Why is it a good thing to reflect on the gruesome sufferings that Our Lord endured for us? Isn’t it best to leave that in the past and only focus on the Resurrection? He was taken down from the Cross and rose from the dead – shouldn’t we just focus on that glorious event, since Our Lord is risen now?

If we were to refuse to reflect on the Passion and Death of Our Lord, it would imply that we believed that those events were not significant, or that Our Lord had no control over those events – that they were these great and tremendously sad things that happened to the Son of God. This would amount to a “poor thing” view of Jesus Christ. That should immediately seem ridiculous. Our Lord is the best and bravest and fiercest and gentlest and most virtuous and courageous and most loving of all men that could ever exist. He is no simpleton nor coward nor compromiser.

Consider the things He said: when He alluded to His coming sufferings, He added, “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, for this purpose I have come to this hour.”[1] Very clearly we see that He is willingly accepting His Passion and Death. We see this also when He tells St. Peter, in the Garden of Gethsemane, “Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then should the scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?”[2]

When we reflect on the sufferings of Christ, we show Him that we understand that His sufferings are the means of our healing and salvation. It is like celebrating the actions of a hero – retelling the story and reenacting the events that led to our freedom and liberation from a great enemy. Our Lord is the greatest Hero! Sin and death and the devil are the greatest enemies! Our Lord’s death was the most bitter and the most cruel. His enemy attacked Him with all venom and malice. But Our Lord knew this must be done.

Consider the style by which Our Lord taught and healed. He constantly bound His grace and healings to actions and earthly stuff, like dirt and spittle. To heal a deaf and mute man, He put His finger into the man’s ear, and touched his tongue and groaned toward Heaven. He smeared mud made with His own spittle on the eyes of a blind man. He spat upon a blind man’s eyes and laid hands on him twice in order to restore his sight.

Our Lord binds His powers to certain actions. We see here what powers He has bound to His gestures, to His words, even to His spittle. How much more power has He bound to His very Person, to His own Life, which He surrendered to evil men! If power pours out from Him when a sick woman merely touches His garment, how much more power must pour forth when His body is scourged, when His head is crowned with thorns, and when His hands and feet are pierced! In His gestures and actions, He healed individuals. In His death, He triumphs over death and pours out His healing power on all mankind. As He says from His throne in Heaven in the Book of Revelation, “Behold, I make all things new.”[3]

[1] John 12:27 RSVCE

[2] Matthew 26: 53-54

[3] Revelation 21:5