Catechism Links
CCC 210-211, 604: God’s mercy
CCC 430, 478, 545, 589, 1365, 1439, 1825, 1846: Christ’s love for all
CCC 2669: The Heart of Christ worthy of adoration
CCC 766, 1225: The Church born from the pierced side of Christ
CCC 1432, 2100: Christ’s love moves our hearts
CCC Cross Reference:
Hos 11 219; Hos 11:1-4 370; Hos 11:1 219, 441, 530; Hos 11:9 208
Is 12:3 2561
Eph 3:8 424; Eph 3:9-12 221; Eph 3:9-11 772; Eph 3:9 1066; Eph 3:12 2778; Eph 3:14 239, 2214, 2367; Eph 3:16-17 1073, 2714; Eph 3:16 1995; Eph 3:18-21 2565
Jn 19:31 641; Jn 19:34 478, 694, 1225; Jn 19:36 608; Jn 19:37 1432
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Reading 1
Hos 11:1, 3-4, 8c-9
Thus says the LORD:
When Israel was a child I loved him,
out of Egypt I called my son.
Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk,
who took them in my arms;
I drew them with human cords,
with bands of love;
I fostered them like one
who raises an infant to his cheeks;
Yet, though I stooped to feed my child,
they did not know that I was their healer.
My heart is overwhelmed,
my pity is stirred.
I will not give vent to my blazing anger,
I will not destroy Ephraim again;
For I am God and not a man,
the Holy One present among you;
I will not let the flames consume you.
Responsorial Psalm
Is 12:2-3, 4, 5-6
R. (3) You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
God indeed is my savior;
I am confident and unafraid.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
With joy you will draw water
at the fountain of salvation.
R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
Give thanks to the LORD, acclaim his name;
among the nations make known his deeds,
proclaim how exalted is his name.
R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
Sing praise to the LORD for his glorious achievement;
let this be known throughout all the earth.
Shout with exultation, O city of Zion,
for great in your midst
is the Holy One of Israel!
R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
Reading II
Eph 3:8-12, 14-19
Brothers and sisters:
To me, the very least of all the holy ones, this grace was given,
to preach to the Gentiles the inscrutable riches of Christ,
and to bring to light for all what is the plan of the mystery
hidden from ages past in God who created all things,
so that the manifold wisdom of God
might now be made known through the church
to the principalities and authorities in the heavens.
This was according to the eternal purpose
that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord,
in whom we have boldness of speech
and confidence of access through faith in him.
For this reason I kneel before the Father,
from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,
that he may grant you in accord with the riches of his glory
to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner self,
and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith;
that you, rooted and grounded in love,
may have strength to comprehend with all the holy ones
what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge,
so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Gospel
Jn 19:31-37
Since it was preparation day,
in order that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the sabbath,
for the sabbath day of that week was a solemn one,
the Jews asked Pilate that their legs be broken
and they be taken down.
So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first
and then of the other one who was crucified with Jesus.
But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead,
they did not break his legs,
but one soldier thrust his lance into his side,
and immediately blood and water flowed out.
An eyewitness has testified, and his testimony is true;
he knows that he is speaking the truth,
so that you also may come to believe.
For this happened so that the Scripture passage might be fulfilled:
Not a bone of it will be broken.
And again another passage says:
They will look upon him whom they have pierced.
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
First reading Hosea 11:1,3-4,8-9
Listen to the word of the Lord:
When Israel was a child I loved him,
and I called my son out of Egypt.
I myself taught Ephraim to walk,
I took them in my arms;
yet they have not understood that I was the one looking after them.
I led them with reins of kindness,
with leading-strings of love.
I was like someone who lifts an infant close against his cheek;
stooping down to him I gave him his food.
Ephraim, how could I part with you?
Israel, how could I give you up?
How could I treat you like Admah,
or deal with you like Zeboiim?
My heart recoils from it,
my whole being trembles at the thought.
I will not give rein to my fierce anger,
I will not destroy Ephraim again,
for I am God, not man:
I am the Holy One in your midst
and have no wish to destroy.
Psalm or canticle Isaiah 12:2-6
Behold, God is my salvation:
I will be confident, I will not fear;
for the Lord is my strength and my joy,
he has become my saviour.
And you will rejoice as you draw water
from the springs of salvation.
And then you will say:
“Praise the Lord and call upon his name.
Tell the peoples what he has done,
remember always the greatness of his name.
Sing to the Lord, for he has done great things:
let this be known throughout the world.
Cry out with joy and gladness, you who dwell in Zion.
Great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.”
Responsorial Psalm:
Isaiah 12
With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.
Truly, God is my salvation,
I trust, I shall not fear.
For the Lord is my strength, my song,
he became my saviour.
With joy you will draw water
from the wells of salvation.
With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.
Give thanks to the Lord, give praise to his name!
Make his mighty deeds known to the peoples!
Declare the greatness of his name.
With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.
Sing a psalm to the Lord
for he has done glorious deeds;
make them known to all the earth!
People of Zion, sing and shout for joy,
for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.
With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.
Second reading Ephesians 3:8-12,14-19
I, Paul, who am less than the least of all the saints have been entrusted with this special grace, not only of proclaiming to the pagans the infinite treasure of Christ but also of explaining how the mystery is to be dispensed. Through all the ages, this has been kept hidden in God, the creator of everything. Why? So that the Sovereignties and Powers should learn only now, through the Church, how comprehensive God’s wisdom really is, exactly according to the plan which he had had from all eternity in Christ Jesus our Lord. This is why we are bold enough to approach God in complete confidence, through our faith in him; This, then, is what I pray, kneeling before the Father, from whom every family, whether spiritual or natural, takes its name:
Out of his infinite glory, may he give you the power through his Spirit for your hidden self to grow strong, so that Christ may live in your hearts through faith, and then, planted in love and built on love, you will with all the saints have strength to grasp the breadth and the length, the height and the depth; until, knowing the love of Christ, which is beyond all knowledge, you are filled with the utter fullness of God.
