Take Up Your Cross

                   22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

                  A cycle

 

      

In today’s first reading we meet a disgruntled, fed-up prophet. Jeremiah has been insulted, beaten, and even put up to public display and ridicule. He feels that he has been duped or fooled by the Lord, and thinks of giving up. 

 

I say to myself, I will not mention him,

I will speak in his name no more. 

 

Nevertheless, Jeremiah decides to go on. The word and love of God is like fire burning in his heart.

 

In today’s gospel Jesus reveals his goal and mission to his disciples for the first time. We remember that in last Sunday’s gospel he had asked them, “who do you say that I am.” Peter stepped forward and exclaimed, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” After Peter’s confession of faith, Jesus reveals the mission of the Christ.

 

The Son of Man must suffer greatly

      and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests,

      and the scribes,

      and be killed and on the third day be raised.

 

This shocking revelation is too much for Peter. It's one of the mysteries of the gospels that every time an Apostle speaks we can almost imagine ourselves speaking. Like Peter wouldn’t we want to take Jesus aside and say, “wait a minute. You’ve been so successful. You’ve just fed the multitude, and you’ve healed people wherever you’ve been. You’re only 33 and crowds are following you. This is just the beginning.”

 

I think that one of the reasons why the film, "The Passion of the Christ," caused such controversy was not because of the violence depicted but because we do not like the idea that our Lord had to suffer and die. We know that the Apostles didn't like it either. 

      

After all the wonderful things He had done, this was shocking news. Even more shocking was what He said next,

 

      If anyone wishes to come after me,

      he must deny himself

      and take up his cross daily and follow me.

      

What does it mean to take up our cross and deny ourselves? The persecution of Christians today has become so widespread and vicious that the news is finally breaking into the increasingly secular mainstream media. Events in the Middle East, especially in Iraq, Syria, and Egypt can no longer be ignored in the age of You tube and social media. In China and India persecution is either sanctioned by the government, or ignored by government officials when it occurs.

 

Fortunately, most of us will be spared the call to martyrdom but we still have our own mission in life. For most of us our cross will seem kind of ordinary. But it will involve leaving our own desires behind and taking on a new responsibility. We have all been called to overcome our own selfishness and find our true selves in the service of others. 

 

I think first of fathers and mothers who dedicate themselves to the raising of their children. I think of teachers who dedicate themselves to the education of other people’s children. On Labor Day I think of all those who work to provide for their families. 

 

To save our lives, to find true happiness, we have to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily, and be willing to give up our lives for the sake of others. As we all know, this is not that easy and we may often regret it.

 

We live in an age of selfishness. We broadcast all our doings on social media. We take pictures of ourselves, our favorite subject. “Selfie” has even become a legitimate word. For years it has been fashionable for intellectuals to glorify individualism and criticize Christians for sacrificing themselves. It can be hard sometimes to wonder if we could have done something better with our lives if we had just pursued our own self-interest.

 

St. Paul addresses this issue in his letter to the newly converted Romans. He tells them to “be not conformed to this world.” Rather, he urges us to present our bodies as a sacrifice. Paul understood very well the words of Jesus in today’s gospel.

 

For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,

         but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.

What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world

And forfeit his life?

 

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Reading 1. Jeremiah 20: 7-9

Reading II. Romans 12: 1-2

Gospel. Matthew16: 21-27 (Get behind me, Satan!)

Lift High the Cross

                                    Exaltation of the Holy Cross

                                    

Crucifixion*
Station of the Cross
Assumption Church
Fairfield CT

In the Catholic Church a feast day commemorating the Cross is celebrated every September 14. Since Sept. 14 falls on a Sunday this year, the feast supplants the regular readings in Ordinary time.

From the earliest days the sign of the Cross has been a prominent feature in the Church. We bless ourselves with the sign of the Cross when we enter and leave church; and we will make the sign of the Cross many times during the Mass. The Cross is always exhibited prominently in our churches, and practically every church has Stations of the Cross where the faithful can virtually walk in the footsteps of Jesus. Many famous churches have even been built in the shape of a cross.

Most Christian homes will contain a cross or crucifix. Every rosary has a cross. We cross ourselves before we say grace at meals. Not only churches but also schools and even cities have been named after the Cross. Santa Croce is a famous Franciscan church in Florence, Italy. Holy Cross is a well-known college in Massachusetts. St. Croix is the name of a river and city in Minnesota. Santa Cruz is a city in California.

Today’s feast is actually called the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Despite being an instrument of torture and disgrace and death, the death of Jesus on the Cross has always been regarded as a sign of the triumph of love over sin and death.

The theme is set in the first reading from the Book of Numbers. The Church has always regarded the lifting up of the pole with the sign of the saraph serpent as pre-figuring the lifting up of Christ on the Cross.

Moses accordingly made a bronze serpent and mounted it on a pole,

And whenever anyone who had been bitten by a serpent

Looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.

