EXALTATION OF THE HOLY CROSS 23

14 SEPTEMBER 2023: NUMBERS 21. 4-9; PHIL 2. 6-11; JOHN 3. 13-17: EXALTATION OF THE HOLY CROSS Punch line: Cross: a sign of contradiction! Guideline: In the sight of the world, it is a symbol of crime, punishment, shame and suffering. It indicates human hatred, cruelty, arrogance, avarice, jealousy, retaliation, instability and disloyalty. 1.      But, God transforms it, turns it: From a sign of contradiction to a signal of conviction; From a reference of malediction to a source of benediction; From a sting of curse to a spring of blessing; From the arrival point of condemnation to the departure point of commendation to God and redemption. 2.      God transforms the cross into a testament and testimony of divine fidelity. God sanctified the cross, dignified and glorified it into a royal weapon of salvation. 3.      In the height of the Cross, we see the heights of God’s fidelity to humanity and His perseverance in His salvific mission to the end. Come what may, God stood firm and remained faithful till the last moment. No trials or temptations could defocus him or deviate him from his mission. Nothing could frighten him or tighten him. He was unstoppable, unswerving, unflinching, undaunted. 4.      In the cross, we see the sanctity and dignity of suffering. Every suffering is not automatically something bad or despicable. The suffering that is no one’s fault, that is due to depraved human situations, and especially suffering for the sake of God and the sake of good is always meritorious. Such suffering is in fact a sharing in the very suffering and death of Christ. It is a continuation of his own mission of salvation. 5.      Let us not be mere cross-wearers but cross-bearers. This refers to the virtues and values of the cross. 6.      Let us not be cross-shapers but cross-sharers, not cross-imposers but cross-disposers. This refers to the aspect of sharing the burdens of each other. Cf. Gal 6. 2. 7.      Let us not be cross-makers but cross-breakers. This refers to submission to God’s will against self-will. This is in the light of the insight of the great Fulton J. Sheen. He observes that a cross is made whenever we place the horizontal bar of our self-will against the vertical bar of God’s will. Lifeline:  Carry the cross to Calvary to crucify sin and glorify God. This refers to perseverance to the end  (Reflection 2) Thrust: Cross, a Rose of consolation! Indicative: Often in life, the unfavourable realities may not totally change or vanish. But what can change is the perspective and the purpose of them   1.      Today we venerate and exalt the cross. The cross is celebrated. This looks rather absurd. For quite evidently, the cross indicates misery, ignominy, disgrace, and failure. All the more, no normal human mind can accept a God who is infinitely powerful but succumbing to such a helpless death. 2.      A simple question arose at that time of the crucifixion, in those who looked at the crucified, “He cannot save himself, and how can he save others?” Today, the same question can arise in many as well. 3.      It is here we need to understand the real mystery of the cross. It is not a sign of the helpless fate of an individual called Jesus who claimed to be the Son of God. It is not the defeat of a reformer at the hands of some wicked authorities. 4.      It is not the failure of God. Rather, the cross stands as a symbol of loyalty and commitment, patience and perseverance, courage and confidence. Cross reflects the human predicament in the face of evil and wickedness. The cross indicates the cost of holiness and goodness. 5.      Cross concretely shows us what to do and how to proceed when we come across suffering and persecution for the sake of God and good. If God wanted, he would have easily avoided the whole shame of the cross. He would have instantly eliminated all his opponents. 6.      But, He did not do so. It is because the cross is not only his story but our story as well. Cross is certainly the climax and culmination of his incarnated divinity. But it is also the symbol of our own human suffering. There is suffering in our life and that is too enormous. 7.      This suffering may be natural, in the sense that it happens as part of life and is not under our control. This includes situations like death, separation, loss, failure, defeat, or natural calamities. At times, we wonder why these happen and why we are the victims. 8.      There are also sufferings that are vocational, that is which happen due to our vocation and mission. Whenever we stand for the right values, in other words, for God and good, we will face adversities and afflictions. 9.      Now, whatever the type of suffering, the cross comes as an answer. Do not lose heart. Persevere. Accept in the spirit of patience and surrender. All the more, it is worth suffering for God and good. It may appear to be a losing and lost battle. But for sure, there is victory and reward. Cross is not the end but is the pathway to glory. 10.  This is the way cross becomes relieving and comforting. It becomes the means and weapon of salvation.   