Gospel John 19:31-37
It was Preparation Day, and to prevent the bodies remaining on the cross during the sabbath – since that sabbath was a day of special solemnity – the Jews asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken away. Consequently the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with him and then of the other. When they came to Jesus, they found he was already dead, and so instead of breaking his legs one of the soldiers pierced his side with a lance; and immediately there came out blood and water. This is the evidence of one who saw it – trustworthy evidence, and he knows he speaks the truth – and he gives it so that you may believe as well. Because all this happened to fulfil the words of scripture:
Not one bone of his will be broken;
and again, in another place scripture says:
They will look on the one whom they have pierced.
Readings and Commentary from the Navarre Bible
Solemnity: Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
From: Hosea 11:1, 3-4, 8abe-9
When Israel was a child
-----------------------------------
[1] When Israel was a child, I loved him,
and out of Egypt I called my son.
[3] Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk,
I took them up in my arms;
but they did not know that I healed them.
[4] I led them with cords of compassion,
with the bands of love,
and I became to them as one
who eases the yoke on their jaws,
and I bent down to them and fed them.
[8ab] How can I give you up, O Ephraim!
How can I hand you over, O Israel!
[8e] My heart recoils within me,
my compassion grows warm and tender.
[9] I will not execute my fierce anger,
I will not again destroy Ephraim;
for I am God and not man,
the Holy One in your midst,
and I will not come to destroy.
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Commentary:
11:1-11. The second part of the hook of Hosea ends with this very touching passage summing up, once again, the relationship between God and his people: the Lord is faithful, whereas Israel is not; but the Lord, true to his nature (v. 9), proclaims that he will bless Israel once more. The Christian reader will immediately notice in v. 1 a line that is applied to Jesus in the New Testament (Mt 2: 15).
What is new about this poem is the fact that whereas previously God's faithfulness was described as being like that of a husband, here God is depicted as a father: "God's love for Israel is compared to a father's love for his son (Hos 11:11).His love for his people is stronger than a mother's for her children. God loves his people more than a bridegroom his beloved (Is 62:4-5); his love will he victorious over even the worst infidelities and will extend to his most precious gift: 'God so loved the world that he gave his only Son' (Jn 3:16)" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 219).
With the exception of v. 10, the oracle is placed on the lips of the Lord, to underscore God's relationship with his people. From the very first (v. 1), the Lord loved Israel as his own son, and from the first Israel rebelled (v. 2); the Lord reared him (v. 3), showing every sign of attention (v. 4: literally "cords of man" as distinct from the reins used for animals), but Israel is bent on forsaking his Lord (v. 7). Then, in a burst of anger, the Lord decides to chastise his people; they shall become slaves once more (vv. 5-6). But this anger does not last long, because, "even when the Lord is exasperated by the infidelity of his people and thinks of finishing with it, it is still his tenderness and generous love for those who are his own which overcomes his anger" (Bl. John Paul II, Dives in misericordia, 4).
This oracle shows the full extent of God's paternal affection. In the opening chapters God's love for Israel was compared with the distraught, impassioned love of a husband for his unfaithful wife; here it is depicted as a father's love for his son: he cannot not love him, even if the son proves ungrateful. The very thought of abandoning Israel breaks God's heart (cf. v. 8). What the prophet is doing here is telling us something about God's "psychology": God's love for his people, and ultimately for every human being, exceeds human loves -- parental and spousal (these, in fact, are only partial reflections of divine love): "God is pure spirit in which there is no place for the difference between the sexes. But the respective 'perfections' of a man and woman reflect something of the infinite perfection of God: those of a mother and those of a father and husband" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 370).
This oracle of salvation is rounded off by the final verses. God forgives Israel; it is only right that he should: he is God (v. 9). The wonderful thing about this passage is that God's forgiveness comes before Israel's conversion: his initial love, and the later reconciliation, are initiatives of God. Conversion (vv. 11-12) stems from God's prior love.
St Matthew's Gospel (2:15) sees the prophecy in Hosea 11:1 being fulfilled in the flight into Egypt and subsequent return: according to the evangelist, Jesus, in his life, embodies the history of his people, and in him God fulfils his ancient promises to renew the people of Israel.
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From: Ephesians 3:8-12, 14-19
St Paul's Mission
--------------------------
[8] To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, [9] and to make all men see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things; that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places. [11] This was according to the eternal purpose which he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, [12] in whom we have boldness and confidence of access through our faith in him.
The Apostle's Prayer
------------------------------
[14] For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, [15] from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, [16] what according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with might through his Spirit in the inner man, [17] and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, [18] may have power to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, [19] and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you maybe filled with all the fullness of God.
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Commentary:
1-21. Christ's saving work on behalf of the Gentiles, calling them to be with the Jews, living stones in the edifice of the Church, leads the Apostle once again to overflow in prayer (vv. 14-21). But first he considers his own position and what Christ has done in him by making him a minister or servant of the Mystery of Christ (vv. 2-13). He witnesses to the revelation he himself has received, which made this Mystery known to him (vv. 2-5); and he goes on to give a summary of the Mystery, emphasizing the call of the Gentiles to the Church through the preaching of the Gospel (v. 6); he then explains that his mission is precisely to preach the Mystery of Christ to the Gentiles (vv. 7-13).
8. Humble abandonment to the action of God in his soul leads St Paul to regard himself as the very lowest of Christians (cf. 1 Cor 15:9); his only credit is the grace God has given him. This grace includes the revelation of "the Mystery" and also the mission to proclaim it (cf. note on Phil 1:7).
He sees the gifts which Christ extends to all, the Gentiles included, as an inexhaustible source of riches (cf. 1:18; 2:7; 3:16). In this present life no one can fully grasp the marvels God has done (cf. Job 5:9) or plumb the depths of God's mercy as manifested in Jesus Christ (cf. note on Col 2:2-3).
