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The desire that Jesus
Christ had to suffer and die
25.1
First Point
Jesus Christ came down
from heaven only to procure the salvation of all people. He knew that this
purpose would not be accomplished unless he suffered much and died on the
cross. Therefore, at the moment of his incarnation, he offered himself to
the Eternal Father to suffer whatever would be in accord with his will in
order to satisfy for our sins.
For it
was impossible, says Saint Paul, that sins should be blotted out by
the blood of goats and bulls. For this reason, continues the same Saint
Paul, Christ said to God: Holocausts and sin offerings have not pleased
you; then said I, behold, I come to fulfill your will. It is this
same will, affirms the same apostle, that has sanctified us by the
offering that Jesus Christ made once for all of his body.[i]
Adore the
holy disposition which Jesus Christ had on coming into the world, which he
always continued to maintain: to suffer and to die for our sins and for
those of all men. Thank him for such goodness, and make yourselves worthy to
receive the benefits of salvation by your own sharing in his sufferings.
25.2 Second Point
The tender love Jesus
Christ has for sinners not only inspired him with this willingness to suffer
and to die for us, but even made him conceive a great desire of doing so.
This made him say, longing for the destruction of sin, I have come to
bring fire upon the earth, and what do I desire save that it be kindled?[ii]
But as he
saw that this fire of God's love could not exist in us save through the
destruction of sin, and because sin could only be destroyed by his suffering
and death, he added, speaking of his death, I have a baptism with which I
am to be baptized; Oh, how I long that it be accomplished![iii]
By these words he indicated how great was the anguish he experienced because
this plan for his death, which was to be so very advantageous to all people,
was taking so long to be accomplished, for this delay also delayed their
salvation.
Are you not
ashamed that Jesus Christ had such a great desire for your salvation and
still desires it so strongly today, while you correspond so little to his
ardent desire?
25.3 Third Point
Jesus Christ was not
content to have had this yearning to die for us all during his life. When he
saw the time of his death approaching, he testified to his joy. This is what
made him say to his apostles when he celebrated the Last Passover with them:
that he had for a long time desired to eat this meal with them and that
he had a very strong desire to celebrate this Passover with them.[iv]
He knew that this was to be the final act of his mortal life and the last
meal he would eat with his apostles before suffering and dying for us, which
was what he had most at heart.
This is also
what made him cry out, shortly before dying, that he was thirsty.[v]
The holy fathers understand this thirst as the longing for our salvation
which impelled him. This was also what made him say these words as he was
dying, that All is consummated,[vi]
because what he had so longed for--to suffer for our salvation--had finally
been accomplished.
All that
remains on your part, Saint Paul says, is to complete what is lacking in
the Passion of Christ
[vii],
that is, the application which ought to be made of the Passion to yourselves
through the sharing that you will have in his sufferings. Make yourselves,
then, worthy of such a grace.
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