It was a crowded day at the Jersey shore; the weather was hot and the beach overflowed with bathers. A woman was splashing in the surf when she accidentally stepped off the sandbar and dropped into a swift undertow that dragged her under the water. Frantically, she struggled to escape the strong current, yelling for help. At least twenty adults watched from the shoreline, apparently paralyzed, until a young man sprinted into the surf, swam out to her and helped her back to the beach.

A witness to the event described the episode to the beach patrol. He spoke of his admiration for the young man who responded so quickly, and of his contempt for all those people who stood by and failed to act. “The woman had been in a dangerous situation and those people didn’t even seem to care,” he grumbled.

The officer looked at the man and said, “The world often seems divided between those who care and those who don’t care enough. But don’t judge too harshly. It takes courage to care greatly.”

As we read todays scripture passages, we encounter Jesus, who cared very deeply, to the bitter end, and to his last drop of blood. He knew what was coming. He had encountered opposition to his teaching and his actions, right from the start. He knew that one of his disciples would betray him; he knew that another would deny him. He knew that the Apostles would run away out of fear. He knew what crucifixion was. He prayed for some alternative to that torture. He knew he would be sentenced on false charges. He knew he would die.

And yet, from the very first step that his donkey took, the inevitable parade to Calvary started, the predictable countdown to death would begin. But he had courage. His mind was made up.

In a recent message to the people gathered in St. Peter’s square, Pope Leo said this: “In our lives, both individually and as a Church, interior struggles or circumstances we deem unfavorable can lead us to believe that it is not the right time to proclaim the Gospel, to make a decision, or to change a situation. In this way, however, we risk becoming paralyzed by indecision or imprisoned by excessive prudence, whereas the Gospel calls us to dare to trust” (Angelus Message, January 25, 2026, L’Osservatore Romano, February 2026, p.60).

As we enter this Holy Week, as we contemplate the love and courage of Jesus, I was struck by Pope Leo’s words because I think they apply to every situation in which we are afraid, when we would rather run away than take a stand, when we would prefer to cry in misery rather than face our challenges with courage and hope. These few words from Pope Leo can serve as a guide for our observance of Holy Week. Think of these words. Meditate on them. Chew on them in some moments of quiet. The Gospel calls us to dare to trust. No matter what we are experiencing, no matter how difficult life becomes, the Gospel calls us to dare to trust.