We adore thee, O Christ, and we bless thee,
for by thy cross thou hast redeemed the world.
One may wonder, why do we give so much honour to the Holy Cross. Over and above being the symbol of Christianity, the Holy Cross brings to light many fundamental truths that are being taught by the Holy Catholic Church.
First of all, the Lord Jesus in who the fullness of God was pleased to dwell bodily [Col. 1:19, 2:9] did not regard Himself equal with God during the incarnation. Setting aside His infinite power, He took upon Himself the human nature and humbled Himself in full obedience to the heavenly Father, even to His death on the Cross.
Through His perfect sacrifice as the Lamb of God, He was exalted and given the Most Holy Name that is above all names so that at the Name of Jesus, every knee should bend in Heaven, on earth, and under the earth, that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is the Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Because of this, the Holy Cross is the symbol of Divine Love. For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son.
The Holy Cross is the symbol of salvation. Through Jesus Christ and the Sacrament of Baptism, those who believe in Him and obey His teachings, they will enjoy eternal life in the Kingdom of God. The Holy Cross is the symbol of Divine compassion. God did not send His Son into the world to condemn it, but in order that the world may be saved through Jesus. (From CatholicDoors)
Read the article about the gospel selection for the feast here and use the following for your reflection.
1. In John 3:14-16, the evangelist puts together the lifting up of the Son of Man and the sending forth of the Son because of God's love. In John 12:33, we are told that the lifting up of the Son of Man is related to his death on the cross. It is thus that John himself tells us that the cross on which Christ died is a symbol of God's love.
Reflect: When you were baptized, you were claimed in the name of Christ with the sign of cross traced on our forehead. By the same sign you begin your Lenten preparation for the Easter renewal of your baptismal vows on Ash Wednesday. Catholics make the sign on many different occassions too. For Filipinos it is called "Ang Tanda" and to make the sign of the cross is "magantanda". By this we profess our belonging to Christ and that we have been claimed for him by the Church. The cross is the symbol by which I tell everyone that
I have been crucified with Christ;
it is no longer I who live,
but Christ who lives in me;
and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God,
who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians (RSV) 2:29)
The next time someone tells you that the cross is a shameful sign, a reminder of the violence by which the Lord was executed by Godless men, what would you tell them?
2. Two Sundays ago, we had the opportunity to meditate on the Cross of Discipleship
Reflect Given the relationship between the Cross and Eternal Life, how do you see the Cross as an integral element of your Christian life?
