We must not forget how the legend of St. Francis’ initial conversion to religious life begins before the cross in the form of the now-famous San Damiano crucifix.
This is not a God who is vindictive, vengeful, sadistic, or punishing that speaks to the heart of Francis and calls him forth to live more deliberately his baptismal vocation to follow the Gospel, but a God of love. It is a God who suffered on the cross precisely because of love, not despite it. And this love, this passion for humanity, touched the life of Francis in a permanent, life-altering way.
After Francis’ death, Bonaventure will talk about the “transformative power of love.” Love is what moved the heart and mind of the saint from Assisi, and it is love that is the greatest force for change and good in our world. The cross, therefore, was not a sign of sin and death, but a sign of the tremendous power of love that speaks through the centuries, across all times and places, to the daily human experiences of true love.
—from the book The Last Words of Jesus: A Meditation on Love and Suffering
by Daniel P. Horan, OFM
1 thought on “God Suffered Out of Love”
Thank you! Holy Spirit help me to dwell on some thing not too good to be true but is good and blessed and true i.e. God’s real and personal love for me. Amen!