Three persons, one cross : The redemptive face of suffering

Abstract

Jesus' anguished cry of abandonment on the cross strikes a jarring note into a conception which holds the Trinity to be in harmonious oneness. How could God ever abandon God? Were the Father and the Spirit simply silent spectators to the afflictions of the Son? With a perspective on the centrality of the subject in Chiara Lubich's spirituality, and basing itself on the writings of Bruno Forte, Hans Urs von Balthasar, and other major theologians, this work attempts to shed light on the face of the suffering figure on the cross. Coming to the fore are the relational dynamics within the Trinity, and their expression in Jesus' life. The Cross, far from appearing as a stumbling stone on the path towards unity, emerges as a focal point and cornerstone in the broad redemptive project lovingly undertaken by all three persons of the Trinity. With God, as with humanity, ultimately, Love provides the only meaningful setting for the ever-elusive mystery of suffering.