Every generation can and should discover in the mystery of Christ "full awareness of (man's) dignity, of the heights to which he is raised, of the surpassing worth of his own humanity, and of the meaning of his existence" (Bl. John Paul II, "Redemptor Hominis", 11). The Church's mission is precisely this: "the revealing of Christ to the world, helping each person to find himself in Christ, and helping the contemporary generations of our brothers and sisters the peoples, nations, states, mankind, developing countries and countries of opulence -- in short, helping everyone to get to know 'the unsearchable riches of Christ', since these riches are for every individual and are everybody's property" ("ibid.").
9. The Apostle establishes a close parallel between God's plan of Redemption and the very act of creation (cf. 1 Cor 2:7; Eph 1:4). This saving design, hidden until now, is what has been revealed by Christ; it enables us to grasp God's infinite love for men, for it shows that creation itself is part of God's plan of salvation. For if "all things were created" (Col 1:16) in and for and with Christ, the "Mystery" of which he is speaking was already latent in the very creation of the world. Hence God's eternal plan, which envisages man's salvation, affects the very act of creation and includes the incarnation of the Son of God.
Bl. John Paul II said this in "Redemptor Hominis", 8: "The Redeemer of the world! In him has been revealed in a new and more wonderful way the fundamental truth concerning creation to which the Book of Genesis gives witness when it repeats several times, 'God saw that it was good' (cf. Gen 1 "passim"). The good has its source in Wisdom and Love. In Jesus Christ the visible world which God created for man (cf. Gen 1:26-30) -- the world which, when sin entered, 'was subjected to futility' (Rom 8:19-22) -- recovers again its original link with the divine source of Wisdom and Love."
10-12. This text shows that the apostolic ministry of preaching has a universal, cosmic, impact. Thanks to the Church's preaching of "the mystery", it is made known not only to mankind but also to the principalities and powers of the heavens. This preaching reveals the hidden, eternal plans of salvation whereby Jews and Gentiles, by being converted to Christ, come to have an equal place in the Church, and this fact in turn reveals the "mystery" of salvation even to the angels (cf. 1 Pet 1 :12), who come to realize the harmony that lies in God's various interventions in the course of history, from the Creation to the Redemption, including the history of the people of Israel.
The "principalities" and "powers" refer to the angelic powers which, according to Jewish belief, were the promulgators and guardians of the Law and whose mission included the government of men. But these "powers" did not know what God's plans were until they were carried out by Christ and his Church. In this passage St Paul does not say anything about whether these powers are good or evil (cf. note on 1:21). What he does re-assert, very clearly, is Christ's supremacy over all these powers, and the Church's role in bringing all creation to recognize that Christ is Lord of all. Therefore, the powers in the heavenly places no longer have any mastery over the Christian: through faith in Christ he acquires the freedom of a son of God and is able to address God confidently.
St Jerome, St Thomas and others interpret "the principalities and powers" as being good angels, like the "thrones" and "dominions" (cf. Col 1:16) and "virtues" ("powers": cf. Eph 1:21). If we add to these titles appearing in St Paul's letters those to be found in other books of Sacred Scripture -- cherubim, seraphim, archangels and angels--we get the nine angelic hierarchies known to tradition. The names simply reflect the qualities with which angels are endowed: they are spiritual beings, personal and free; they are incorporeal and because they are pure spirits, they have intellect, will and power far in excess of man's.
14. St Paul now continues the prayer which he interrupted in v. 1, to entreat the Father to let Christians understand as deeply as possible the divine plan for salvation implemented in Christ (vv. 16-l9).
"I bow my knees": the Jews generally prayed standing up. Only at moments of special solemnity did they kneel or prostrate themselves in adoration. The Apostle, by introducing this almost liturgical reference, is expressing the intensity of his prayer, and the humility which inspires it.
Bodily gestures--genuflections, bowing of the head, beating the breast, et cetera--which accompany prayer should be sincere expressions of devotion. They allow the entire person, body and soul, to express his love for God. "Those who love acquire a refinement, a sensitivity of soul, that makes them notice details which are sometimes very small but which are important because they express the love of a passionate heart" (St. J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 92).
15. To "take a name" from something means to derive one's being or existence from it, and the word translated here as "family" ("patria" in Greek) means a grouping of individuals who are descended from a common father; it could be translated as "paternity", as the New Vulgate does.
The Apostle is saying that every grouping which is regarded as a family, whether it be on earth (like the Church or the family), or in heaven (like the Church triumphant and the choirs of angels), takes its name and origin from God, the only Father in the full meaning of the word. Thus, the word "Father" can be correctly used to designate not only physical but also spiritual fatherhood.
The parenthood of married people is an outstanding example of the love of God the Creator. They are cooperators in that love, and, in a certain sense, its interpreters (cf. Vatican II, "Gaudium Et Spes", 50). Hence, "when they become parents, spouses receive from God the gift of a new responsibility. Their parental love is called to become for the children the visible sign of the very love of God, 'from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named"' (Bl. John Paul II, "Familiaris Consortio", 14).
16-17. The strengthening of the inner man through the Spirit means growth in faith, charity and hope, which is what the Apostle prays for here (cf. vv. 16-19).
"Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" (Heb 11:1); it is, then, a virtue whereby the Christian in this life anticipates, imperfectly, the object of his hope -- that perfect union with God which will take place in heaven.
Love follows from knowledge: one cannot love someone one does not know. And so, when goodness is known, it comes to be loved. Thus, the knowledge of God, which faith provides, is followed by the love of God, which stems from charity. Charity, for its part, is the basis of the Christian's spiritual life. "The spiritual edifice cannot stay standing--the same is true of a tree without roots, or a house without a foundation, which can easily be toppled--unless it be rooted and grounded in love" (St Thomas Aquinas, "Commentary on Eph, ad loc.").
