Contradiction of the Cross

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross. The history of this Feast goes to Christ’s triumph and victory over the powers of sin, death and satan on golgotha where his execution is turned to sacrifice by his willing act of love.

It continues with St. Helena, the mother of Constantine, who went on a pilgrimage journey to jerusalem to find the true cross of Jesus. Upon finding it, there were signal fires that were lit from Jerusalem to Constantinople, modern day istanbul. This is why we light the fires after mass.

Tradition holds that we jump over that fire as a symbol of passing over the difficulties of life by the power of the cross.

A good question to ask is how does the Christ on the cross have power and authority across time, generations, and people?

Before the Crucifixion of Jesus, the symbol of the cross was something completely different.

For some groups of people, a savior and messiah being crucified on a cross is a stumbling block to their belief.

Jesus the Messiah is prophesied from ancient history to be a cornerstone to their salvation and belief. And here he is, the messiah powerless on the cross. How can they believe in someone who is powerless?

For other groups of people like the Gentiles the crucifixion of Jesus was folly, foolish, A JOKE.

How can a people who pride themselves in being strong and dominating whose gods they believe in emphasize a life of getting what they want find someone who claims to be a savior doing something they DON’T want to do.

These are the things that the people walking on the road to Emmaus are discussing. Because Jesus recognizes them sad. He asks them why?!

They tell him the story of how he prophet, spoke and did many great things. But was delivered to death and crucified. They mentioned he said he would resurrect but they’re just unsure about it all.

In all of this, they say “We had hoped he was the one to redeem Israel.” It’s almost as if this hope of salvation had DIED with Jesus on the cross.

I think so many of us have been there in that position. Where we have HIGH HOPES and EXPECTATIONS that we hang with Jesus and sometimes we can walk away sad.

But the beautiful thing is that Jesus doesn’t leave these two in disappointment. Instead, he says, was it NOT necessary that suffer these things to enter his glory?

As St. Paul says, Jesus takes what is foolish to shame those who believe are wise and know it all.

He takes those who are weak to shame those who believe they are strong.

So that what is “foolish” of God could prove wiser and stronger than the ways of the world.

He takes what is regretful and the cause of our pain and transform it to something that is NECESSARY and cause of our salvation.

Jesus does all this through the cross to show the great value and dignity of humanity.

The world tells us we are things to be used and thrown away— Christianity tells us and turns us in to real men and women, into sons and daughters of God.

The cross gives self-respect to those who had none. It gives life to those with no life. To those who feel worthless, that their value is worth the value of the blood of the Jesus the Son of God.

When Christ was raised up on the cross, we too, are lifted from our graves, our sadness, our hopelessness, and darkness to see who we are and that there is meaning and purpose beyond it all.

Today, let our hearts burn in devotion knowing that as we draw closer to the altar in the breaking of the bread, the mystery of Christ’s love and sacrifice will be made clearer to me. Amen.