Today’s gospel from the Gospel of John contains one of the most famous passages in the Bible, and it relates to the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross.

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,

So that everyone who believes in him might not perish

But might have eternal life.

This verse is John 3:6 and we often see it lifted up on signs and placards in the stands during sporting events.

In the last few weeks we have been following Jesus on his way to Jerusalem to take up his Cross. We have heard him tell the disciples and us to take up our own crosses of humility, sacrifice, and service to others. All of us will have our own cross to bear in life even if we have never heard of the Cross or even if we reject its message. No one goes through life without pain. For Christians, the Cross is the way through the pain and suffering.

It is true that for some the pain will be greater. Here is Fr. Luis Montes observing the suffering of the persecuted Christians in Iraq.

“The number of martyrs the Middle East is giving to the world is amazing. It is not well known but it will be in many years, and we will speak of them like we do of the acts of the martyrs of the early years of Christianity. The faith they have despite the persecution is moving, as well as their sensitivity towards others...Almost all the people I know in Iraq and in other countries of the Middle East know a family member killed out of hatred for the faith. Others have suffered direct persecution or discrimination. For us it is an honor to serve these people. Lord knows what He will ask of me in the future but as for me I would like to serve here my entire life”

We do not yet face such danger in our own country but Catholics are becoming increasingly marginalized in today’s secular culture. In colleges and universities all over the country our children are being taught that religion is an obstacle to true love and happiness. Rather than being asked to take up our Cross, we are urged to abandon and even despise it.

For those who ridicule and hate the Cross, it is clear that they have not been able to eliminate the pain and suffering in the world, much less in their own lives. They have just given up the Christian way to deal with life’s arduous journey, but have found nothing to take its place.

Even though John 3:16 is justly important, verse 17 is equally valuable.

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,

But that the world might be saved through him.

Jesus said that if we really want to save our life, we must first lose it. We must give up our selfishness and pride, and find our lives in the service of others. This was the example of Jesus on the Cross. St. Paul understood this after his own conversion. In today’s reading from the Letter to the Philippians, he says that merely in taking human form, Jesus humbled himself even to the point of enduring a cruel death on the Cross.

Hopefully, we will not have to endure persecution and martyrdom like our brothers and sisters in Iraq and Syria. Nevertheless, even in our own personal trials, Jesus has shown us the way. His words, his deeds, and his example are the way.

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Reading 1. Numbers 21: 4b-9

Reading II. Philippians 2: 6-11

Gospel. John 3: 13-17 (God so loved the world)

* Image by Melissa DeStefano

12th Sunday in Ordinary Time

12th Sunday in Ordinary Time
C cycle

Reading 1. Zechariah 12:10-11; 13:1
Reading II. Galatians 3: 26-29
Gospel. Luke 9: 18-24 (who do you say that I am?).

As the holy season of Easter recedes in the distance, we will spend the rest of the year in what the Church calls Ordinary time. In Ordinary time the priest will usually wear green, the color of hope.

Today's first reading from the Prophet Zechariah talks of hope. The prophet tells the Israelites that even in the midst of great mourning and desolation, the Lord will give them "a fountain to purify from sin and uncleanness." Of course, from the earliest days Christians have looked upon Jesus as the fountain from which all hope springs.

Who was Jesus? Who is Jesus? In today's gospel the scene between Jesus and Peter is pivotal. Chapter 9 of St. Luke's gospel is full of the miraculous deeds of Jesus. Not the least of which was the multiplication of the loaves and fishes to feed a great crowd. Right after that manifestation of his power, Luke says that our Lord and the disciples left the crowd of people behind and went off in solitude to pray. When they were alone, He turns to the disciples and asks, "Who do the crowds say that I am?"

The answer indicates that Jesus has made quite an impression on the people. Some say that John the Baptist has come back to life; others believe that He is Elijah, that great figure of Hebrew history who was taken up into heaven in a fiery chariot; and others believe that an ancient prophet like Zechariah has come back to life. But when He asks the disciples, "who do you say that I am," Peter answers, "The Christ of God." Peter's expression of faith means that he has come to regard Jesus as the long awaited Messiah who has come to save His people.

It's one of the mysteries of the gospels that every time an Apostle speaks we can almost imagine ourselves speaking. In fact, whenever our Lord speaks to them, he seems to be speaking to us. "But who do you say that I am?" What would our answer be? We know that many regard Him as a good teacher although His teachings may no longer be relevant in our modern age. Others see Him as a kind of social worker who went about doing good works. Of course, they find it hard to believe that any of these works could have been miraculous, and they try to find purely natural explanations. In other words, He was a man just like us. Indeed, a best-selling novel claims that He even married and had children of His own.

I think that one of the reasons why the film, "The Passion of the Christ," caused such controversy was not because of the violence depicted but because we do not like the idea that our Lord had to suffer and die. We know that the Apostles didn't like it either. After Peter's confession of faith, our Lord tells them,

The Son of Man must suffer greatly
and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests,
and the scribes,
and be killed and on the third day be raised."

