Wood of death, tree of life (St. Leo the Great / Pope Francis)

The cross of Christ is the ground
and chief cause of Christian hope.

--St. Leo the Great 

    Dear brothers and sisters, this is how God’s hope germinates. It is born and reborn in the black holes of our disappointed expectations – and hope, true hope, instead, never disappoints. Let us think precisely about the cross: out of the most terrible instrument of torture, God wrought the greatest sign of his love. Having become the tree of life, that wood of death reminds us that God’s beginnings often begin with our ends. Thus, he loves to work wonders. 

    So today, let us look at the tree of the cross so that hope might germinate in us – that everyday virtue, that silent, humble virtue, but also that virtue that keeps us on our feet, that helps us move forward. It is not possible to live without hope. Let us think: Where is my hope? Today, let us look at the tree of the cross so that hope might germinate in us…that we might be healed of our sadness. 

--Pope Francis, April 5, 2023 

Image source 1: Fr. Patrick Michaels, Crucifixion, 1973, https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=704549103060620&set=a.704548209727376

Image source 2: Brian Wildsmith, The True Cross (1977), https://www.brianwildsmith.com/the-true-cross 
Quotation source 1
Quotation source 2