Holy Trinity Catholic Church
On this solemn day of the Lord’s Passion, Deacon Pat Hessel invites us to step beyond the physical suffering of Christ and enter into the moral and emotional depth of His sacrifice. Drawing on Fr. Ron Rolheiser’s reflections, he explains that the true agony of Gethsemane was not fear of death, but the struggle to choose love over hatred, forgiveness over vengeance. Jesus’ triumph on the cross was not in enduring torture but in refusing to give back what the world gave Him—hatred, bitterness, violence. Instead, He gave back compassion, mercy, and peace. This is not only the mystery of redemption but the model for our own lives: to absorb the world’s brokenness and return love. The cross, then, is not defeat—it is the greatest moral victory in history.
