The phrase “the Passion of Christ” refers to the final period of Jesus’ earthly life — His suffering, crucifixion, and death for the salvation of the world. It begins with His agony in the Garden of Gethsemane and continues through His arrest, trial, scourging, and crucifixion on Calvary. The word “Passion” comes from the Latin passio, meaning “to suffer” — but in the story of Jesus, it is also the ultimate expression of love.
Many people have asked me why we call this time “the Passion.” The answer is that love always carries both joy and pain. Jesus’ suffering was not forced upon Him; He freely embraced it out of love for us. In the Gospel of John, Jesus says, “No one takes my life from me, but I lay it down of my own accord” (John 10:18). Every lash, every step toward the Cross, was a choice of love — a love that refused to turn away from the brokenness of humanity.
In His Passion, Christ entered fully into the depths of human suffering. He experienced betrayal by friends, injustice at the hands of leaders, and the weight of sin that was not His own. Yet even in this agony, He forgave — “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” His silence before His accusers, His patience under torture, and His surrender on the Cross reveal not defeat, but victory: the victory of divine mercy over sin and death.
For us, meditating on the Passion is not just remembering history; it is entering a mystery that still transforms hearts today. When we look upon the Crucified Lord, we see what sin costs — and what love gives. The Church invites us to walk this path especially during Holy Week and the Stations of the Cross, not with despair, but with gratitude and awe. Through His wounds, we are healed (Isaiah 53:5).
The Passion of Christ reminds us that no suffering is wasted when united with His. Whatever cross we carry, we can trust that Jesus walks with us, turning pain into redemption and loss into love.
Reflection:
Let us gaze upon the Cross not with sorrow alone, but with hope — for there, love conquered death. May we learn to love as He loved: fully, freely, and to the end.
— Fr. John Matthew, for Christian Way
