“Christ at 33” (detail) by Hofmann
“It is true that not even Christ is seen, but he exists; he is risen, he is alive, he is close to us, more truly than the most enamored husband is close to his wife. Here is the crucial point: to think of Christ not as a person of the past, but as the risen and living Lord, with whom I can speak, whom I can even kiss if I so wish, certain that my kiss does not end on the paper or on the wood of a crucifix, but on a face and on the lips of living flesh—even though spiritualized—happy to receive my kiss.” (Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, 1st Lenten Sermon for 2011)
