“Heart of Jesus, victim of sins, have mercy on us”.
1. Dear brothers and sisters, this invocation from the Litany of the Sacred Heart reminds us that Jesus, according to the words of the Apostle Paul, “was put to death for our sins” (Rom 4:25); although he had committed no sin, “God treated him as sin on our behalf” (2 Cor 5:21). The immense weight of the sin of the world rested on the Heart of Christ.
In him, the figure of the "Paschal Lamb" was perfectly fulfilled, a victim offered to God so that the firstborn of the Hebrews might be spared by the sign of his blood (cf. Ex 12:21-27). Rightly, therefore, John the Baptist recognised in him the true "Lamb of God" (Jn 1:29): - an innocent lamb, who had taken upon himself the sin of the world to immerse it in the healing waters of the Jordan (cf. Mt 3:3-16 et par.); - a meek lamb, "led like a sheep to the slaughter, as a sheep before its shearers is silent" (Is 53:7), so that his divine silence might confound the proud words of wicked men.
Jesus is a willing victim, because he offered himself "freely to his passion" (Missale Romanum, Prex euchar. II), as a victim of expiation for the sins of men (cf. Lev 1:4; Heb 10:5-10). which he consumed in the fire of his love.
2. Jesus is the eternal victim. Risen from the dead and glorified at the right hand of the Father, he preserves in his immortal body the marks of the wounds in his hands and feet, and his pierced side (cf. Jn 20:27; Lk 24:39-40) and presents them to the Father in his unceasing prayer of intercession on our behalf (cf. Heb 7:25; Rom 8:34).
The wonderful sequence of the Easter Mass, recalling this fact of our faith, exhorts us:
"To the Paschal victim, / let the sacrifice of praise be offered today. / The Lamb has redeemed his flock. / The innocent one has reconciled us sinners with the Father" (Sequentia "Victimae Paschali", str. 1).
And the preface of this solemnity proclaims:
Christ is "the true Lamb who took away the sins of the world; / it is he who, by dying, destroyed death, / and by rising, restored life to us".
3. Brothers and sisters, in this hour of Marian prayer we have contemplated the Heart of Jesus, victim of our sins; but first of all and most deeply of all, his sorrowful Mother contemplated it, of whom the liturgy sings: "For the sins of her people / she saw Jesus in the torments / of the harsh punishment" (Sequentia "Stabat Mater", str 7).
As we approach the liturgical memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Sorrows, we remember this intrepid and intercessory presence of Our Lady beneath the Cross of Calvary, and we think with immense gratitude that, at that moment, the dying Christ, victim of the sins of the world, entrusted her to us as our Mother: "Behold your Mother" (Jn 19:27).
We entrust our prayer to Mary, as we say to her Son Jesus:
Heart of Jesus, victim of our sins, accept our praise, our eternal gratitude, our sincere repentance. Have mercy on us, today and always. Amen.
[Pope John Paul II, Angelus, 10 September 1989]
Dialogo e Solstizio
Jan 10, 2026
Written by
don Giuseppe Nespeca
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Free and eternal victim
don Giuseppe Nespeca
Giuseppe Nespeca è architetto e sacerdote. Cultore della Sacra scrittura è autore della raccolta "Due Fuochi due Vie - Religione e Fede, Vangeli e Tao"; coautore del libro "Dialogo e Solstizio".
Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.It is not an anecdote. It is a decisive historical fact! This scene is decisive for our faith; and it is also decisive for the Church’s mission (Pope Francis)
Non è un aneddoto. E’ un fatto storico decisivo! Questa scena è decisiva per la nostra fede; ed è decisiva anche per la missione della Chiesa (Papa Francesco)
Being considered strong, capable of commanding, excellent, pristine, magnificent, performing, extraordinary, glorious… harms people. It puts a mask on us, makes us one-sided; takes away understanding. It floats the character we are sitting in, above reality
Essere considerati forti, capaci di comandare, eccellenti, incontaminati, magnifici, performanti, straordinari, gloriosi… danneggia le persone. Ci mette una maschera, rende unilaterali; toglie la comprensione. Fa galleggiare il personaggio in cui siamo seduti, al di sopra della realtà
The paralytic is not a paralytic
Il paralitico non è un paralitico
The Kingdom of God is precisely the presence of truth and love and thus is healing in the depths of our being. One therefore understands why his preaching and the cures he works always go together: in fact, they form one message of hope and salvation (Pope Benedict)
Il Regno di Dio è proprio la presenza della verità e dell’amore e così è guarigione nella profondità del nostro essere. Si comprende, pertanto, perché la sua predicazione e le guarigioni che opera siano sempre unite: formano infatti un unico messaggio di speranza e di salvezza (Papa Benedetto)
To repent and believe in the Gospel are not two different things or in some way only juxtaposed, but express the same reality (Pope Benedict)
Convertirsi e credere al Vangelo non sono due cose diverse o in qualche modo soltanto accostate tra loro, ma esprimono la medesima realtà (Papa Benedetto)
The fire of God's creative and redeeming love burns sin and destroys it and takes possession of the soul, which becomes the home of the Most High! (Pope John Paul II)
Il fuoco dell’amore creatore e redentore di Dio brucia il peccato e lo distrugge e prende possesso dell’anima, che diventa abitazione dell’Altissimo! (Papa Giovanni Paolo II)
«The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor» (Lk 4:18). Every minister of God has to make his own these words spoken by Jesus in Nazareth [John Paul II]
«Lo Spirito del Signore è sopra di me; per questo mi ha consacrato con l'unzione e mi ha mandato per annunziare un lieto messaggio» (Lc 4, 18). Ogni ministro di Dio deve far sue nella propria vita queste parole pronunciate da Gesù di Nazareth [Giovanni Paolo II]
It is He himself who comes to meet us, who lowers Heaven to stretch out his hand to us and raise us to his heights [Pope Benedict]
È Lui stesso che ci viene incontro, abbassa il cielo per tenderci la mano e portarci alla sua altezza [Papa Benedetto]
As said st. Augustine: «The Word of God which is explained to you every day and in a certain sense "broken" is also daily Bread». Complete food: basic and “compote” food - historical and ideal, in actuality
Come diceva s. Agostino: «La Parola di Dio che ogni giorno viene a voi spiegata e in un certo senso “spezzata” è anch’essa Pane quotidiano». Alimento completo: cibo base e “companatico” - storico e ideale, in atto
What begins as a discovery of Jesus moves to a greater understanding and commitment through a prayerful process of questions and discernment (John Paul II)
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