18. St Paul asks God to give Christians understanding of the "mystery of Christ", which essentially is the outcome of his love. In referring to the vast dimensions of this mystery he uses an enigmatic phrase -- "the breadth and length and height and depth". These and similar terms were used by Stoic philosophy to designate the cosmos as a whole. Here they express the immense scale of the "mystery" which embraces the entire plan of salvation, the actions of Christ and the activity of the Church. St Augustine interpreted these words as referring to the cross, the instrument of salvation which Christ used to show the full extent of his love (cf. "De Doctrina Christiana", 2, 41).
St Paul may indeed be trying to sum up all the richness of the "mystery" of Christ in a graphic way -- in terms of a cross whose extremities reach out in all four directions seeking to embrace the whole world. The blood which our Lord shed on the cross brought about the Redemption, the forgiveness of sins (cf. Eph 1:7). It did away with hostility, reconciling all men and assembling them into one body (cf. Eph 2:15-16), the Church. Therefore the cross is an inexhaustible source of grace, the mark of the true Christian, the instrument of salvation for all. When, through the action of Christians, the cross of Christ is made present at all the crossroads of the world, then is that "mystery" implemented whose purpose it is to "unite all things in Christ" (cf. Eph 1:10).
19. Christ's love for us is infinite; it is beyond our grasp, because it is of divine dimensions (cf. Jn 15:9 and note on Jn 15:9-11).
Knowledge of the history of salvation and of the "mystery" of Christ is ultimately what gives us a notion of the scale of God's love. Therefore, it is the basis of the Christian life: "We know and believe the love which God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God" (1 Jn 4:16). Eternal life will consist in enjoying the love of God without any type of distraction. During his life on earth, the believer receives a foretaste of this joy to the degree that he abides in the love of Christ (cf. Jn 15:9), that is, is rooted and grounded in love (v. 17). However, this knowledge of Christ is always very imperfect compared with that in heaven.
It is worth pointing out that the "knowledge" ("gnosis") which St Paul is speaking about is not simply intellectual cognition but rather a kind of knowledge which permeates one's whole life. It does not consist so much in knowing that God is love as in realizing that we are personally the object, the focus, of God's love: he loves us one by one, as good parents love their children.
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From: John 19:31-37
Jesus' Side Is Pierced
--------------------------------
[31] Since it was the day of Preparation, in order to prevent the bodies from remaining on the cross of the sabbath (for that sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. [32] So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him; [33] but when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. [34] But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. [35] He who saw it has borne witness--his testimony is true, and he knows that he tells the truth--that you also may believe. [36] For these things took place that the scripture might be fulfilled, "Not a bone of him shall be broken." [37] And again another scripture says, "They shall look on him whom they have pierced."
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Commentary:
31-33. Jesus dies on the Preparation day of the Passover--the Parasceve—that is, the eve, when the paschal lambs were officially sacrificed in the Temple. By stressing this, the evangelist implies that Christ's sacrifice took the place of the sacrifices of the Old Law and inaugurated the New Alliance in his blood (cf. Heb 9:12).
The Law of Moses required that the bodies should be taken down before nightfall (Deut 21:22-23); this is why Pilate is asked to have their legs broken, to bring on death and allow them to be buried before it gets dark, particularly since the next day is the feast of the Passover.
On the date of Jesus' death see "The Dates of the Life of our Lord Jesus Christ" in the "The Navarre Bible: St. Mark", pp. 48ff.
34. The outflow of blood and water has a natural explanation. Probably the water was an accumulation of liquid in the lungs due to Jesus' intense sufferings.
As on other occasions, the historical events narrated in the fourth Gospel are laden with meaning. St. Augustine and Christian tradition see the sacraments and the Church itself flowing from Jesus' open side: "Here was opened wide the door of life, from which the sacraments of the Church have flowed out, without which there is no entering in unto life which is true life. [...] Here the second Adam with bowed head slept upon the cross, that thence a wife might be formed of him, flowing from his side while he slept. O death, by which the dead come back to life! is there anything purer than this blood, any wound more healing!" (St. Augustine, "In Ioann. Evang., 120, 2).
The Second Vatican Council, for its part, teaches: "The Church--that is, the kingdom of Christ--already present in mystery, grows visibly through the power of God in the world. The origin and growth of the Church are symbolized by the blood and water which flowed from the open side of the crucified Jesus" (Vatican II, "Lumen Gentium", 3).
"Jesus on the cross, with his heart overflowing with love for men, is such an eloquent commentary on the value of people and things that words only get in the way. People, their happiness and their life, are so important that the very Son of God gave himself to redeem and cleanse and raise them up" (St. J. Escrivá, "Christ Is Passing By", 165).
35. St John's Gospel presents itself as a truthful witness of the events of our Lord's life and of their spiritual and doctrinal significance. From the words of John the Baptist at the outset of Jesus' public ministry (1:19) to the final paragraph of the Gospel (21:24-25), everything forms part of a testimony to the sublime phenomenon of the Word of Life made Man. Here the evangelist explicitly states that he was an eyewitness (cf. also Jn 20:30-31; 1 Jn 1:1-3).
36. This question refers to the precept of the Law that no bone of the paschal lamb should be broken (cf. Ex 12:46): again St John's Gospel is telling us that Jesus is the true paschal Lamb who takes away the sins of the world (cf. Jn 1:29).
37. The account of the Passion concludes with quotation from Zechariah (12:10) foretelling the salvation resulting from the mysterious suffering and death of a redeemer. The evangelist thereby evokes the salvation wrought by Jesus Christ who, nailed to the Cross, has fulfilled God's promise of redemption (cf. Jn 12:32). Everyone who looks upon him with faith receives the effects of his Passion. Thus the good thief, looking at Christ on the cross, recognized his kingship, placed his truth in him and received the promise of heaven (cf. Lk 23:42-43).
In the liturgy of Good Friday the Church invites us to contemplate and adore the cross: "Behold the wood of the Cross, on which was nailed the salvation of the world", and from the earliest times of the Church the Crucifix has been the sign reminding Christians of the supreme point of Christ's love, when he died on the Cross and freed us from eternal death.
