Every year, on both Palm Sunday and Good Friday, we listen to the account of the Lord’s Passion. On Palm Sunday, we hear the account from one of the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark or Luke) and on Good Friday, we always hear the account from John’s Gospel. Having both accounts is helpful as there are certain details that are unique to each account. For example, after Peter denies Jesus, Luke alone recounts the words: “And the Lord turned and looked at Peter.” (Lk 22:61) That simple detail has been a source of many hours of meditation for me personally, praying with the power of the gaze of Jesus – His sorrow when I choose against His will, and His delight when I consider His profound love for me.
One detail of the Passion which is only found in John’s Passion narrative is the account of the solider piercing the side of Jesus after He had died on the Cross. Here is what we will hear:
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. (Jn 19:32-24)
The Church has reflected deeply on this scene, seeing the blood and water as symbols of the sacraments of the Eucharist (blood) and Baptism (water). We can therefore say that the pierced Sacred Heart of Jesus is the source of the sacramental life, and as such, is the source of our ongoing spiritual lives. I have therefore chosen the following invocation from the Litany of the Sacred Heart for this Holy Week:
Heart of Jesus, pierced with a lance, have mercy on us.
During Holy Week, spending time praying with the Crucifix can be a fruitful spiritual exercise. Looking at Jesus hanging on the Cross evokes a variety of emotions. On the one hand, we know that it was our sins that were the cause of His suffering. This certainly fills us with sorrow. But as we gaze upon the wound in His side, we are filled with hope as we recall the gift that comes from this sacrifice – new life for us and the light of hope that scatters our darkness.
In that regard, I share one of my favorite little quotes about the Crucifix, which I first came across many years ago in a Stations of the Cross booklet. The quote has been attributed to St. Bonaventure, and it encourages us to look upon the Crucifix and see in it an invitation to draw close to Jesus in this most powerful image of His love for us:
Behold Jesus crucified! Behold His wounds received for love of YOU! His whole appearance betokens love. His head is bent to kiss you. His arms are extended to embrace you. His heart is open to receive you. Oh what love! Jesus dies on the Cross, to preserve you from eternal death.