The Passion and the Cross

by Ronald Rolheiser

Overview

Ronald Rolheiser, one of the most influential spiritual writers of our day, offers profound reflections on the central mystery of our Christian faith. His beautifully written meditations on the passion and the cross invites you to a new understanding of redemption and offers insight into the meaning of your own loss and suffering. Take a journey into the deeper meaning of pain with guidance from a trusted spiritual advisor.

The audio edition of this book can be downloaded via Audible.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781616368128
Publisher:	Franciscan Media
Publication date:	10/30/2015
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	128
Sales rank:	286,105
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

Ronald Rolheiser is a Roman Catholic priest and member of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate. In addition to being a popular speaker and writer, his books are popular throughout the world and his weekly column is carried by more than seventy newspapers worldwide. He is president of the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, Texas. Rolheiser is among the most popular and inclusive spiritual writers today. Although rooted in the Catholic faith, he is able to transcend denominational boundaries and religious language to appeal to both practicing Christians and unaffiliated seekers.

Table of Contents

Preface vii

Chapter 1 The Passion and the Garden of Gethsemane 1

The Passion as the Gift of Jesus's Passivity 1

A Lover's Pain 3

A Lover's Drama 6

The Agony of the Ultimate Athlete 8

The Hardest Thing of All 11

Undergoing Moral Loneliness 14

Being Put to the Test 16

Sweating Blood 19

A Stone's Throw Away from Everyone 21

And Seen from the Divine Side of Things 23

Chapter 2 The Cross as a Moral Revolution 27

The Most Revolutionary Moral Event in History 27

The Deep Secret to All Understanding 29

Trying to Understand a Mystery 32

Chapter 3 The Cross as the Deepest Revelation of God 33

Tearing Away the "Curtain Veil" 33

Revealing Vulnerability as the Path to Intimacy 35

Revealing God as Fellow-Sufferer and as Redeemer, not as Rescuer 37

Revealing God's Identification with the Victim and the Victim as Cornerstone 40

Revealing our Invincible Ignorance 42

Revealing God's Power to "Descend into Hell" 45

Chapter 4 The Cross as Salvation-"Being washed in the blood of the Lamb" 51

Some Metaphors and Icons 51

Jesus as Taking Away the Sins of the World 54

Jesus's Last Words-"It Is Finished" 59

Jesus's Death as Releasing Blood and Water 61

Standing with Mary under the Cross 64

Carrying Our Cross in Imitation of Jesus 66

Helping Simon of Cyrene to Carry the Cross 69

The Cross's Presence to Us in our Humiliations 72

The Embrace of Good Friday 74

By His Stripes We Are Healed 77

Chapter 5 The Resurrection-Every Grave Opens Up! SI

The Resurrection and the Voice of Good Friday 81

And the Atoms Moved! 84

And Forgiveness Poured Out 86

And God Has the Last Word 88

A String of Empty Tombs 91

Seeing the Resurrection 93

Midwifing the Resurrection 96

Waiting for the Resurrection 98

Living beyond our Crucifixions 101

Daily Resurrection 103

I Believe in the Resurrection 106

Acknowledgments 109

Notes 111

Editorial Reviews

Especially in the Jubilee ‘Year of Mercy’ called by Pope Francis, you simply won’t do any better than reading Rolheiser on The Passion and the Cross. Don’t just read this book—savor it, pray with it, and return to it throughout the year.”
—John L. Allen, Jr., associate editor, Crux/Boston Globe

“Ron Rolheiser wades into the Friday–Sunday mystery of faith with courage and honesty. He brings to his exposition his deep spirituality and that of the church. He lines out that spirituality with an acute pastoral sensibility. But at bottom his book is a witness to the transformative, scandalous truth of the Gospel whereby we are saved in the drama of God’s love. Rolheiser is unflinching in his grasp of the hard, wondrous reality of God’s presence in the person of Christ. Readers will find here compelling testimony to the recurring power of Easter in the daily living of our lives.”
—Walter Brueggemann, Columbia Theological Seminary

“One of the greatest Christian spiritual writers of our age turns his gaze toward the mystery of suffering and the meaning of the cross. This profound and compassionate spiritual meditation will be of inestimable use to anyone who has ever suffered or struggled in life—which is to say, everyone.”
—James Martin, S.J., author, Jesus: A Pilgrimage

“From this most trusted spiritual guide, one is invited to plumb the depths of mystery, entering into life’s most challenging questions about suffering, death, life, hope, faith, and ultimate meaning. The answers lie in the cross. And while its secret cannot be totally comprehended, one learns from Rolheiser how it can be lived with both head and heart.”
—Barbara E. Reid, O.P, vice president and academic dean, professor of New Testament studies, Catholic Theological Union

“If you think this is a predictable and usual commentary on the passion accounts of Jesus, be ready for a very grateful surprise! Here you will find years of reflection, prayer, and a life in deep union with the mystery of death, suffering, and the resurrection that comes with it. The course of Jesus’s journey is the course of fulfilled humanity, and it seems to surely be the course of Rolheiser’s journey.”
—Richard Rohr, O.F.M., author, Eager to Love

“With his elegant prose and thought provoking imagery, Rolheiser brilliantly explores the mystery at the heart of the Christian faith. The Passion and the Cross challenges readers to enter more deeply into questions of faith, life, love, and suffering, and then offers the spiritual tools needed for the journey.”
—Kerry Weber, managing editor, America, author, Mercy in the City

From the Publisher