In the face of radical surrender to God, complete decentralization, absolute self-denial, and self-emptying, our hearts must learn the lesson of love and imitate the Crucified One.
Father Cesare Augusto, Jesuit – Vatican News
If there is an image of Jesus that I really like, it is the image of the crucified Lord. I see in it the greatest symbol of our faith and the clearest sign of God's love for us. It is an image of radical surrender to the Father out of love.
On the other hand, we are concerned when some Christians say that they are shocked by the image of the crucified one, and that it should not be revealed, but rather the image of the risen Lord. It is true that the resurrected Christ is the final word.
In this Sunday's Gospel, the Lord tells us that He must rise, so that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life. Nicodemus recalls the incident that occurred in the desert when Moses, under God's guidance, raised a pillar from which a bronze serpent hung. And whoever is bitten by a snake should look at the brass and he will be healed.
In Paradise we are all bitten by the serpent of selfishness, selfishness and all evil. For our healing, we must look with faith to the Crucified One, the greatest testimony of the Father’s love for us, as a source of life, reconciliation and peace. In the face of radical surrender to God, complete decentralization, absolute self-denial, and self-emptying, our hearts must learn the lesson of love and imitate the Crucified One.
Dear brothers, listeners of Vatican Radio, when we are exposed to the sun, we do nothing, we only let its light give us the benefits that our body needs. Our spiritual life, and why not, our psychological-emotional maturity requires us to fix our gaze on the image of Christ crucified, the greatest sign of liberation, maturity, and surrender to love.
William Shakespeare is a journalist and feature writer specialising in culture, entertainment, history, and current affairs. With a keen eye for storytelling and analysis, he produces informative articles that help readers understand the people, ideas, and events influencing modern life.