"Your Crucifix. -- As a Christian, you should always carry your Crucifix with you. And place it on your desk. And kiss it before going to bed and when you wake up: and when your poor body rebels against your soul, kiss it again" (St. J. Escriva, "The Way", 302).
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Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and by Scepter Publishers in the United States. We encourage readers to purchase The Navarre Bible for personal study. See Scepter Publishers for details.
Reading 1
Hos 11:1, 3-4, 8c-9
Thus says the LORD:
When Israel was a child I loved him,
out of Egypt I called my son.
Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk,
who took them in my arms;
I drew them with human cords,
with bands of love;
I fostered them like one
who raises an infant to his cheeks;
Yet, though I stooped to feed my child,
they did not know that I was their healer.
My heart is overwhelmed,
my pity is stirred.
I will not give vent to my blazing anger,
I will not destroy Ephraim again;
For I am God and not a man,
the Holy One present among you;
I will not let the flames consume you.
Responsorial Psalm
Is 12:2-3, 4, 5-6
R. (3) You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
God indeed is my savior;
I am confident and unafraid.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
With joy you will draw water
at the fountain of salvation.
R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
Give thanks to the LORD, acclaim his name;
among the nations make known his deeds,
proclaim how exalted is his name.
R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
Sing praise to the LORD for his glorious achievement;
let this be known throughout all the earth.
Shout with exultation, O city of Zion,
for great in your midst
is the Holy One of Israel!
R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
Reading II
Eph 3:8-12, 14-19
Brothers and sisters:
To me, the very least of all the holy ones, this grace was given,
to preach to the Gentiles the inscrutable riches of Christ,
and to bring to light for all what is the plan of the mystery
hidden from ages past in God who created all things,
so that the manifold wisdom of God
might now be made known through the church
to the principalities and authorities in the heavens.
This was according to the eternal purpose
that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord,
in whom we have boldness of speech
and confidence of access through faith in him.
For this reason I kneel before the Father,
from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,
that he may grant you in accord with the riches of his glory
to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner self,
and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith;
that you, rooted and grounded in love,
may have strength to comprehend with all the holy ones
what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge,
so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Gospel
Jn 19:31-37
Since it was preparation day,
in order that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the sabbath,
for the sabbath day of that week was a solemn one,
the Jews asked Pilate that their legs be broken
and they be taken down.
So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first
and then of the other one who was crucified with Jesus.
But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead,
they did not break his legs,
but one soldier thrust his lance into his side,
and immediately blood and water flowed out.
An eyewitness has testified, and his testimony is true;
he knows that he is speaking the truth,
so that you also may come to believe.
For this happened so that the Scripture passage might be fulfilled:
Not a bone of it will be broken.
And again another passage says:
They will look upon him whom they have pierced.
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
First reading Hosea 11:1,3-4,8-9
Listen to the word of the Lord:
When Israel was a child I loved him,
and I called my son out of Egypt.
I myself taught Ephraim to walk,
I took them in my arms;
yet they have not understood that I was the one looking after them.
I led them with reins of kindness,
with leading-strings of love.
I was like someone who lifts an infant close against his cheek;
stooping down to him I gave him his food.
Ephraim, how could I part with you?
Israel, how could I give you up?
How could I treat you like Admah,
or deal with you like Zeboiim?
My heart recoils from it,
my whole being trembles at the thought.
I will not give rein to my fierce anger,
I will not destroy Ephraim again,
for I am God, not man:
I am the Holy One in your midst
and have no wish to destroy.
Psalm or canticle Isaiah 12:2-6
Behold, God is my salvation:
I will be confident, I will not fear;
for the Lord is my strength and my joy,
he has become my saviour.
And you will rejoice as you draw water
from the springs of salvation.
And then you will say:
“Praise the Lord and call upon his name.
Tell the peoples what he has done,
remember always the greatness of his name.
Sing to the Lord, for he has done great things:
let this be known throughout the world.
Cry out with joy and gladness, you who dwell in Zion.
Great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.”
Responsorial Psalm:
Isaiah 12
With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.
Truly, God is my salvation,
I trust, I shall not fear.
For the Lord is my strength, my song,
he became my saviour.
With joy you will draw water
from the wells of salvation.
With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.
Give thanks to the Lord, give praise to his name!
Make his mighty deeds known to the peoples!
Declare the greatness of his name.
With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.
Sing a psalm to the Lord
for he has done glorious deeds;
make them known to all the earth!
People of Zion, sing and shout for joy,
for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.
With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.
Second reading Ephesians 3:8-12,14-19
I, Paul, who am less than the least of all the saints have been entrusted with this special grace, not only of proclaiming to the pagans the infinite treasure of Christ but also of explaining how the mystery is to be dispensed. Through all the ages, this has been kept hidden in God, the creator of everything. Why? So that the Sovereignties and Powers should learn only now, through the Church, how comprehensive God’s wisdom really is, exactly according to the plan which he had had from all eternity in Christ Jesus our Lord. This is why we are bold enough to approach God in complete confidence, through our faith in him; This, then, is what I pray, kneeling before the Father, from whom every family, whether spiritual or natural, takes its name:
Out of his infinite glory, may he give you the power through his Spirit for your hidden self to grow strong, so that Christ may live in your hearts through faith, and then, planted in love and built on love, you will with all the saints have strength to grasp the breadth and the length, the height and the depth; until, knowing the love of Christ, which is beyond all knowledge, you are filled with the utter fullness of God.
Gospel John 19:31-37
It was Preparation Day, and to prevent the bodies remaining on the cross during the sabbath – since that sabbath was a day of special solemnity – the Jews asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken away. Consequently the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with him and then of the other. When they came to Jesus, they found he was already dead, and so instead of breaking his legs one of the soldiers pierced his side with a lance; and immediately there came out blood and water. This is the evidence of one who saw it – trustworthy evidence, and he knows he speaks the truth – and he gives it so that you may believe as well. Because all this happened to fulfil the words of scripture:
Not one bone of his will be broken;
and again, in another place scripture says:
They will look on the one whom they have pierced.
