Word to the Wise
Friday, September 14, 2018 - Sept. 14 - The Exaltation of the Holy Cross
[Num 21:4b-9; Phil 2:6-11; John 3:13-17]FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2018 THE EXALTATION OF THE HOLY CROSS [Numbers 21:4b-9; Philippians 2:6-11; John 3:13-17] “And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” [John] The cross is the universal symbol of Christianity, but it did not start out that way. Historians of Christian art tell us that the earliest representations of the cross (in the catacombs of Rome) appear many years after the death of Jesus. The simple fact is that the community wanted to play down the fact that Jesus died the same way criminals and terrorists died - by crucifixion. It was a shameful way to die. Eventually the community embraced the crucifixion as part of the fundamental understanding of Jesus’ life. St. Paul, in today’s second scripture, speaks of Jesus’ obedience “to death, EVEN death on a cross.” The reference, in today’s gospel scripture from the Gospel According to John, to Moses lifting up the serpent in the desert on a “cross” shows how the Christian community had begun to understand Jesus’ death as part of their faith in his resurrection as well. On Good Friday in Holy Week, one of the dramatic moments in the service is the unveiling of the cross and the invitation to venerate it. Although some parishes use a crucifix, the best way is a simple cross, something that is not just an instrument of suffering and death, but a part of Christian life. Jesus tells us that we must take up our cross and follow him. This feast day is a reminder of that reality. AMEN
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