After all the wonderful things He had done, this was shocking news. Even more shocking was what He said next,

If anyone wishes to come after me,
he must deny himself
and take up his cross daily and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.

Here we are in ordinary time already embarked on our journey through life. Is there any more difficult journey than the one faced by fathers today? On this day our society pays lip service to fathers but on every other day they are mocked and vilified. Everywhere around us we see men abandoning, and abusing their children, and even urging that their children be aborted. Let's pray today that fathers will deny themselves, and take up their cross that they may, as St. Paul says, clothe themselves with Christ.

Here is a little prayer for fathers;

Our Father in Heaven, we thank you for all the fathers on earth who,
like St. Joseph, accept the responsibility to care for and love their children.
May you strengthen them with the kindness, patience and wisdom they need
to encourage and guide their children.
May they be supported by a steadfast wife, a caring family and good friends.
Most of all, may they know that you and you alone are the source of all that is
good and truly valuable in this world.

After all, right after our Lord's words in today's gospel, He said, "For what does it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, but ruin or lose himself?






















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2nd Sunday of Lent

2nd Sunday of Lent
C cycle

Reading 1. Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18
Reading II. Philippians 3:17-4:1
Gospel. Luke 9: 28b-36 (Transfiguration)

At one point in the gospels our Lord refers to someone, I believe it was Nicodemus, as a "true son of Abraham." It was probably the highest compliment our Lord ever gave to anyone for Abraham was the father of Israel, the people of God. In today's first reading Abraham "put his faith in the Lord, who credited it to him as an act of righteousness." As a result the Lord makes a kind of agreement--a covenant--with Abraham that is meant to last forever. Because of his faith the Lord will give to Abraham and his aged wife, Sarah, the son they had longed for all their lives.

Later in the story, however, the Lord asks Abraham as a sign of faith to sacrifice his only son in much the same way as he had sacrificed the animals in today's reading. Abraham obeyed but just as his knife was set to strike, the Lord intervened and stopped him. Thank goodness! What would we think of a God who could allow a man to kill his own son?

Instead, we see in today's gospel that the Lord is going to sacrifice His own Son so that our sons and daughters might live. St. Luke in chapter 9 of his gospel gives us the story of the Transfiguration. Just as the Temptation in the Desert has always been the subject of the first Sunday in Lent, the Transfiguration of our Lord has always been the subject of the second Sunday in Lent.
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Jesus is far along in His mission when the Transfiguration occurs. He has given the Sermon on the Mount, healed the sick, driven out devils, and raised the daughter of Jairus from the dead. Now in chapter 9 Jesus feeds the multitude with five loaves and two fishes. After this incredible miracle, He asks the disciples, "Who do the crowds say that I am?" Peter answers, "the Christ of God," and our Lord then reveals the mission of the Christ:

The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief
priests and Scribes, and be put to death, and on the third day rise again."

Immediately after this prophecy of our Lord's suffering and death, Luke goes right to the scene of the Transfiguration where we get a glimpse of the Resurrection. "Jesus took Peter, John, and James and went up the mountain to pray," just as He would later do in the Garden of Gethsemane. Just as in the garden they fell asleep, but while "He was praying, His face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white." The three disciples then awoke to behold Him in His glory standing with Moses and Elijah, two of the greatest figures in Hebrew history.

Our reading says that Jesus was speaking with them of his "exodus" that He was going to accomplish in Jerusalem. The word "exodus" is full of meaning. Moses led the Israelites out of slavery to the promised land--Jesus was about to do the same for us. Older translations say that Jesus was speaking of "his death, which he was about to fulfill in Jerusalem."

Finally, a cloud envelops them and they hear a voice just as they did at the Baptism of the Lord saying, "This is my beloved Son; hear Him." The Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus are linked to the covenant that the Lord made with Abraham and his spiritual descendants. We are the true sons and daughters of Abraham when we hear the Word of the Lord and believe.

In today's second reading from the letter to the Philippians, Paul is telling us to be true to the covenant and conduct ourselves "according to the model you have in us." He knew that in his time as well as in ours, many "conduct themselves as enemies of the cross of Christ."

Their end is destruction.
Their God is their stomach;
their glory is in their "shame."
Their minds are occupied with earthly things.

But for those who "stand firm in the Lord," they will receive a promise similar to the one made to Abraham:

He will change our lowly body
to conform with His glorified body...

When Jesus spoke of his own crucifixion, he also told his disciples and us that we must also bear our cross.

If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For he who would save his life will lose it; but he who loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, but ruin or lose himself? For whoever is ashamed of me and my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory..."

This is why our little sacrifices during the forty days of Lent are so meaningful. They are a reminder that it is impossible to stand firm in the Lord without sacrifice of some kind.