“The fire of Christ’s love on the cross has not burnt out; it is not something of the past, of two thousand years ago, of which only the memory lives on. It exists now; it is alive. If it were necessary, Christ would die again for us because the love for which he died continues unchanged.” —Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, OFM Cap

Why should we meditate on the cross? Because through the cross of Christ, we can begin to comprehend God’s all-consuming love for us. The short reflections in this book are taken from homilies presented by renowned evangelist Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa on Good Friday in St. Peter’s Basilica. As Fr. Cantalamessa contemplates the intensity and reality of Christ’s love for us, he also shows us how to respond wholeheartedly with that same fire in our hearts.

“Count on coming away with a new insight, a new way of experiencing “the fire of Christ’s love” for you—personally.
—From the foreword by Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan, Archbishop of New York

Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, OFM Cap, was born in Italy and ordained a Franciscan Capuchin priest in 1958. He taught at the Catholic University of Milan until 1979, when he resigned his teaching position to become a full-time preacher of the gospel. In 1980 he was appointed by Pope John Paul II as preacher to the Papal Household. He still serves in that capacity, preaching a weekly sermon during Advent and Lent in the presence of Pope Benedict XVI. He is a frequent speaker at international and ecumenical conferences and rallies, and his books have been translated into more than twenty languages. He lives in a hermitage in Italy, ministering to a small community of cloistered nuns.