Jesus offers Himself
to bring us to Victory
April 2nd, 2021
Holy Friday
Meditation of the day of Pontiff Samuel
(Draft)
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Dear brothers and dear sisters, on this Holy Friday we meditate on the passion of Jesus who offered Himself to give us salvation by means of His sacrifice. I would like to focus with you on the value of this sacrifice: an offering that is the fruit of Jesus’ infinite love for all those that the Father entrusted to Him betimes and over time; for those whom the Father would have welcomed into the Church of Christ; and for all those who, wandering around the world, were and are in search of the Truth.
Jesus offered Himself for them. Not an offering relegated in the past but a living, continuous and throbbing offering, that is renewed in these times to embrace all those who yearn to know the Truth, which is Christ the Lord. “You will come to know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free” Jesus said at that time. Here, in this Land of Love, the words of Jesus are being fulfilled, Jesus manifests Himself, Jesus manifests His Truth to free the sons of God again from the yoke of a spiritual slavery that has become heavy, from the yoke of a world that lives without God, having discarded the Sacrifice and the passion of the Son of God. The offering and the passion of Jesus are alive, more alive than ever, in the New Jerusalem. In this Land blessed by the Father, many sons are no longer experiencing hope but already the full certainty: the certainty of the promises that Jesus, by His sacrifice, has made to His sons. The promises of Jesus that here are being fulfilled.
Great was the pain suffered by Jesus then. A humanly unbearable pain that Jesus overcame thanks to the help of the Father, tirelessly prayed and invoked by Jesus to the end. “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
These words express Jesus’ prayer to the Father: there is no mystery in these words. Jesus said the prayer of Psalm 21. Jesus never rebelled against the Father, He never blasphemed Him but rather He always invoked the Father, praying to Him to the end. This is the example that Jesus gives us, that example that helps us to overcome every trial, so that all Christians, facing their trial, even the hardest and most painful, even a humanly impossible one, may never be discouraged but remain steadfast in prayer and fraternal union, on the example of Jesus and of Mary, She who offered Her pain at the foot of the Cross, in total union and co‑participation in the living Mass of the Son, drinking the cup of the New Covenant with Her Son, so that He could fulfil the Father’s will to the end.
As great has been the pain suffered by Jesus then, so great is His joy now seeing many hearts here that let themselves be conquered by the power of love; many hearts reborn to new life thanks to that sacrifice which finds fulfilment in the New Jerusalem. Here are the fruits of the Lord’s passion which have been manifested in history and which, in these last times of the history of Christianity, manifest themselves so to be accomplished to the fullest. Hearts and souls in flesh and blood, that want to be conquered by the Love made Man, who gives new Life through the sacrifice of Himself, allowing many to rediscover the taste of freedom that they had lost.
From the Father’s perspective, the Cross is not therefore the sign of the defeat or failure of the Man God but is rather the sign of His victory over the world. A victory attained by love, by the power of love that can do everything. “Omnia vincit amor et nos cedamus amori”. Love conquers everything and we too surrender our will to the love, to Christ the Love, the Love made Man, the Love made flesh. Don’t resist Christ; don’t resist Christ’s Love today. Don’t waste His sacrifice and the victory that Jesus has obtained for us on this day. Be motivated and full of good will in order to win, following the example of our Brother Jesus.
The true Christian is a winner, just as Christ won. The true Christian is not a loser. It is the world and everything that belongs to it that have been defeated on the Cross: its logic, its thinking and all that belongs to it. Today to you all I say: never let yourselves be overcome by the thought that dominates in this world: that following Christ means being losers or people who are sad or mortified or failed; this is what many would like. No! Being a Christian today, doesn’t mean being gullible, tardy, dumb, dozy or, in any case, losers. Christians are aware, motivated and lively people animated by the love of He who gave us Life, by giving Himself for love. And on His example, Christians want to do the same, awakening from their torpor those who have fallen into a deep sleep, helping those who are depressed, helping those who have lost the zest for life, by means of their true personal offering and committing themselves, invoking God, the Holy Spirit, to bring everyone to new Life from Above, in the living Spirit, bringing everyone to live a new life in Christ and in Mary. Here is Easter: the passage from a previous, old, stale life to a new life renewed in the Love that is Man, just as Christ, descended here from heaven, has renewed the New Covenant through His Love, bringing it to be vibrant again.
To follow, love and embody Christ means being joyful; means being victorious; means transmitting love, purity, holiness, courage, the will to live, a sense of deep freedom. This is Christ. This is living Christ. This is being Christians. This is living the New Jerusalem. This is bringing Love, that is Christ, and His passion offered for Love, to be fruitful. Here is the surge of love, the surge of life that Jesus invites us to have so to be able to meet Him here, in the New Jerusalem, and to be reborn to new life, in Christ, with Christ and for Christ, embracing the Cross of victory, the Cross of gold, the Cross of Light, that Cross that enlightens the world, conquers darkness and gives peace, joy, love, that Cross that unmasks and overthrows every lie, to make us live in sincerity and make everyone be in the one Truth that saves and makes us aware, free, equal, brothers in the Brother Jesus, He who has overcome the pride and the haughtiness of this world with the weapons of humility and meekness, perseverance and Love, to give Life, Life, Life to everyone, so that all may have life and have it in plenty.
This is the value of the sacrifice that we celebrate today and to which we all join. Every sacrifice offered for our love for Christ, following His example, will multiply and bear fruit in plenty. As the Love of Christ multiplied by means of division, so the Only Begotten Son, the Love made Man, sacrificing Himself and dividing Himself, has manifested His Trinitarian essence and substance, which is Father, is Son and is Holy Spirit.
«We adore You, Christ, and we bless You, because with Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world. And, united with Mary, we pray to You: for Your sacrifice and for Your name, Jesus, welcome our humble offer: welcome our life and our daily existence; and with all our heart we say to You: “I love You, Jesus, I love You so much, I rely on You, do not leave me alone. Do with me as You please; may Your will be done”. And so be it».
Prayer to the Almighty Father
Consecration to the Father’s Heart
In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.