*Passionate—showing or caused by strong feelings or a strong belief. Passion—strong and barely controllable emotion. The Passion—the sufferings and death of Jesus Christ. Passionist—member of the Congregation of the Passion of Jesus Christ founded by St. Paul of the Cross with special emphasis on and devotion to the Passion of Jesus Christ. Our saint today is the founder of a religious congregation dedicated completely to preaching missions and the contemplative life; in other words, a combining of the best aspects of the Jesuits and the Trappist monks.
St. Paul of the Cross was born in 1694 in Italy of parents of modest means. At the age of 26 he had a vision of Our Lady appearing to him in a black habit with a white insignia in the shape of a heart bearing Jesus’ name and a cross. This became emblematic of his dedication to the Passion of Jesus. With his brother John Baptist, he founded the Passionists. He spent his life preaching parish missions, praying, writing letters, and leading a life of austerity, as if in perpetual retreat, which is what his houses were called. He had the ability to heal, prophesy, and read consciences. He wanted people to have a greater awareness of the meaning and the value of Passion of Christ for each person and for the world. He died in Rome in 1775 and was canonized in 1867.
Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ, released in 2004, is about the last hours of Jesus Christ. It is a two-hour bloody, torturous, excruciating meditation upon what we proclaim, the Paschal Mystery of Jesus Christ. Simply, Jesus suffered and died for us. We should not ever forget the sacrifice and mercy of God for us. St. Paul of the Cross, pray for us.
*https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Paul_de_la_croix.jpg
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