Alex J. Nagem (c) March 23, 2025
Reading assignments were not a priority when I was a student in school many years ago. Though the books assigned for summer reading and throughout the school year may have been classics or on the New York Times best-seller list, I found little interest in reading since it took precious time away from other interests. Besides, I was not a fast reader. The books chosen for me failed to capture my interest. Cliff Notes were my reading of choice.
I began teaching at Wheeling Jesuit in the mid-1980s. Reading the chapters before each class became essential. Although I was familiar with the material covered in the chapters, I wanted to read through the text to identify areas that might confuse the students. I would spend a few hours preparing for each class. When the semester ended, I would be relieved that I could finally have time for myself in the evenings, especially on Sunday evenings. The urge to read continued during semester breaks. I now could read what truly interested me. There was no one genre of literature that I enjoyed. Theology, biographies, Greek and Roman Classics, history, fiction, spy thrillers, and the best sellers on the New York Times Sunday reading list, all became wants for my reading enjoyment.
A room in my home now has a small library. I can never accumulate enough books. I often buy additional books before I finish the ones purchased in the prior week. I have been told I have a strong passion for books. I thought this a little odd. I never looked upon my reading as a passion. Being told that I had a passion for books made me want to find the meaning of one who is passionate about something.
The term “passion” originates from the Latin word “passio,” which translates to “suffering.” Latin words “passus,” meaning “suffered,” and “patior,” meaning “I suffer,” both contribute to the meaning of the word “passion.” Using the root definition of passion, I do not suffer from my enjoyment of reading. I look at reading as a means of learning, as a means of escaping for a time in the words and thoughts of an author, and as an alternative to what I consider nonsense on television.
German philosopher Georg Hegel states, “Nothing great in the world has ever been achieved without passion.” Throughout the years, individuals such as Martin Luther King, Mother Teresa, and especially Jesus have exemplified a life lived with passion. An online dictionary defines passion as having an ardent love or affection for someone; a strong affection or enthusiasm for an object or concept; any strongly felt emotion, such as love hate and envy; any state of mind in which it is affected by something external, such as perception and desire, as contrasted with action or feeling, desires, and emotions as contrasted with reason; and the one you have all been patiently waiting, the sufferings of Jesus from the Last Supper to His death on the cross are an example of passion that we should all understand.
The final hours of Jesus’s life on Earth begin with the Last Supper with the apostles, followed by His Agony in the Garden, the beatings, the Crucifixion, and finally, the Resurrection. These crucial moments are known as The Passion, a compelling narrative that captures deep emotions and transformative experiences. Some versions of The Passion begin with the events at the Garden of Gethsemane, while other versions start with Palm Sunday. In my writing, I start with the Last Supper. The suffering of Jesus begins when He tells the Apostles that one of them will betray Him. The apostle is Judas. Jesus knows Peter will also be a betrayer. Peter will deny knowing Jesus when the soldiers come to arrest Jesus. Yet, Peter will be the first Pope of the Catholic Church. Maybe Peter needed the betrayal to feel the fire of his passion.
Jesus washes the feet of the Apostles on Holy Thursday, telling them to love one another as he has loved them. Holy Thursday is the first celebration and institution of the Eucharist in which Jesus takes bread, gives thanks, breaks it, and gives it to the Apostles, saying, “This is my body given for you. Do this in remembrance of me,” (Luke 22:19). “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life,” (John 3:16). Ah, that is true passion: a passion of ultimate and unmatched love for others. The term “passion” has been used in various contexts, but many people overlook or are unaware that its definitions in Latin and Greek mean suffering. The fulfillment of life is achieved through hardships. Are you prepared to follow in the footsteps of Jesus for a life filled with true passion?
Hebrews 12:2 says (in simple words), we must never stop looking to Jesus. He is the leader of our faith, and he is the one who makes our faith complete. He suffered death on the cross. But He accepted the shame of the cross as if it were nothing because of the joy he could see waiting for him. And now he is sitting on the right side of God’s throne.
Passion is the experience of enduring hardship for someone or something we believe is deserving of that sacrifice. The life of Jesus leads to his passion for us. His passion and love for us leads him to endure suffering and death on the cross. Pursuing your passion often means facing rejection and misunderstanding from those who do not share it. For me, the true meaning of passion is the pursuit of a desire so strong that you are willing to endure pain, ridicule, and suffering to create lasting and meaningful change. This concept is exemplified by the life and earthly death of Jesus.
Do you have passion? Are you willing to suffer and be ridiculed for your faith in Jesus Christ, or will you betray Him? Do we demonstrate our passion for Jesus in everything we do each day? Do we show that passion when we approach the altar to receive the body and blood of Jesus? Do you need time to think on this? In our passion for Jesus, we should reflect daily on our behavior to recognize where we have betrayed Him through our actions and words, or where we have been true followers.
To conclude, I heard a great line from the movie “Serendipity”: “You know, the Greeks didn’t write obituaries. They only asked one question after a man died: Did he have passion?” When my time comes to face judgement of my life, I hope the final words about me are, “he lived with passion.” No amount of interpretation of Bible verses, education, advanced degrees, or numerous encyclicals means anything if you do not believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and ask for His mercy as a sinner. This is my passion, and I seek this passion in everyone I meet.
You and your family are remembered in my daily prayers. I hope me and my family are remembered in yours.
“Vocatus Atque non Vocatus, Deus Aderit”
Alex J. Nagem
April 4, 2014 (rev)