24th Sunday Ordinary Time (B) 15 September 2024 Taking up the Cross
There is an Easter flavour to the readings today. And yesterday was the Feast of the Holy Cross, reminding us that the things we talk about at Easter are relevant all year.
The Cross is such a central part of our faith, that we refer to it again and again.
It is also a very mysterious reality which always invites more reflection.
Jesus did not come just to give inspiring teaching and to work miracles. These things did much good but more was needed. There had to be Sacrifice.
He had to take up His cross and make an offering of Himself, as Man, in atonement for the sins of humanity, past, present and future.
He made Himself the Lamb of God, who would replace as victims the animals that had been offered in past times. Our Lord would make a more effective sacrifice because He understood what He was doing, and could will it with all His heart and mind.
The offering thus becomes more perfect because it involves a higher degree of giving.
Jesus thus defeats the devil and loosens his hold on the world.
To give oneself into the hands of the enemy seems a strange beginning, but we see that it leads to ultimate victory.
The love Jesus showed by giving up His life was so strong as to atone for all the sins of all time. It was a perfect sacrifice.
And it has released an infinite supply of grace and mercy into the world. He has given us all a new chance to live.
Then Jesus takes things to a new level. Now we have to take up our Cross and follow Him.
At first it looks easy to be a disciple of Jesus, just follow Him across the beach into the future; it all looks very promising. When we are inspired enough we can do great things and Our Lord was inspiring to be around.
But we come to realize that it takes a certain effort to follow Him. To follow Him does not just mean that we walk behind him, but that we imitate Him.
We do not imitate His masterful teaching or miracle-working but we can imitate Him in virtues such as kindness, mercy, compassion, generosity etc
Jesus had them all; we have them in some degree. We have to lock those things into our character so it is our first instinct to bring forth those qualities.
Our human nature will be changed for the better by contact with Jesus’ divine nature.
The radical newness of the call is in the interior transformation that takes place.
We have to renew every day our commitment to follow Jesus, with whatever that means according to what the day brings.
We refine it and work on it each day, like an artist touching up the picture – until we get it right; and then we keep it right.
We are not afraid of the suffering that goes with the Cross. It will be manageable and it will be brief (relatively).
Each cross is specially designed for each person.
We are willing to suffer whatever he sends; it will be manageable and we will come out much better for the experience.
We did not ask for any of this but we are glad, or will be glad that it is so arranged.
We keep doing this until He comes for us. We straggle along behind Him hoping to grow in stature as his disciples.
If we have died with Him then we shall live with Him (2 Tm 2,11). It will take longer than three days, but it will happen.
All glory to the Crucified and Risen Lord
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