“The solemn commemoration of the Via Crucis is not simply the remembrance of a past event, but the celebration of a Mystery which still comes to us today, the Mystery of God who wanted to fill the distance between the divine and the human.”
It is almost five and in the Old City there are people hurrying towards the Convent of the Flagellation where the “In commemoratione Viae Crucis” Solemn Mass is about to start. Holy Week is approaching and today the Franciscans remember the time when the decision to put Christ to death was taken and the start of his sad path towards Calvary. On this Wednesday in Lent, many faithful fill the pews of the Chapel of the Condemnation, which relates the most dramatic moments of the life of Jesus, under the burden of the cross, in the stained glass windows of its dome and on its walls. The singing in Latin merges with the incense as the celebrants, in red vestments, enter, presided by Friar Frédéric Manns.
“The journey of God towards us becomes concrete in the human steps of Jesus on this land, and we are here today to celebrate the last stretch of this path”, recalls Father Nicola Agnoli in his homily.
The young priest from Verona, a student at the Flagellation, talks about the role of Christ in the Passion: “A sacrificial lamb but one that is never passive, the protagonist who faces what happens to him with all the force of his humanity. He is a man who, in the immensity of the drama that surrounds him, has chosen his attitude in the midst of the tragedy of events. Above all, Jesus lives in obedience to the Father who loves, and nothing can distract him from this deep bond. This obedience becomes the force to face up to his destiny.”
The Gospel of John has illustrated the image of the Crucifix, raised in front of all and bearing the inscription that Pilate wanted to put above Jesus’ head. “What can we understand, looking at this?” asks Father Nicola. “Of course, we cannot fail to question ourselves on what all this means. We can understand that God has taken our condition seriously, that Jesus has loved everything that is human, opening up the road for our redemption.”
By Serena Picariello
Photos by Marco Gavasso
It is almost five and in the Old City there are people hurrying towards the Convent of the Flagellation where the “In commemoratione Viae Crucis” Solemn Mass is about to start. Holy Week is approaching and today the Franciscans remember the time when the decision to put Christ to death was taken and the start of his sad path towards Calvary. On this Wednesday in Lent, many faithful fill the pews of the Chapel of the Condemnation, which relates the most dramatic moments of the life of Jesus, under the burden of the cross, in the stained glass windows of its dome and on its walls. The singing in Latin merges with the incense as the celebrants, in red vestments, enter, presided by Friar Frédéric Manns.
“The journey of God towards us becomes concrete in the human steps of Jesus on this land, and we are here today to celebrate the last stretch of this path”, recalls Father Nicola Agnoli in his homily.
The young priest from Verona, a student at the Flagellation, talks about the role of Christ in the Passion: “A sacrificial lamb but one that is never passive, the protagonist who faces what happens to him with all the force of his humanity. He is a man who, in the immensity of the drama that surrounds him, has chosen his attitude in the midst of the tragedy of events. Above all, Jesus lives in obedience to the Father who loves, and nothing can distract him from this deep bond. This obedience becomes the force to face up to his destiny.”
The Gospel of John has illustrated the image of the Crucifix, raised in front of all and bearing the inscription that Pilate wanted to put above Jesus’ head. “What can we understand, looking at this?” asks Father Nicola. “Of course, we cannot fail to question ourselves on what all this means. We can understand that God has taken our condition seriously, that Jesus has loved everything that is human, opening up the road for our redemption.”
By Serena Picariello
Photos by Marco Gavasso