Today, Jesus verbalizes a key question: "What can a man give in exchange for his life?" Answer: nothing other than giving back his own life to God. This presupposes that no one exists by chance: a man is not a being "thrown" at random into the world, but we were created because God already knew and loved us.

Each man's life is preceded by awareness, an idea and a love, which constitute the foundation of our existence. The Creation has been made to open up a space where we can respond to the love of God. The Cosmos was not created to include zillions of stars and many other things, but so that there would be a place for the "alliance", for the "yes" of love between God and a man who answers Him back.

—O Lord, my freedom and your Cross appear in my answer: without freedom my response would not be love; without the Cross it would not be the adequate response to follow you.