{"id":11047,"date":"2026-02-09T11:56:25","date_gmt":"2026-02-09T17:56:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/passionist.org\/?p=11047"},"modified":"2026-02-09T11:56:26","modified_gmt":"2026-02-09T17:56:26","slug":"before-lent-begins-honoring-the-passion-of-christ","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/passionist.org\/es\/2026\/02\/09\/before-lent-begins-honoring-the-passion-of-christ\/","title":{"rendered":"Before Lent Begins: Honoring the Passion of Christ"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"A
Agony in the Garden<\/em> statue at Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center in Sierra Madre, CA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Every year, on the Friday that precedes Ash Wednesday, the Passionist Congregation celebrates the \u201cSolemn Commemoration of the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This feast was proposed by our holy founder, San Pablo de la Cruz<\/a>, to his first companions in a letter he wrote to the Novice Master, Fr. John Mary Cioni, CP, in 1758. Paul of the Cross intended to ask the Holy Father to have it assigned as a feast of the Congregation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The year following his death, Paul\u2019s wish for the feast was granted. Since 1776, the Passionist Family celebrates this as our Patronal Feast on the Friday before the start of Lent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The relevance of this feast is also a statement of the relevance of our Passionist charism wherever we \u201cpreach the Passion.\u201d Paul of the Cross called the Passion of Jesus the \u201cmost stupendous work of God\u2019s love.\u201d If we are to be faithful to this Passionist charism, we must love stupendously those whose lives are the embodiment of suffering, the crucified of today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

May the spirit of St. Paul of the Cross open our hearts and strengthen our Passionist Family to carry on the most stupendous work of God\u2019s love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n