29th January

At the cross: Jesus and man

At the foot of the cross of Jesus man is seen natural, he plays his abominable role in the most varied social conditions: Jew or foreigner, barbaric or civilized, poor or affluent, laic or religious.

Pilate, the Roman who occupies the seat of civil authority and who is responsible to exercise righteousness condemns him who he recognizes as being "righteous". Men of law and priests of the Jewish people (the clergy at that time) look for wrong testimonies against Jesus and the crowd who surrounds them agrees with them by raising their voice against him who only did good. The simple passer-bys insult him. The disciples who were so close to him abandon their Master like cowards at the time of danger.

Let us listen to the prayer of Jesus in the midst of this human unworthiness: "Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." In his "everlasting love" (Jeremiah 31, 3), he calls upon his ennemies the extenuating circumstance of ignorance. And yet, did not each one act according to his knowledge of the reason? What a nobility and worthiness of our Saviour!

During the three terrible hours when he hangs on the cross with undescribable sufferings he, who is holy and pure, accepts to be identified with sin for us and to receive God's punishment which we, you and I, would have deserved.