Fixing Our Gaze
Julián Carrón - With the proclamation of the Passion, the Church sets before us what is to fill our eyes during this Holy Week. To immerse ourselves in this abyss of grace—Jesus' Passion for us, the extreme expression of his boundless love—we do not need many comments or grand words. We only need attention and our gaze fixed on what we have just heard. This allows us to immerse ourselves, as much as we can, in the mystery that God sent his Son and did not spare him from death for us. We need only look, contemplate, and immerse ourselves in this abyss with the help of today's readings.
"'Lord God opened my ear and I did not resist, I did not back down.' What love it takes not to back down from this mysterious design of God: 'I presented my back to the scourgers, my cheeks to those who plucked out my beard; I did not shrink from insults and spitting.'" What adherence it takes not to shirk! It is not a voluntaristic performance that enables this, but rather a gift. As Isaiah says: "'The Lord God assists me, therefore I do not remain shamed, therefore I make my face hard as stone, knowing that I do not remain confused.'"
Who could have imagined that God would send His Son to give His life for us? "'Although he was in the condition of God, he did not consider it a privilege to be like God, but emptied himself by assuming a condition of servant, becoming like men. From his recognized appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient unto death and a death on a cross'" (Phil. 2:6-8). Our life loses the significance of all this—His preference for us, His full surrender for our salvation—if it becomes merely something "already known," or remains external to us, outside our self-awareness, reduced to a devout memory.
How to prevent it from becoming a devout memory? It is easy, within reach of all of us: we just need to let Him in, make room for Him in our hearts and memories. Let Him, who delivers His life for us, prevail over all our thoughts. Let us allow ourselves to be drawn into His whirlpool of charity. When the Lord pulls us out of our usual distractions, He makes us aware of the Mystery that has saved us and continues to save us, so that our lives may feel fully embraced by the passion of Christ.
"'Thus, among this immensity s'annega il pensier mio: e il naufragar m'è dolce in questo mare'" (Leopardi, The Infinite). Let us take up this awareness when the Lord makes himself known during this week so that we do not miss this gift! So that peace may penetrate to the very depths of our being and our lives may share in his resurrection.
We ask to live these days, as the Letter to the Hebrews tells us: "'Keeping our gaze fixed on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith. He in return for the joy that was set before him, submitted to the cross, despising ignominy, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Think carefully of him who endured against himself such great hostility from sinners'" (Heb. 12:2-3).
Palm Sunday - Passion of the Lord - Year C - Notes from the homily of Julián Carrón April 13, 2025
(First reading: Is 50:4-7; Psalm 21 (22); Second reading: Phil 2:6-11; Gospel: Lk 23:1-49)