Readings and Commentary from the Navarre Bible
Solemnity: Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
From: Hosea 11:1, 3-4, 8abe-9
When Israel was a child
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[1] When Israel was a child, I loved him,
and out of Egypt I called my son.
[3] Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk,
I took them up in my arms;
but they did not know that I healed them.
[4] I led them with cords of compassion,
with the bands of love,
and I became to them as one
who eases the yoke on their jaws,
and I bent down to them and fed them.
[8ab] How can I give you up, O Ephraim!
How can I hand you over, O Israel!
[8e] My heart recoils within me,
my compassion grows warm and tender.
[9] I will not execute my fierce anger,
I will not again destroy Ephraim;
for I am God and not man,
the Holy One in your midst,
and I will not come to destroy.
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Commentary:
11:1-11. The second part of the hook of Hosea ends with this very touching passage summing up, once again, the relationship between God and his people: the Lord is faithful, whereas Israel is not; but the Lord, true to his nature (v. 9), proclaims that he will bless Israel once more. The Christian reader will immediately notice in v. 1 a line that is applied to Jesus in the New Testament (Mt 2: 15).
What is new about this poem is the fact that whereas previously God's faithfulness was described as being like that of a husband, here God is depicted as a father: "God's love for Israel is compared to a father's love for his son (Hos 11:11).His love for his people is stronger than a mother's for her children. God loves his people more than a bridegroom his beloved (Is 62:4-5); his love will he victorious over even the worst infidelities and will extend to his most precious gift: 'God so loved the world that he gave his only Son' (Jn 3:16)" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 219).
With the exception of v. 10, the oracle is placed on the lips of the Lord, to underscore God's relationship with his people. From the very first (v. 1), the Lord loved Israel as his own son, and from the first Israel rebelled (v. 2); the Lord reared him (v. 3), showing every sign of attention (v. 4: literally "cords of man" as distinct from the reins used for animals), but Israel is bent on forsaking his Lord (v. 7). Then, in a burst of anger, the Lord decides to chastise his people; they shall become slaves once more (vv. 5-6). But this anger does not last long, because, "even when the Lord is exasperated by the infidelity of his people and thinks of finishing with it, it is still his tenderness and generous love for those who are his own which overcomes his anger" (Bl. John Paul II, Dives in misericordia, 4).
This oracle shows the full extent of God's paternal affection. In the opening chapters God's love for Israel was compared with the distraught, impassioned love of a husband for his unfaithful wife; here it is depicted as a father's love for his son: he cannot not love him, even if the son proves ungrateful. The very thought of abandoning Israel breaks God's heart (cf. v. 8). What the prophet is doing here is telling us something about God's "psychology": God's love for his people, and ultimately for every human being, exceeds human loves -- parental and spousal (these, in fact, are only partial reflections of divine love): "God is pure spirit in which there is no place for the difference between the sexes. But the respective 'perfections' of a man and woman reflect something of the infinite perfection of God: those of a mother and those of a father and husband" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 370).
This oracle of salvation is rounded off by the final verses. God forgives Israel; it is only right that he should: he is God (v. 9). The wonderful thing about this passage is that God's forgiveness comes before Israel's conversion: his initial love, and the later reconciliation, are initiatives of God. Conversion (vv. 11-12) stems from God's prior love.
St Matthew's Gospel (2:15) sees the prophecy in Hosea 11:1 being fulfilled in the flight into Egypt and subsequent return: according to the evangelist, Jesus, in his life, embodies the history of his people, and in him God fulfils his ancient promises to renew the people of Israel.
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From: Ephesians 3:8-12, 14-19
St Paul's Mission
--------------------------
[8] To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, [9] and to make all men see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things; that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places. [11] This was according to the eternal purpose which he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, [12] in whom we have boldness and confidence of access through our faith in him.
The Apostle's Prayer
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[14] For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, [15] from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, [16] what according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with might through his Spirit in the inner man, [17] and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, [18] may have power to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, [19] and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you maybe filled with all the fullness of God.
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Commentary:
1-21. Christ's saving work on behalf of the Gentiles, calling them to be with the Jews, living stones in the edifice of the Church, leads the Apostle once again to overflow in prayer (vv. 14-21). But first he considers his own position and what Christ has done in him by making him a minister or servant of the Mystery of Christ (vv. 2-13). He witnesses to the revelation he himself has received, which made this Mystery known to him (vv. 2-5); and he goes on to give a summary of the Mystery, emphasizing the call of the Gentiles to the Church through the preaching of the Gospel (v. 6); he then explains that his mission is precisely to preach the Mystery of Christ to the Gentiles (vv. 7-13).
8. Humble abandonment to the action of God in his soul leads St Paul to regard himself as the very lowest of Christians (cf. 1 Cor 15:9); his only credit is the grace God has given him. This grace includes the revelation of "the Mystery" and also the mission to proclaim it (cf. note on Phil 1:7).
He sees the gifts which Christ extends to all, the Gentiles included, as an inexhaustible source of riches (cf. 1:18; 2:7; 3:16). In this present life no one can fully grasp the marvels God has done (cf. Job 5:9) or plumb the depths of God's mercy as manifested in Jesus Christ (cf. note on Col 2:2-3).
Every generation can and should discover in the mystery of Christ "full awareness of (man's) dignity, of the heights to which he is raised, of the surpassing worth of his own humanity, and of the meaning of his existence" (Bl. John Paul II, "Redemptor Hominis", 11). The Church's mission is precisely this: "the revealing of Christ to the world, helping each person to find himself in Christ, and helping the contemporary generations of our brothers and sisters the peoples, nations, states, mankind, developing countries and countries of opulence -- in short, helping everyone to get to know 'the unsearchable riches of Christ', since these riches are for every individual and are everybody's property" ("ibid.").
