- Introduction
- The “door” of the Passion
- The secret hidden in his heart
- Meditation on the Passion
- The school of meditation
- Conclusion
The lives of the saints are always fascinating and compelling. Through their examples of prayer, penance, listening to the Word of God, and practicing faith and charity, they have left a great testimony capable of transmitting that same ardor to us as well.
One such figure is undoubtedly Saint Paul of the Cross (1694-1775), one of the greatest mystics of the eighteenth century. In this article, we discover together and make our own the precious secret hidden in his heart, which made him the saint of Christ’s Passion.
Although his life was extraordinarily rich, it could be summed up in a few words: «Meditation on the Passion of Jesus is the most effective means of giving meaning to the value of life».
Saint Paul of the Cross teaches, through his deeds and words, that by meditating on the Passion, everyone can find the strength to face daily suffering: «We must willingly accept the cross of tribulations, at least with the higher part of the spirit, just as Jesus accepted his condemnation to death on the cross, in perfect conformity with the will of the Father». In this context, suffering is not something to avoid at all costs, but something to accept, «for if we suffer now with Christ, with Christ we will reign in the glory of the Father».
Indeed, «those who suffer hardships, illnesses, persecutions, and contempt for the love of God help Jesus Christ carry the cross, and they will share in his glory in heaven if they persevere».
Thus, meditating on the Passion of Jesus and God’s infinite love for us helps us overcome trials and grow in faith, patience, and surrender to God. Only by understanding God’s love can we accept our daily cross with faith and serenity.
To those who wish to attain these heights of love, he says: «The memory of the Passion of Jesus, together with the imitation of his holy virtues, is the door that leads the soul to intimate union with God, to inner recollection and to the most sublime contemplation».
One can enter into the mystery of God only through the “door” of the Passion.
The secret hidden in his heart
Through contemplation of the Passion of Jesus, Saint Paul of the Cross is completely enveloped in the mystery of God’s love manifested in the Cross. From the time he was a child, he was deeply moved when his mother told him about the Passion of the Savior and showed him the Crucifix as a model to emulate, saying: «Look, my son, how much Jesus suffered!».
The more he walks with Jesus, the more he feels he wants to be like him. The Passion of the Lord thus becomes the center of his life, so much so that the Lord physically impresses it upon his heart. The extraordinary event is narrated by the Saint himself: «One Good Friday, while I was praying before the Holy Sepulchre, Jesus deigned to imprint his Most Holy Passion upon my heart, and immediately three ribs on my heart rose up. Otherwise, I would not have been able to endure or live. He carved all the instruments of his Passion into my heart and, in its midst, the Holy Sign Jesu Christi Passio; indeed, through his Passion he also imprinted upon my heart the sorrows of his dear Mother. Oh, what sufferings I experienced, oh, what love! A mixture of extreme suffering and excessive love! This loving and sorrowful impression of the Passion makes me moan, especially from Thursday evening until Sunday of each week».
The most original and powerful aspect of the apostolate of Saint Paul of the Cross is meditating on the passion of Jesus with people and teaching everyone to meditate on it personally. Indeed, he is convinced that «the most effective means of converting even the most lost souls is the most holy Passion of Jesus Christ, because meditation on the sufferings of the Savior has the power to eradicate vices and establish souls in the holy love and fear of God». In contemplating the sufferings of the Lord, he sees the means of correcting and overcoming his own faults and eliminating his sins: «Thinking of a God who suffered for me, a God scourged, crowned with thorns, spat upon for me, on the cross for me, how is it possible that, having been penetrated today and tomorrow by these truths of faith, one should offend him?».
The Saint also points to the Passion of Jesus as a means of making swift progress in the spiritual life; on this subject he writes: «We must impress it upon our hearts and allow ourselves to be penetrated by its most bitter sufferings, for through these the love of God is kindled within us and we are immersed in the abyss of the Divinity».
Instinctively, the Passion of the Lord frightens us because we tend to avoid pain, suffering, trials, and adversity, and we do not want to walk the way of the cross.
Nevertheless, pain is always lying in wait, and we continually experience it: meditating on the Passion of Jesus and God's infinite love for us helps us overcome trials and grow in faith, patience, and surrender to God. Through contemplating Christ's sufferings, we can find comfort in our own suffering and develop greater compassion for others.
The other essential element is teaching people to meditate in order to imprint true devotion to the Passion of Jesus on the hearts of the faithful.
Thus the apostolate of Saint Paul of the Cross becomes a school of meditation. He teaches using a simple method consisting of a few steps: an act of faith, an act of humility, an invocation of the Holy Spirit, of Mary's protection and of the saints, reading a book about the Passion of Jesus, and then meditation.
Finally, one concludes by offering everything to the Lord - the day, life, and time - then giving thanks for the prayer offered and the gifts received, and concluding with some petitions for progress along the journey.
For those who cannot engage in long meditations, he recommends “during the day, making brief acts of affection, like aspirations, toward Jesus in his Passion, according to the circumstances”; he also suggests offering “everything they do and suffer out of love and in memory of what Jesus did and suffered for our love.”
By applying these simple suggestions to our everyday lives, we can see whether this practice truly bears such abundant fruit.
Through preaching and meditation, the Saint leads people from every walk of life to extraordinary spiritual progress: first and foremost, of course, consecrated people, both in his Congregation and in others, but also very many laypeople, including fathers and mothers of families.
With loving yet unceasing insistence, he shows them, and today also us, how to attain holiness. And thus what he calls the “secret holiness of the cross” is revealed: “In the Passion of Jesus there is everything”; it is a great and sure path that everyone can follow.
Immersing ourselves in the Passion of the Lord as a manifestation of his selfless love remains the primary means of attaining holiness.
What do you think? Do you believe that meditating on the Passion is still relevant, or is it a practice that has become outdated? Write it in the comments!
