The Passion and Death of Our Lord Jesus Christ

by Alban Goodier

This absorbing account provides you with an intimate look at the sufferings of Our Lord through the minds and hearts of those closest to Him. You’ll see Jesus through the eyes of His apostles, of those who condemned Him, of His executioners, and of those He met along the way of the Cross. Drawing from historical research, culture, and his own profound spiritual insights, Archbishop Alban Goodier, S.J., masterfully intersperses scriptural accounts and narration to bring the Passion of Jesus fully to life. You will be moved by subtle observations, emotions, and actions swirling around Jesus as He endures His most terrible and triumphant moments. You will come to understand Judas Iscariot’s thoughts and motives in betraying Jesus, St. John’s personal intuitions about the agony of Jesus’ Heart, St. Peter’s impetuousness, and Jesus’ unconditional love. As he guides you through this introspective contemplation of the Gospels, Fr. Goodier reveals Jesus’ thoughts, feelings, and actions and explains the sufferings Jesus felt in His soul. Most significantly, you will see who Jesus is for you and who He longs you to be both for Him and for others. We need “active compassion,” explains Archbishop Goodier, to unite our sufferings to those of Jesus and to relate to the anguish of His Heart. Reflecting upon the agony of Jesus in the garden, the travesty of His condemnation, and the diabolical tortures that He endured, you will see as never before the immense sufferings that only the God-Man could abide. Through the eyes of the saints, the great lovers of God, you will begin truly to see Jesus, the pain He bore, and why He suffered. Our Lord’s words challenge and comfort contemporary believers as much as they did those who first followed in the footsteps of Christ and His apostles. Once you enter into Archbishop Goodier’s meditations, your understanding of the humility, mercy, and love of Christ will deepen, and you will never experience His Passion in the same way again.

Genres: Catholic, Nonfiction, Theology

368 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1860

About the author

Archbishop Alban Goodier was ordained a priest of the Society of Jesus on September 20, 1903. In December 15, 1919 he was appointed Archbishop of Bombay, India, and ordained on December 22. He served as Archbishop until October 1, 1926.

He was also a well-respected writer who contributed many articles to the magazine The Messenger of the Sacred Heart and wrote over a dozen books.

Reviews

[Jon]

A very detailed and graphic consideration of the passion and death of Christ. The very depths of the passion plumbed and simplified.

[Richard Grebenc]

I am grateful that I was inspired to choose this book, unread in my library for decades, for my Lenten devotional reading. After the introduction, the book is broken up into eleven chapters containing a total of 37 sections. The book concludes with a harmony of the Passion narratives. I read one section a day starting on Ash Wednesday which took me, after breaking up the long Passion harmony section, right through the eve of Palm Sunday.

Fr. Goodier provides much food for thought as he slowly works through the details of the Passion. He often brings in prophecy, and more often Jesus' own words and deeds from His public ministry, to enlighten the reader into the deeper meaning of the various events that transpired in the Lord's last hours.

Spiritual reading and exegesis that brings to light new angles and perspectives is of particularly value. This volume (one of four in the series) is chock full of such insights, giving the reader much to ponder. One example is his extended take on Pilate's interaction with Jesus in which the author, more than any other writer I have come across, is sympathetic to the procurator in his dealings with this extraordinary situation thrust upon him, while ultimately conceding his weakness.

Highly recommended reading anytime of year, but particularly in this special time of preparation for the commemoration of the Paschal Mystery. I have already read the fourth volume, "The Risen Jesus." I look forward to diving into the two volume "The Public Life of our Lord Jesus Christ" later this year.

[Marybeth]

Completely beautiful! Once again Archbishop Goodier tells us the story of Our Lord's life in such a compelling way that you find yourself wondering how it will end though you know perfectly well. Truly this expresses Jesus' love for us so sublimely that you cannot help but grow in love for Him.

[Jennifer]

Like many books 5ere were times this was three stars, and times it was five stars . It took me a while to get used to his style of writing. However, there were many many insights and things to ponder. I will go back to this book for use in meditations..

[Susan]

Took me awhile to read both because it’s dense and because I have a tendency to take longer to read books I own. Anyway, this was an amazing look through the Passion. I loved Archbishop Goodier’s ability to imagine what every part was like and bring it more to life. Highly recommend.

[Pablo Galiana]

Comentarios a la Pasión y Muerte del Señor, basados frecuentemente en textos de San Agustín, Santa Catalina de Siena, y de algunos autores espirituales contemporáneos.

[Jenni Filipi]

Great book for Lent! I will most likely read this again next Lent.

[Andrew Ziebro]

Simply astounding and so profound

[Meg Pilcher]

THE Lent read. There is no better account of the Passion out there and if you don’t cry at Rev Goodier's exploration of the last supper and agony in the garden you need to get your heart checked.