9. The Apostle establishes a close parallel between God's plan of Redemption and the very act of creation (cf. 1 Cor 2:7; Eph 1:4). This saving design, hidden until now, is what has been revealed by Christ; it enables us to grasp God's infinite love for men, for it shows that creation itself is part of God's plan of salvation. For if "all things were created" (Col 1:16) in and for and with Christ, the "Mystery" of which he is speaking was already latent in the very creation of the world. Hence God's eternal plan, which envisages man's salvation, affects the very act of creation and includes the incarnation of the Son of God.
Bl. John Paul II said this in "Redemptor Hominis", 8: "The Redeemer of the world! In him has been revealed in a new and more wonderful way the fundamental truth concerning creation to which the Book of Genesis gives witness when it repeats several times, 'God saw that it was good' (cf. Gen 1 "passim"). The good has its source in Wisdom and Love. In Jesus Christ the visible world which God created for man (cf. Gen 1:26-30) -- the world which, when sin entered, 'was subjected to futility' (Rom 8:19-22) -- recovers again its original link with the divine source of Wisdom and Love."
10-12. This text shows that the apostolic ministry of preaching has a universal, cosmic, impact. Thanks to the Church's preaching of "the mystery", it is made known not only to mankind but also to the principalities and powers of the heavens. This preaching reveals the hidden, eternal plans of salvation whereby Jews and Gentiles, by being converted to Christ, come to have an equal place in the Church, and this fact in turn reveals the "mystery" of salvation even to the angels (cf. 1 Pet 1 :12), who come to realize the harmony that lies in God's various interventions in the course of history, from the Creation to the Redemption, including the history of the people of Israel.
The "principalities" and "powers" refer to the angelic powers which, according to Jewish belief, were the promulgators and guardians of the Law and whose mission included the government of men. But these "powers" did not know what God's plans were until they were carried out by Christ and his Church. In this passage St Paul does not say anything about whether these powers are good or evil (cf. note on 1:21). What he does re-assert, very clearly, is Christ's supremacy over all these powers, and the Church's role in bringing all creation to recognize that Christ is Lord of all. Therefore, the powers in the heavenly places no longer have any mastery over the Christian: through faith in Christ he acquires the freedom of a son of God and is able to address God confidently.
St Jerome, St Thomas and others interpret "the principalities and powers" as being good angels, like the "thrones" and "dominions" (cf. Col 1:16) and "virtues" ("powers": cf. Eph 1:21). If we add to these titles appearing in St Paul's letters those to be found in other books of Sacred Scripture -- cherubim, seraphim, archangels and angels--we get the nine angelic hierarchies known to tradition. The names simply reflect the qualities with which angels are endowed: they are spiritual beings, personal and free; they are incorporeal and because they are pure spirits, they have intellect, will and power far in excess of man's.
14. St Paul now continues the prayer which he interrupted in v. 1, to entreat the Father to let Christians understand as deeply as possible the divine plan for salvation implemented in Christ (vv. 16-l9).
"I bow my knees": the Jews generally prayed standing up. Only at moments of special solemnity did they kneel or prostrate themselves in adoration. The Apostle, by introducing this almost liturgical reference, is expressing the intensity of his prayer, and the humility which inspires it.
Bodily gestures--genuflections, bowing of the head, beating the breast, et cetera--which accompany prayer should be sincere expressions of devotion. They allow the entire person, body and soul, to express his love for God. "Those who love acquire a refinement, a sensitivity of soul, that makes them notice details which are sometimes very small but which are important because they express the love of a passionate heart" (St. J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 92).
15. To "take a name" from something means to derive one's being or existence from it, and the word translated here as "family" ("patria" in Greek) means a grouping of individuals who are descended from a common father; it could be translated as "paternity", as the New Vulgate does.
The Apostle is saying that every grouping which is regarded as a family, whether it be on earth (like the Church or the family), or in heaven (like the Church triumphant and the choirs of angels), takes its name and origin from God, the only Father in the full meaning of the word. Thus, the word "Father" can be correctly used to designate not only physical but also spiritual fatherhood.
The parenthood of married people is an outstanding example of the love of God the Creator. They are cooperators in that love, and, in a certain sense, its interpreters (cf. Vatican II, "Gaudium Et Spes", 50). Hence, "when they become parents, spouses receive from God the gift of a new responsibility. Their parental love is called to become for the children the visible sign of the very love of God, 'from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named"' (Bl. John Paul II, "Familiaris Consortio", 14).
16-17. The strengthening of the inner man through the Spirit means growth in faith, charity and hope, which is what the Apostle prays for here (cf. vv. 16-19).
"Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" (Heb 11:1); it is, then, a virtue whereby the Christian in this life anticipates, imperfectly, the object of his hope -- that perfect union with God which will take place in heaven.
Love follows from knowledge: one cannot love someone one does not know. And so, when goodness is known, it comes to be loved. Thus, the knowledge of God, which faith provides, is followed by the love of God, which stems from charity. Charity, for its part, is the basis of the Christian's spiritual life. "The spiritual edifice cannot stay standing--the same is true of a tree without roots, or a house without a foundation, which can easily be toppled--unless it be rooted and grounded in love" (St Thomas Aquinas, "Commentary on Eph, ad loc.").
18. St Paul asks God to give Christians understanding of the "mystery of Christ", which essentially is the outcome of his love. In referring to the vast dimensions of this mystery he uses an enigmatic phrase -- "the breadth and length and height and depth". These and similar terms were used by Stoic philosophy to designate the cosmos as a whole. Here they express the immense scale of the "mystery" which embraces the entire plan of salvation, the actions of Christ and the activity of the Church. St Augustine interpreted these words as referring to the cross, the instrument of salvation which Christ used to show the full extent of his love (cf. "De Doctrina Christiana", 2, 41).
