Exaltation of the Cross 14.9.25
God can do things differently than we would have expected. And the Cross is at the forefront of those things.
In the Cross of Jesus Christ God is giving us a lesson for which we probably did not ask.
In human wisdom we usually look for the shortest way to get from the problem to the solution.
If we are to try to understand God's ways, we need to know His main objectives. With regard to us (humans) God seeks to save and sanctify. To save means to rescue from all forms of evil and sin. To sanctify means to cleanse at the deepest level of a person – the heart and the will.
We might settle for feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless - treating the exterior, not worrying what the person is like.. (Much like governments do; they do not explore the spiritual element.) But God does get into that element, and wants to take us there too.
And strangest of all is that God has sent His Son. Why would you send you son from the peace of heaven to a barbaric tribe, knowing that he will be tortured humiliated killed etc… and the people did not ask for it, and would be content to settle for just the external matters, like food and health.
God is
fixed in His purpose. He comes among us, is taken for a slave and put to death,
offering eternal life to any who will express gratitude and loyalty to Him. He
will not push away anyone who sincerely seeks Him.
He seeks
to waken in us a level that we may not know we had, a level of charity which
comes direct from the heart of God, and comes through to those who are joined
to Him.
We can
imitate something of the style of Jesus’ actions, if not the same intensity.
Thus
we become people of the cross. Willing to lay down our lives, or at least to
endure ridicule and persecution, for the motive of saving and sanctifying
others (not excluding ourselves).
This is our glory as spiritual beings; that we share in heavenly ways.
People wonder why does God not make it easier, more obvious, but He leads them instead to something deeper.
If we can hold off from trying to kill the Son (Mt 21,38) we will discover great joy in expressing the charity of Christ to those around us.
The Cross is a frequent reminder to us of all that is going on here. What sort of a god would do that? The one who actually exists. It is a surprise but we can get used to it.
God could have done differently, and done things more in line with worldly wisdom.
He
could have come off the cross; could have risen sooner; could have performed non-
stop miracles in front of everyone.
Instead
He gives us a way of pondering and seeing where His actions apply to us.
We need to remember that we have been sent and we will be called in to give an account of ourselves. (Rom 14,12) We can forget this because it is not usually a visible part of our lives.
Today’s feast restores us to the proper vision. It is harder to take the spiritual view, but much more rewarding.
1 O cross of Christ,
immortal tree on which our Saviour died,
the world is sheltered by your arms that bore the crucified.
2 From bitter death and
barren wood the tree of life is made;
its branches bear unfailing fruit and leaves that never fade.
3 O faithful cross, you
stand unmoved while ages run their course:
foundation of the universe, creation's binding force.
4 Give glory to the risen
Christ and to his cross give praise,
the sign of God's unfathomed love, the hope of all our days.
(Stanbrook Abbey Hymnal)
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