The celebration of the Passion of the Lord began with this penitential gesture by the pope. He slowly laid down on the floor of St. Peter's Basilica, where he remained in silence for a few moments.
The silence is important in this austere ceremony in which the Cross is the center and the pope gives no homily. It's given by the preacher of the Pontifical Household, Raniero Cantalamessa, who directed his message especially at young people. He suggested they look at St. John, the favorite Disciple of Jesus.
F. RANIERO CANTALAMESSA
Preacher, Pontifical Household
“The presence in Calvary of the disciple whom Jesus loved contains a special message: We have all the reason to believe that John followed Jesus when he was still quite young. It was a personal encounter, existential.”
Cantalamessa said it's also possible today to find Jesus and one must not be afraid of the Cross.
He explained that Christian life consists of learning that being on the Cross doesn't mean one can't be happy. The preacher said it means acceptance of going against the stream. He recalled some words by Anglo-American poet Thomas Stearns Eliot.
F. RANIERO CANTALAMESSA
Preacher, Pontifical Household
“In a world of fugitives, the person who goes the opposite direction will appear to be a deserter. It means one has to separate himself or herself from the principle that sustains the world: selfishness.”
The Veneration of the Cross is one of the most moving moments of the ceremony, as it includes an especially intense contemplation of the evil caused by humanity.