St Paul may indeed be trying to sum up all the richness of the "mystery" of Christ in a graphic way -- in terms of a cross whose extremities reach out in all four directions seeking to embrace the whole world. The blood which our Lord shed on the cross brought about the Redemption, the forgiveness of sins (cf. Eph 1:7). It did away with hostility, reconciling all men and assembling them into one body (cf. Eph 2:15-16), the Church. Therefore the cross is an inexhaustible source of grace, the mark of the true Christian, the instrument of salvation for all. When, through the action of Christians, the cross of Christ is made present at all the crossroads of the world, then is that "mystery" implemented whose purpose it is to "unite all things in Christ" (cf. Eph 1:10).
19. Christ's love for us is infinite; it is beyond our grasp, because it is of divine dimensions (cf. Jn 15:9 and note on Jn 15:9-11).
Knowledge of the history of salvation and of the "mystery" of Christ is ultimately what gives us a notion of the scale of God's love. Therefore, it is the basis of the Christian life: "We know and believe the love which God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God" (1 Jn 4:16). Eternal life will consist in enjoying the love of God without any type of distraction. During his life on earth, the believer receives a foretaste of this joy to the degree that he abides in the love of Christ (cf. Jn 15:9), that is, is rooted and grounded in love (v. 17). However, this knowledge of Christ is always very imperfect compared with that in heaven.
It is worth pointing out that the "knowledge" ("gnosis") which St Paul is speaking about is not simply intellectual cognition but rather a kind of knowledge which permeates one's whole life. It does not consist so much in knowing that God is love as in realizing that we are personally the object, the focus, of God's love: he loves us one by one, as good parents love their children.
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From: John 19:31-37
Jesus' Side Is Pierced
--------------------------------
[31] Since it was the day of Preparation, in order to prevent the bodies from remaining on the cross of the sabbath (for that sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. [32] So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him; [33] but when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. [34] But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. [35] He who saw it has borne witness--his testimony is true, and he knows that he tells the truth--that you also may believe. [36] For these things took place that the scripture might be fulfilled, "Not a bone of him shall be broken." [37] And again another scripture says, "They shall look on him whom they have pierced."
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Commentary:
31-33. Jesus dies on the Preparation day of the Passover--the Parasceve—that is, the eve, when the paschal lambs were officially sacrificed in the Temple. By stressing this, the evangelist implies that Christ's sacrifice took the place of the sacrifices of the Old Law and inaugurated the New Alliance in his blood (cf. Heb 9:12).
The Law of Moses required that the bodies should be taken down before nightfall (Deut 21:22-23); this is why Pilate is asked to have their legs broken, to bring on death and allow them to be buried before it gets dark, particularly since the next day is the feast of the Passover.
On the date of Jesus' death see "The Dates of the Life of our Lord Jesus Christ" in the "The Navarre Bible: St. Mark", pp. 48ff.
34. The outflow of blood and water has a natural explanation. Probably the water was an accumulation of liquid in the lungs due to Jesus' intense sufferings.
As on other occasions, the historical events narrated in the fourth Gospel are laden with meaning. St. Augustine and Christian tradition see the sacraments and the Church itself flowing from Jesus' open side: "Here was opened wide the door of life, from which the sacraments of the Church have flowed out, without which there is no entering in unto life which is true life. [...] Here the second Adam with bowed head slept upon the cross, that thence a wife might be formed of him, flowing from his side while he slept. O death, by which the dead come back to life! is there anything purer than this blood, any wound more healing!" (St. Augustine, "In Ioann. Evang., 120, 2).
The Second Vatican Council, for its part, teaches: "The Church--that is, the kingdom of Christ--already present in mystery, grows visibly through the power of God in the world. The origin and growth of the Church are symbolized by the blood and water which flowed from the open side of the crucified Jesus" (Vatican II, "Lumen Gentium", 3).
"Jesus on the cross, with his heart overflowing with love for men, is such an eloquent commentary on the value of people and things that words only get in the way. People, their happiness and their life, are so important that the very Son of God gave himself to redeem and cleanse and raise them up" (St. J. Escrivá, "Christ Is Passing By", 165).
35. St John's Gospel presents itself as a truthful witness of the events of our Lord's life and of their spiritual and doctrinal significance. From the words of John the Baptist at the outset of Jesus' public ministry (1:19) to the final paragraph of the Gospel (21:24-25), everything forms part of a testimony to the sublime phenomenon of the Word of Life made Man. Here the evangelist explicitly states that he was an eyewitness (cf. also Jn 20:30-31; 1 Jn 1:1-3).
36. This question refers to the precept of the Law that no bone of the paschal lamb should be broken (cf. Ex 12:46): again St John's Gospel is telling us that Jesus is the true paschal Lamb who takes away the sins of the world (cf. Jn 1:29).
37. The account of the Passion concludes with quotation from Zechariah (12:10) foretelling the salvation resulting from the mysterious suffering and death of a redeemer. The evangelist thereby evokes the salvation wrought by Jesus Christ who, nailed to the Cross, has fulfilled God's promise of redemption (cf. Jn 12:32). Everyone who looks upon him with faith receives the effects of his Passion. Thus the good thief, looking at Christ on the cross, recognized his kingship, placed his truth in him and received the promise of heaven (cf. Lk 23:42-43).
In the liturgy of Good Friday the Church invites us to contemplate and adore the cross: "Behold the wood of the Cross, on which was nailed the salvation of the world", and from the earliest times of the Church the Crucifix has been the sign reminding Christians of the supreme point of Christ's love, when he died on the Cross and freed us from eternal death.
"Your Crucifix. -- As a Christian, you should always carry your Crucifix with you. And place it on your desk. And kiss it before going to bed and when you wake up: and when your poor body rebels against your soul, kiss it again" (St. J. Escriva, "The Way", 302).
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Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and by Scepter Publishers in the United States. We encourage readers to purchase The Navarre Bible for personal study. See Scepter Publishers for details.
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