Tag Archives: Cross of Jesus

Good Friday: Pope Francis

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Good Friday

Through the texts of Sacred Scripture and liturgical prayers we are called to Calvary to commemorate the redemptive Passion and Death of Jesus Christ. 

The Crucifix will be presented to us to adore. Adoring the Cross, we relive the journey of the innocent Lamb sacrificed for our salvation. We carry in our minds and hearts the sufferings of the sick, the poor, the rejected of this world; we will remember the “sacrificed lambs”, the innocent victims of wars, dictatorships, everyday violence, abortions.

 Before the image of the crucified God, we bring, in prayer, the many, the too many who are crucified in our time, who’d receive comfort and meaning in their suffering only from him. And nowadays there are many: do not forget the crucified of our time, who are the image of Jesus Crucified, and Jesus is in them. 

Ever since Jesus took upon himself the wounds of humanity and death itself, God’s love has watered these deserts of ours, he has enlightened our darkness.

 Let us make a list of all the wars that are being fought in this moment; of all the children who die of hunger; of children who have no education; of entire populations destroyed by wars, by terrorism. Of the many, many people who, just to feel a bit better, need drugs, the drug industry that kills… 

He enters into the abyss of suffering, he enters into these calamities to redeem and transform them. to free every one of us from the power of darkness, of pride, of resistance to being loved by God.

 By his wounds we have been healed (cf. 1 Pt 2:24), the apostle Peter says, by his death we have been reborn, all of us. And thanks to him, abandoned on the cross, no one will ever again be alone in the darkness of death. Never. He is always beside us: we need only open our heart and let ourselves be looked upon by him. 

Pope Francis


For today’s homily, please play the video file below:

For a commentary on John’s Passion narrative by Fr.Donald Senior, CP. seehttps://passionofchrist.us/commentary/

Teach Us To Number Our Days Aright

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Cover photo credit: ©2020 Gloria M. Chang
Mary Garden design: Andrea Oliva Florendo

Learning takes place day by day; it goes on and on. That’s true about faith as well. We’re learning each day, which is why our church calendar is so important.

John Chrysostom, one of this month’s saints, complained that people of his time didn’t know much about the church’s calendar; they were hardly aware of it: “Many people today just about know the names of the feasts we celebrate in church. They know hardly anything about their history and meaning…What a shame.”

Chrysostom loved the feasts of our Lord and his saints, seasons like Lent and Advent, which teach us how to live and what to hope for. They’re an ongoing school; they “teach us to number our days aright and gain wisdom of heart.”

September’s a good example, with a parade of interesting saints, like Gregory the Great, John Chrysostom himself, Peter Claver, Matthew the tax collector, Cornelius and Cyprian, Vincent De Paul, Jerome. All important teachers of faith.

There are two big feasts of Mary, the mother of Jesus, this month, her birth on September 8th and her sorrows on September 15, right after the great feast of the Triumph of the Cross, September 14.

I like the way the Feast of our Mother of Sorrows, September 15th, follows the Lord’s Triumph of the Cross. Mary’s greatest sorrow was standing beneath the cross of her Son, but sorrow spanned her whole life. She teaches that bearing the Lord’s cross is not the same as sharing his physical sufferings. Her patient waiting, her struggle to understand God’s plan, her experience of faith’s darkness show the mystery of the cross in other forms.

I just got from the printer this week our new 2024 Passionist Calendar (above). It combines the 2024 Roman Calendar, the 2024 USA Liturgical Calendar, and the 2024 Passionist Calendar and lists the feasts, seasons, saints, and scripture readings for the year. The 2024 Passionist Calendar is linked to this blog www.vhoagland.com which follows the liturgy through the year.

The 2024 Passionist Calendar features reflections by Pope Francis on the environment. It’s a calendar for laypeople, religious and priests. It’s sponsored by the Confraternity of the Passion. $7.00

13th Sunday A

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For today’s homily, please play the video below:

The Passion of Christ

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passion site

Monday on the Feast of St. Paul of the Cross we launched a new website on the Passion of Christ.

http://passionofchrist.us/

The website has a commentary on the Passion Narratives by Fr. Don Senior, CP, and information on Passion sites, devotions, prayers, spirituality and recent studies.

In recent studies, for example, there’s a review by Fr. Paul Zilonka, CP. of Bill O’ Reilly’s recent book “Killing Jesus.”

It’s a work in progress. A lot more material will be added in days to come, so drop in every once in awhile. The Passion of Jesus is at the heart of the mission of the Passionists, the community I belong to. It’s a mystery that can feed your soul.  I would be grateful for any suggestions you may have.

The site will play on any computer, iPad or smart phone. We hope eventually to develop the website into a multi-lingual site that will literally reach the whole world.

I’m very grateful to the person who did such a beautiful job in formatting the site. A work of art in itself. A special grace brought this site about.