08-Sept-2014 Dear Friend,
We have to admit that everyone has some cross or another in his or her life. They come from others, ourselves and even from God! No one likes crosses and we try to avoid them. But the cross is part of being human and can become a means of becoming more mature and even divine. The triumph of Jesus crucified assures us that we too can rise up through the crosses accepted with faith and love! In the Cross is our victory! Have an uplifting weekend! Fr. Jude Sunday Ref: Twenty-fourth Sunday - Triumph of the Cross. "Triumph through the Cross!" 14-Sept-2014 Readings: Num. 21: 4-9; Phil.2: 6-11; Jn. 3: 13-17; The first reading from the Book of Numbers tells us that during their journey in the desert, the Israelites became impatient and grumbled and spoke out against God and Moses. "Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die in the wilderness, without food and water?" The Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people and many died. The people acknowledged their sin and asked Moses to intercede for them. Moses cured them by setting up a bronze serpent. When the people gazed at this serpent they were healed. This bronze serpent becomes a sign of Yahweh's healing presence. Later, in the Gospel of John, the bronze serpent becomes a prototype for Christ's Cross. Gaze at the cross During World War I, a village in the Somme valley was shelled and many civilians were injured. The local church too was badly damaged. Nevertheless, since it was the largest building in the village, it was used as a makeshift hospital to operate the injured. One of the casualties was a young soldier whose leg was badly wounded and had to be operated upon. "We've run out of anaesthesia" warned the surgeon, and so this operation is going to cause you great pain." The soldier pointed to a big crucifix in the church and replied, "Turn my bed towards the Crucified One; when I gaze at his cross I'll be alright." The feast of the Triumph of the Cross bids us to gaze at Jesus' cross and fathom its meaning. Francis Gonsalves in 'Sunday Seeds for Daily Deeds' In today's gospel we see Nicodemus, who we know was a disciple of the Lord, who was attracted by Jesus and his teachings, who came to him by night in his eagerness to understand Jesus and to find answers to the questions that perplexed him. It is to him that Jesus said, "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness so must the Son of Man be lifted up." Nicodemus could not have known that these words of Jesus contain the summary of the Pascal Mystery. When Jesus spoke of being lifted up he was thinking of the Cross on Calvary. It was difficult for Nicodemus to understand what Jesus was saying so he referred to the event of the bronze serpent in the desert that was familiar to Nicodemus. The bronze serpent was the symbol of the Crucified one. One is saved by the power of the Cross because one believes in the power of God and His saving love. While the other synoptic gospels show a 'suffering Jesus' during his passion and death, John's Gospel depicts Jesus as the 'glorious Christ' in command of the situation. Jesus challenges Pilate and his cross becomes the throne from which he rules. At the heart of today's feast is the line found in today's gospel which summarizes it all: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." Truly, the triumphant cross is nothing but 'Love lifted up' for the Crucified One is Love Incarnate, Love made visible for all! Christus Victor The Swedish Lutheran bishop Gustav Aulen wrote an interesting book entitled Christus Victor, in which he emphasizes the cross as a sign of victory. Indeed, the cross that we reflect upon today is the 'triumphant crucifix' with Christ fully clothed, and crowned, which is different from the Lenten 'suffering crucifix'. However, in both these images, there is first a process of 'laying down' before Jesus 'takes up'. Christians, as well as people of other faiths, have realized the power of Crucified Love. Ace footballer Cristiano Ronaldo signs himself with the cross before any match and my tribal parishioners in rural Gujarat find tremendous power in the cross despite the daily death they endure through poverty and persecutions. It would benefit us immensely to sit silently and gaze at Christ's cross. The cross consoles and challenges. The cross frightens and forgives. The cross breathes hope and brings healing. The cross supports and saves. Do I understand it with faith? Do I bear it with love? Like the wounded soldier, let my whole body and being turn towards the Crucified One. He alone will turn trials into triumphs and deaths into Life. Francis Gonsalves in 'Sunday Seeds for Daily Deeds' Cross can be a burden Every cross can be a burden if we don't carry it with love. It is difficult to carry a cross with love for it always goes against the grain of our desires and ambitions. Yet there is no other way. "You are too young" thundered Mr. Rex as his 21 year old daughter Joyce was about to leave home for a dance. Joyce pleaded in vain with her father to let her go. Dejected and dissatisfied she curled herself in bed and was soon lost in a circular cave. Within the cave she saw a huge bear with an ugly face and unpleasant behaviour. The monster expressed his desire to love Joyce, and she ran round and round the circular cave to avoid the beast, but she always had to face the unwanted lover. Not knowing what to do, she decided to love the monster. No sooner had she touched her tender lips to that of the monster, it turned into a handsome prince. Joyce got up from her dreamy state and found nobody in the house but her angry father. She said to herself: "If a tiny token of love can change a monster into a handsome prince, it can surely change my angry father." She tried it with love and experienced success. We have different types of crosses in our homes, work places and neighbourhood. Love is the only way we can face these and many of our problems in life. Elias Dias in 'Divine Stories for Families' Tradition of the True Cross According to tradition, first mentioned by St. Cyril of Jerusalem in 384, St. Helena, nearing the end of her life, decided under divine inspiration to travel to Jerusalem in 326 to excavate the Holy Sepulchre and attempt to locate the True Cross. A Jew by the name of Judas, aware of the tradition concerning the hiding of the Cross, led those excavating the Holy Sepulchre to the spot in which it was hidden. Three crosses were found on the spot. According to one tradition, the inscription Jesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum (Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews) remained attached to the True Cross. According to a more common tradition, however, the inscription was missing and St. Helena and St. Macarius, Bishop of Jerusalem, assuming that one was the True Cross and the other two belonged to the thieves crucified alongside Christ, devised an experiment to determine which of the three was the True Cross. In one version of the latter tradition, the three crosses were taken to a woman who was near death, when she touched the True Cross she was healed. In another tradition, the body of a dead man was brought to the place where the three crosses were found, and laid upon each cross. The True Cross restored the dead man to life. Elias Dias in 'Divine Stories for Families' May we discover the power of the Cross in the crosses that come our way in life! Fr. Jude Botelho [email protected] PS. The stories, incidents and anecdotes used in the reflections have been collected over the years from books as well as from sources over the net and from e-mails received. Every effort is made to acknowledge authors whenever possible. If you send in stories or illustrations I would be grateful if you could quote the source as well so that they can be acknowledged if used in these reflections. These reflections are also available on my Web site www.NetForLife.net Thank you.
