Never Look Away from the Crucified
During Holy Week, believers face a strong temptation. It is easy to look away from the cross and from those who suffer.
Many take part in the Triduo Pascual and in street processions. Yet even then, people can fail to recognize the crucified among us.
Voices from Madrid
At the diocesan via crucis in Madrid this Wednesday, Cardinal José Cobo spoke of a violent world. He described a world “in war” and warned that part of that war lives inside us.
The cardinal added that “each cross hides a light.” He urged the faithful to stand at the foot of the cross and to seek that light.
Concrete examples of suffering
Cristina Sánchez Aguilar, director of the Catholic weekly Alfa y Omega, named contemporary Christs in this week’s issue. She pointed to people who suffer unjustly in everyday settings.
She used examples such as Miriam and Veronica figures who help others. She also mentioned Ousmanes, migrants arriving after long journeys in small boats.
The moral challenge
The central warning is clear. When we avert our gaze, we dehumanize others and make victims invisible.
Recognizing the crucified means acknowledging God present in suffering. God, the cardinal said, never turns away from those who need compassion.
Practical responses
- Look: adjust your gaze and notice those who are ignored.
- Accompany: be a Cireneo to someone carrying a heavy burden.
- Act: clean wounds, offer shelter, and restore dignity.
The call can be summed up as a moral rule: Never Look Away from the Crucified. It asks for compassion instead of indifference.
Filmogaz.com highlights this message as essential for faith lived in the public square. The challenge is to see, to stay, and to help.
