Two years ago, I had the privilege of spending the Triduum, or at least most of it, in Rome with my boyfriend, and now fiancé. On our ten-day trip with the school, about a month and a half earlier, we had the chance to ascend the Holy Stairs on our knees. Because the Holy Stairs were so busy on Holy Thursday and Good Friday, we instead went to see some other relics of Christ’s Passion.

We visited the Basilica of Saint Praxedes, in which the Column of the Flagellation is kept. It was a black and white marbled piece of a column, encased behind a grate in its own little room. Although my fiancé felt certain that the column was that of the Lord’s Passion, I could not say I was as convinced as he was. It didn’t matter, though, as the story behind the column was the most important part. We know the story is real, and whether the column is the true one or not, it gives us a closer view and more true understanding of what the Passion looked like.

In the Basilica de Santa Croce in Gerusalemme in Rome, we saw fragments of the True Cross, two thorns, a nail, the Titulus Crucis (the inscription from the Cross) and a copy of the Shroud of Turin. Although a church overlooked by many tourists, the relics in it are perhaps some of the most intense verifications of the Passion. It was very easy for me to imagine a version of the Passion, having the tools of torture before my eyes. The Passion became that much more alive for me. To me, the Shroud, with its clear imprint of Christ’s wounds and face, solidified the sorrow and hope of the Passion that had happened around 2,000 years before.

Sorrow and Hope.

That Good Friday for me was life changing. It helped me understand Lent in a different way. Lent is not just giving up various foods or drinks. It is fasting to unite yourself more fully in Christ’s suffering, repent, and believe. At least for me, it is easy to focus on what we give up, not why,and because we are so caught up in what we are giving up, we forget the hope surrounding the story. The relics of Christ’s Passion showed the true suffering He experienced for us. Yet they also showed that He experienced the suffering for us.

The suffering was not the end. It was a terrible part of the story, yes. It proves the intense love of God, His full dedication to us. This was a real event that happened for our very real salvation. The pillar tells a story. A true one. The thorns tell a story of a true king suffering for His people, bearing mockery for us. The cross tells the story of the Truth being persecuted as a liar. The nails tell the story of our sins being taken on by one God-man for salvation. The Shroud witnesses the death of the God-man, yet also His resurrection.

While we go through Lent, may we ponder Christ’s suffering for our sake. May we take the focus off ourselves and place it on Christ’s ultimate act of love. May we see how real Christ’s Passion was, and how intensely it altered our future and our view of hope.