Imperative: Cross teaches us to be courageous, surrendered to God, and persevering in times of suffering. Following the spirit of the cross and the example of the crucified makes our suffering meritorious   (Reflection 3)    Focus: Cross which is a symbol of crime, punishment, shame, and suffering is dignified, sanctified, and glorified as a symbol and channel of fidelity, sanctity, and salvation because of the Lord who is crucified 1.      The ways of God are often in contrast to the ways of the world. Cross is a powerful proof of this. Cross in the sight of the world is a burden that a criminal carries and that carries him to his eventual death on it. And crucifixion is an ignominious penalty. But God transforms the same cross into an instrument of grace that carries the burdens of sinners and puts to death the sin of humanity. It becomes a carrier and assurer of salvation. 2.      In the cross, we see the dialectic and the “salvific tension” between God and man, between this world and heaven. In hate and evil, men have lifted Jesus on the cross while in love and goodness, God allowed himself to be lifted up. 3.      We see this in the first reading from Numbers 21. 4-9, an image of a bronze serpent would become the source of revival from death for all those bitten by a serpent. Similarly, Jesus raised high on the cross became the source of a new life for all those bitten by the serpent of sin. 4.      In the cross, we see the divine powerlessness that becomes the source of empowerment for all those weakened by the power of sin. The God full of power empties himself so as to fill us with heavenly riches and strength. The crucified hanging on the cross is not a failed criminal languishing in misery. Rather he is a nailed victor furnishing us with glory. 5.      On the cross, we see the perseverance and fidelity of God to humanity and his redemptive mission to the end. He preferred to climb the cross as a criminal and not to climb a horse as a king. He declared, “Those who wish to be my disciples, deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me”. True to his own words, he totally denied himself, took up our crosses of sin, and followed the way and the will of God.   Direction: Exaltation of the cross is in fact the exaltation of God’s will and plan of salvation that is being accomplished then and even now through numerous cross-bearers in passion and loyalty (Reflection 4)   Focus: Cross for us is not a parking lot but is a guiding signal; the Cross is not a problem of misery but an emblem and path to glory   1.      Today we exalt the cross. But the exaltation of the cross does not mean the exaltation of suffering, misery, desperation, isolation, betrayal, jealousy, selfishness, or cruelty. Yes, apparently and from a human perspective, the cross stands for and indicates all these. 2.      But it is not any cross. It is the cross of the crucified Saviour. Cross cannot be isolated or dissociated from the crucified. For, it is that cross, sanctified by him, that cross which is transformed from a tool of misery and punition, from a sign of evil and criminality, into a symbol of perseverance, an instrument, and means of salvation and glory. 3.      Therefore, the cross as it stands for suffering is not glorified in itself, but only in its relation to the crucified. Death on the cross is not a helpless submission to one’s miserable fate. Rather it is a conscious, determined, committed, and noble act of self-offering to God’s will for our sanctification. 4.      Thus, the exaltation of the cross means the exaltation of the spirit, the value, the thrust, and the goal of the cross. Cross stands for taking a stand for Christ, for values, for the gospel. Cross means standing for a cause. It calls for a relationship of intimacy, loyalty, and commitment to the crucified. Cross is a matter of standing for a cause, for a person, a matter of fidelity and dedication. 5.      Cross means facing consequences, and bearing suffering for the sake of Christ and his values. Cross is a call to be vertical-oriented, heaven-directed, in line with Fulton J. Sheen’s thought that a cross is made when the horizontal bar is placed against the vertical bar, i.e. self-will is put against God’s will. Therefore, make and carry the cross of placing God’s will across self-will and interests. 6.      Cross is a call to be a “contrast” people, in the light of St Paul’s assertion that “to the Jews, a stumbling block, and a folly to the gentiles, but for us, the believers, Christ, the crucified is the Power and Wisdom of God”. 7.      We live in a world that is so permissible, where any false value is allowed, justified, and even promoted, in the garb of modern, change, and reading the signs of times. What is wrong has a free hand and is considered a matter of intelligence, while the right is labelled as a block, as a folly. This is really powerlessness, without the inner power, the spiritual power, the moral power. This is really folly. 8.      