Have you ever felt like the world was collapsing on you? That you are alone, that everyone has failed you, and that everything seems to end there? Today, the Gospel reminds us that Jesus went through that very moment on the night of His passion and death. He felt betrayed: Judas handed Him over, Peter denied Him three times, and the same people who welcomed Him with palms rejected Him. Can you imagine your friend denying you in front of you? How would we feel?
The Passion as a Triumph
Jesus was handed over and arrested; though innocent, He was rejected. Then came the scourging, the pain, the mockery, and the crown of thorns. Even so, Jesus remained firm, loving in the midst of suffering. They placed the cross on His shoulders, and He carried it with love. He did not run away; rather, He stepped forward and asked, “Whom are you looking for?” Then He freely gave Himself, knowing everything that was coming upon Him.
Clearly, in Jesus’ passion we remember His suffering, but we do not have to remain only in pain and suffering. The passion of Jesus is a triumph: it was the moment when He gave everything. On the cross He showed us His love and, despite fear, fulfilled the will of God to the very end.
Where Everything Seemed Lost, Life Is Reborn
Many times we see the passion of Jesus as a defeat, something difficult to accept, but we realize that everything was out of love for us. The Gospel of John gives us this wonderful scene: Jesus, from the cross, even in the midst of pain, continued giving life. He looked at His Mother and the beloved disciple and said, “Behold your son… behold your mother.” At that moment, He was not only caring for Mary; He was giving us a family, a new way of loving and accompanying one another.
Jesus bowed His head and gave up His spirit; many thought everything had ended at that moment. But love did not stop. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, with courage and tenderness, went to take His body. In the midst of pain, they also responded with love, showing that even in sadness there are hearts that continue believing, serving, and hoping. Because even in the most difficult moments, God’s love never ceases to act. And it is there, precisely there, that life is reborn.
The passion of Jesus leaves us a message of hope: every trial in our life can become an opportunity to rise, learn, and grow. Even when it is difficult, even when it hurts, that is where our faith is strengthened and hope takes on new meaning. Because even in the midst of darkness, God continues working in our lives, even when we do not understand it. And many times, that difficult moment we think breaks us is actually the beginning of a new story in our life, accompanied by hope. The cross is not the end; it is the path to the resurrection.
Sr. Gladis Tebelán Xirum
Province of Saint Martin de Porres
