Fifth reflection of the fourth week of Lent
As we look at this precious linen, we feel encouraged to pause in silence so that we may better understand the mysterious abyss of God’s love for us. Here we can recognize the signs of the great suffering that Jesus endured in His Passion and death on the cross, of which the Gospels above all, but also other passages of Scripture, give us detailed accounts. We are here now contemplating a crucified man whose image is imprinted on the Shroud, and we are deeply moved to see an impressive and perfect correspondence between this image and what the Gospels recount to us about Jesus’ Passion and death.
Only in this way, already knowing with certain faith what Jesus suffered for us, can we open our hearts—not only to experience a sense of wonder at the striking resemblance between what we see here and what the Gospel tells us, but also to feel flooded by the infinite love of Jesus Christ. In this way, the Shroud, a silent and fascinating sign of the Lord’s suffering, becomes an aid to faith, in which an intimate dialogue of prayer takes root and is nourished as a response of love to Him who did not hesitate to give Himself over to death for us.
Faced with Jesus’ suffering, can I open my heart?
I’ll be waiting for you tomorrow morning to continue reflecting together!
