Friends, true love requires sacrifice and hardships. It is what our Lord had promulgated as the universal law of charity. None can ever express true love without experiencing first the hardships and tribulations in doing it. No one truly loves while keeping a safer stand. This act, my dear friends, is the message of the Cross - we are bound to love through hardships as our God was bound to sacrifice His divinity to be with us, His creation, and express His love for us. The cross, more than anything else, is a symbol of Love that transcends all generations. It is a powerful yet humble reminder of how God, in His majesty, chose to love His creation and even laid down His mortal life to save mankind, who is His beloved.

But why did God do it? Why did the Lord undergo all of it rather than use His almighty power to disperse the wrath of sin and death from His creation? It’s all on the law God has established on Love and Mercy. While He has given essence to this universal law, He is also subjected to it. God wasn’t exempted from the law of Love where sacrifice has to be made for Him to express His love to His creation. The Lord also showed us that even He has to go through it all to love and be loved. The Calvary experience is both a call to love and to be loved. The Cross was, is, and will always be a sign of ultimate universal love that conquers all, even death and sin. Our God pinned to the cross is a picture of Love that cannot be disputed nor doubted. Jesus Christ has shown us the way to love God through our love to our dearest brethren, including those outside our circle of faith.

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, the Lord’s Passion is our roadmap towards knowing and understanding Love. It is our guide towards deepening the faith we hold dear from the moment of our baptism. It is our beacon of light that keeps us illuminated on our journey towards Him. Through our commemoration of the Paschal mystery, we are indulged in the special love the Lord has shown us. Through remembering the suffering Lord on the cross, we are reminded of the true value of love. Through our deep anticipation of His second coming, we are prepared for the life of the world to come. Through Jesus, we are all part of the family that God has created through His establishment of Love and Mercy to the universe. The Holy Week is the ultimate season where we remember all these, remind ourselves of the Love the Lord has shown us on the cross, and preparing us to embrace the kind of love we ought to show our brethren through our acceptance of the suffering, as much as Lord has accepted the Cross to show us how much He loves us all.