“Jesus taught me everything from the tree of the Cross” (Venerable M. Antonia París)

Today invites us to set out on a journey: a painful one: the Way of the Cross of Jesus. This path leads Him to fulfill the will of God and to reveal His love for us.

Even today, in our concrete reality, we continue to experience crosses: the fatigue that builds up, uncertainties about the future, relational tensions, personal wounds, situations we do not understand or cannot change. Many times we say that all of this “is a cross,” understanding it as a heavy burden. And it is heavy, yes, because we struggle to accept it, because we tend to flee from it or resist it.

But the Cross of Jesus is, in truth, a source of Life: “by His wounds we have been healed” (Is 53:5). It is not a weight that crushes us, but a mystery that, when embraced, transforms. “My yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Mt 11:30), the Lord tells us. The Cross is heavy when we reject it; it becomes a path of life when we embrace it with Him.

When we accept the Cross, our hearts open and expand. It makes us capable of receiving God’s love even in the midst of pain. It helps us understand what we are living, to give meaning to our trials, and to look with greater mercy upon the people with whom we share the journey.

This is how María Antonia París understood it. She learned everything from the Tree of the Cross. In long hours of prayer before the Crucified Jesus, she found light to read the reality of her time, to recognize the wounds of the Church, and to respond faithfully to the will of the Father.

Today, we too are called to read our reality in the light of the Cross: a world wounded by wars, divisions, poverty, and loneliness; communities searching for hope; people in need of comfort and meaning. In the midst of all this, the Cross is not the end, but the place where God’s love continues to act silently.

In Gethsemane, we hear Jesus’ request to Peter, John and James to remain with Him and keep watch: “Stay here and keep watch with me, for my soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death” (Mt 26:38). Jesus desires that we be with Him, just as a friend desires the closeness of another friend in moments of great importance.

In a fast-paced society, where everything pushes us toward haste and distraction, He simply invites us to be with Him. Not to run away. To remain.

Jesus desires our company. He does not ask for beautiful words or great commitments, nor for our perfection. He thirsts for us.

Today, more than ever, Jesus desires to count on me, on my simple presence, on my daily fidelity, on my available heart in the midst of the reality I live.

What will my response be?