In such a society, we as the bearers of the cross and followers of the crucified, are called to be stumbling blocks, positive signs of contradiction and folly, i.e. resistance and contrast. Therefore, let us not easily get upset when we are beset with crosses of unfavourable situations; let us turn them into learning and growing experiences of purification and sanctification, and also gracious occasions to suffer and offer for God and good. Our crosses become glorified if they are for God’s sake and his values’ sake   Direction: As followers of the Crucified, we are to be cross-bearers who pass through the crucible of suffering   15 SEPTEMBER 2023: 1 TIM 1. 1-2, 12-14; LUKE 6. 39-42.  MOTHER OF SORROWS Punch line: In solidarity! Guideline: Passion leads to compassion, Fidelity blends with sensitivity, Affection stirs up affliction, Love suffers with the suffering   1.      As we celebrate the feast of Mother of Sorrows, let us once again venerate our sweet Mother with devotion, appreciate her with deep esteem, and imitate her with passion. Let us entrust ourselves to her maternal care and guidance. Mother of Sorrows does not mean that she is a sorrowing, sad, lamenting, joyless person. It means that she too experienced the pain and sorrow of life, that she too bore the burden of suffering. 2.      As we may know, seven sorrows or dolours are highlighted in her life: the prophecy of Simeon, the flight into Egypt, the loss of Jesus in the temple, Mary walking the way of the cross along with Jesus, Mary standing at the foot of the cross, Mary witnesses the death of Jesus and receives his dead body, Mary lays Jesus' body in the sepulchre. 3.      These are not isolated or the only moments of sorrow. Rather they denote some main instances and occasions of her pain and suffering, even though her whole life was a continuous story of pain and affliction. Her life and faith were constantly tested through the crucible of suffering. 4.      The seven dolours are in fact only a few indicators of an entire life that has been soaked into suffering. This is the Mother’s “com-passion”. It is not a mere feeling of pity or sympathy. It is “deep communion with” the one who suffers. The much-more-than the physical passion of her Divine Son leads Mary to a profound interior passion within her and unfolds itself in a touching compassion. 5.      Further, these seven sorrows also are like sample sufferings. Because they are also quite real in our own life. We also often go through the same experiences and assaults of suffering. The seven sorrows manifest the suffering lot of any and every human, as being confronted with the very same situations and experiences, such as the fear of the future, of the impending danger of death, of separation from loved ones, of encounter and accompaniment with the suffering innocent, of witnessing the pangs of pain of the most beloved, of bearing with the hardest reality of the beloved’s death. 6.      In the prophecy of Simeon, when he predicts that her tiny child will be the cause for the rise and fall of many and that a sword will pierce through her heart, there is the sorrow of fear of an uncertain future. 7.      In the escape to Egypt, of young mother Mary with her little Jesus and husband, to protect the child from the cruel Herod, we see the sorrow of protection from impending danger of death. 8.      In accompanying Jesus on the way of the cross, we see the deep anguish of a mother's heart and her unfailing accompaniment even in the inglorious testing times. 9.      In standing at the foot of the cross on Calvary, there is the unshakable faith, solidarity, and courage, to be loyal even in the most disgracing moments. 10.  In witnessing the death of her most beloved son, in pangs of pain and desperation, we see the sorrow of sharing and bearing silently the painful loss of the most precious. 11.  In holding the dead body on her holy lap and consigning it to the tomb, we see the sorrow of an irreversible separation from the loved ones. 12.  Thus, this feast can be a great fount of comfort, consolation, encouragement, and hope for us. She who went through immense pain and suffering will certainly understand and empathize with all the suffering lot. One who herself suffered, will certainly understand our struggles and fears. One who experienced the pains of life and bore them, will certainly accompany us and alleviate our own suffering. Mother, passionate with love for us, is also compassionate toward us. She will be our refuge and strength and guidance.   Lifeline: As a worthy fruit of this feast, three things can stand out as directions for us: one, seek her refuge and aid, and intercede to her, in our times of need and suffering. Second, take inspiration and guidance from her, to respond to our sufferings and difficulties, not in frustration and hopelessness, but in courage, surrender, and hope. Third, to be compassionate like Mary to those who suffer and are in need.   (Reflection 2) Focus: Jesus carried the cross and died on it offering us streams of new life. Mary his mother and our mother carried the same cross in her heart all through her life and accompanied him along the way of the cross to the end of death on the cross. The same mother accompanies us also on our way of sorrows. 1.      