It is the identity and badge that true disciples of Christ always carry with them
“O Christ, we adore you; We bless you, for you have redeemed the world by Your Cross.”
On Wednesday, (14 Sept ) the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church celebrated the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, for it is through the Cross of Jesus that mankind has been saved. I would like to invite you to reflect on the mystery of the Cross, especially through the readings in our liturgy for the Mass for the Feast (Numbers 21:4-9; Philippians 2:6-11; John 3:13-17).
In the first reading, we are told that the Israelites cried out against God and Moses for taking them out of Egypt and allowing them to die in the desert. They complain that there is no bread to eat, no water to drink, and are tired of this boring food of the Mana.
Therefore, God sent fiery snakes out that bit many people to death. They then ran to Moses and said, “We have sinned in complaining against the Lord and you. Please pray that the Lord take the serpents from us.” So, the Lord said to Moses, “Make a bronze serpent and hang it on a pole, and if anyone who has been bitten looks at it, they will live.”
In the second reading, the letter of Saint Paul to the Philippians tells us,
Jesus, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Phil 2: 6-11
Then in the Gospel of John, the Evangelist affirms, “Just as Moses hung the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may not perish forever.”
We can clearly see a very special connection between the three readings in today’s celebration of the Exaltation of the Cross. They revolve around one theme: Through the cross and death of Jesus Christ, all mankind and the universe received the gift of salvation and reconciliation with God, after mankind had sinned and deserved eternal punishment.
Dimensions of God’s love on the Cross
Saint Paul reflects on the mystery of the Cross and repeatedly states eloquently that the Cross is the culmination of God’s love for humanity.
Every time we look up at the Cross, we can discover every dimension of love that God wants to show to us: From the height to the breadth and depth He reveals in the death of Jesus Christ. In short, if we want to know how much God loves us, we just have to look up at the Cross and there we can contemplate all the dimensions of the great love which God wants to manifest to humanity.
As Saint John writes,
Truly, God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that everyone who believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life, for God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.
Jn 3:13-17
And Jesus confirms this statement as well, “I have come to give you the fullness of life and I give my life as a ransom for many.” He also affirms, “Greater love has no one than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (Jn 15:13).
Through this, we discover that there is no love that can be higher or comparable or equal to the “self-sacrificing love” – that is, the love that freely gives, even at the cost of our own life in order to bring happiness and true liberation to the ones we love. Jesus did this for us through His shameful death on the Cross, and through that tragic death all humanity was renewed and redeemed, by His resurrection.
Because Jesus Himself willingly obeyed the will of God the Father, until His last breath God, therefore, glorified and gave Him a name that is above every name, so that anyone who hears the name of Jesus, every creature in heaven, on earth and in hell will bow down, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Phil 2:8-11).
The mystery of the Cross of Jesus Christ is also the reality for each of us who are Christians. For this reason, Jesus himself says,
If anyone wants to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me every day, or Whoever does not take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. (Mt 10:38). The Cross, therefore, is always associated with the disciples and with those who want to follow Jesus Christ.
Mt 16:24, Mt 10:38
True disciples identify with Christ’s Cross
The Cross, therefore, is always associated with the disciples and with those who want to follow Jesus Christ. It is the identity of the disciples and their badge/emblem. Anyone who wants to be a disciple of Christ but does not want to carry His Cross as Jesus Himself declares, “He/she is not worthy to be His disciple”. Therefore, we can boldly profess that “A true disciple of Jesus Christ is the one who always carries on his body the Cross of Christ, which is the symbol or embodiment of the love we show to our beloved Master”.
May each one of us, no matter what is our position in the Church or in society, or in whatever state of life that we find ourselves in, if we have identified ourselves as Christians or as disciples of Jesus, may we always love the Cross that has been given to us in our lives. For it is through it that we are united to the passion and resurrection of Jesus Christ and become His true disciples.
May we understand and believe deeply the mystery of the Cross, which is also the mystery of redemptive love. This will give us strength whenever we have to face our own sufferings, from the body to the spirit, the failures in our lives, the crises and disappointments that make us frustrated and want to give up.
At these critical moments, we need to ask for the strength from Jesus who was hanging on the Cross to help us to overcome these obstacles, since He has conquered the world and all its evil power. Christ will give strength to those who want to commit themselves and follow Him in His footsteps.
Written on the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Wednesday 14 September 2022, in Colorado Springs.
Fr Peter Hung Tran is on Sabbatical leave in the United States
