In his weekly editorial Vatican Radio and Holy See Press Office Director, Fr.
Federico Lombardi, S.J. discusses: Jesus and Socrates During the General
Audience on Holy Wednesday, and departing from his prepared comments, the Pope spoke
at length about the prayer of Jesus at Gethsemane. Meditating with great depth about
the anguish of Jesus, over his fear in the face of death, he revealed the difference
between Jesus and Socrates.
We all admire the strength and self-control of
the ancient Greek sage, whom his disciple Plato described with great ability in his
unforgettable writings. But his aloofness before the experience of dying in some ways
removes him from the actual poverty and fragility of the common human condition when
faced with death. This isn’t the case of Jesus, who really was one of us.
God’s
love descends to the lowest depths to take us all towards heaven. Paradoxically, perhaps
the most mysterious and mystifying episode of the Gospel, Gethsemane is transformed
into a story that can give more comfort to the limitless suffering of humanity in
all ages. Pain without limit, but also love without limit. That is why we can speak
of “salvation” and we can believe in it, in our flesh, in our lives and in our death.
Responding
on Good Friday to questions he received from different parts of the world, the Pope
said that in the Eucharist the risen body of Jesus touches us and enters us, in order
to transform our lives into his new life. Passion and Resurrection, the greatest gift
from God to our humanity on its journey.