Today we commemorate Mary as the Mother of Sorrows. In the first place, it does not mean she is a sorrowful mother, given to sadness and devoid of joy of life. Rather it means that she herself has gone through experiences of sorrow. She knows the bitterness and pain of human suffering. By God’s grace, she was exempted from the stain of sin. But it did not exclude her from the situations of the struggle to preserve that grace of sinlessness. Just as Jesus in his humanity became completely one like us except for sin, so also Mary was totally one with us except for sin. 2.      Seven sorrows or dolours are specified in her life: prophecy of Simeon, the flight into Egypt, loss of Jesus in the temple, Mary walking the way of the cross along with Jesus, Mary standing at the foot of the cross, Mary witnessing the death of Jesus and receives his dead body, Mary laying Jesus' body in the sepulchre. 3.      The mention of only seven instances or situations does not mean that Mary’s sorrow was limited only to those moments. These are actually indicators of an entire life that bore the marks of suffering. Just as Jesus was born, already destined to suffer as the Saviour, so also Mary was destined to be the mother of sorrows by her vocation and mission as the unique collaborator in God’s plan of salvation. 4.      Thus, the seven sorrows are not isolated experiences of sorrow. In each of them, we can detect and feel the intensity of pain. In all of them, there is suffering due to experiences of uncertainty, separation, suffering, and death, all concerning the most loved one, and that is Jesus. Thus, what is notable in Mary’s suffering is that it is in reference to Jesus. She suffers because she loves him so deeply, intimately, and passionately. She suffers because her son would suffer. 5.      Another aspect of her sorrow was her love for sinful humanity and her concern for their salvation. Just as God in His infinite love and mercy is anguished over human sinfulness, Mary too shares the same pain for humanity. Their leaning to sin, their constant fall into sin sorrows her tender maternal heart. 6.      Thus, Mary’s sorrow would denote these two essential components: the “personal”, which is her personal love for Jesus, and the “salvific” or “missionary”, which is her commitment and anguish over the mission of salvation. Nevertheless, in both, there is “com-passion”, that is she suffers together with those who suffer, be it her son Jesus or the other sons and daughters. 7.      Today, the Mother of Sorrows stands for us as a mother who understands our human predicament cares for us with the deepest concern, shares in our lot in solidarity, bears our burden in silence and patience and assures us a re-ignited hope in our human struggles.   Direction: In our sorrows, let us shelter ourselves in the maternal bosom of Mary. Like her, let us become a little more strong and persevering in times of trials. Let us become more tender and sensitive to feel one with the suffering and struggle of others. Let us become more compassionate to alleviate the pain of other (Reflection 3) Thrust: Love seeks communion and solidarity! Indicative: True love generates compassion and this compassion makes one suffer with the loved one. Thereby suffering is shared and the communion of hearts and mission is strengthened 1.      Soon after the exaltation of the cross of the Son, is the commemoration of the Mother of Sorrows. It is not just a haphazard sequence. This placement indicates that the Son and the Mother are united in life and mission as well. They share in the same suffering and the purpose is also the same. And the purpose is salvation. 2.      Therefore, this feast of the Mother indicates the profound and inseparable communion between the Mother and the Son. As the Son suffers, so also the Mother suffers. It is a communion of relation and also the mission. The suffering of the Son becomes the suffering of the Mother because they are deeply related in love. 3.      Every tear, every hurt, every beat of her Son also makes a mark on her because he is her Son and is part of her own self. It is also communion in mission. The mission of her son is a mission of liberation and restoration. This involves a ceaseless struggle. He becomes the ‘suffering servant’ for the suffering humanity struck by sin. Along with him, she too suffers for sinful humanity. 4.      The seven sorrows or dolours are only indicative of the suffering dimension in human life. They are not exclusive or isolated instances of sorrow. Rather, they are the sample sufferings that can happen in anyone’s life. They also teach and guide us in how we conduct ourselves in those situations. 5.      Mary’s sorrows thus show us her intimate union with her Son in love and mission. They also show us her compassionate solidarity with us in our own suffering. She accompanies and collaborates with her Son in the project of salvation. She also guides and strengthens us in the same holy venture.   Imperative: Mother of Sorrows is a personal invitation for each one of us to become sensitive, and compassionate toward the suffering of others and to become committed to the alleviation of it by overcoming or resigning by forbearance