word of God should have assumed a human form and become man in order to show us the way to Heaven and to enable us to reach it. Jesus came amongst us to instruct us, to call us to perfection and to give us an example and the necessary help. But He did much more than this. He came also to bear the weight of our offences and to offer Himself as a spotless victim of love and suffering in expiation of our sins. All this seems too great a mystery, almost inconceivable, in fact, until we consider that the charity of God is as infinite as His nature. This is why the Saints experienced hours of ecstasy contemplating the passion and death of our Divine Redeemer. Whenever St. Gertrude looked upon the figure of Jesus nailed to the Cross, she could not restrain her tears. She was accustomed to say that God was specially merciful towards those who meditated on the passion and death of Jesus. St. Bernard writes that even as the rocks were rent asunder at the death of Our Redeemer, so our sin-hardened hearts should feel as if they were breaking when we meditate on His sufferings. Let us meditate, therefore, on the passion and death of Our Lord Jesus Christ. If we are sinners, as unfortunately we all are, we shall be moved to weep for our sins. If we are imperfect and lukewarm, we shall be set on fire with love and with a determination to requite as far as possible the infinite charity of Jesus Christ.

2. The Crucifix is a simple meditation manual, open and intelligible to all, even to the most illiterate. Anyone who turns to it can study the sorrowing gaze of Jesus, His heart pierced with love for men, His head crowned with thorns, His hands and feet transfixed with nails which support His divine body, streaming blood and writhing in anguish. The Crucifix should be dear and sacred to every Christian. It should stand at the head of his bed, hang around his neck, and hold a prominent position in his place of work or study.

Above all, however, the Crucifix should have its place in the heart of every fervent Christian. At every moment of his life, in times of sadness and of joy, he should remember that God became man and suffered and died for him. He should remember also that this implies an obligation on his part to work, suffer and die for the love of God. Many people meditate on the Crucifix. They kiss it and claim to love it. But while they love the Crucifix, they have no love for their own particular cross, which they try by every means in their power to fling far away from them. Now, it is quite certain that anyone who does not love his own cross does not really love the Crucifix, for Jesus has told us that “if anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” (Mt. 16:24)

3. "Meditation on the passion of Jesus," writes St. Albert the Great, "is more profitable than fasting on bread and water or than scourging ourselves." This is because when we meditate with love and gratitude on the passion of our Redeemer we have the experience of being transformed and set aglow with charity. We realise the truth of St. Paul's words: “The sufferings of the present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory to come that will be revealed in us.” (Rom. 8:18) Let us cast ourselves, therefore, into the merciful arms of God and be prepared to suffer everything, even death, for the love of Jesus.