Word to the Wise
Wednesday, September 14, 2011 - Sept. 14 - The Exaltation of the Holy Cross
[Num 21:4b-9; Phil 2:6-11; John 3:13-17,1261]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. For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. [John] Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. Because of this, God greatly exalted him.... [Philippians]
Occasionally I have to explain to someone the difference between a cross and a crucifix. A crucifix is a cross with a "corpus" [figure of the body of Jesus] on it. That difference is important for today's feast. There are two levels of meaning that are contained in this celebration. The first level refers to what we Catholics call "the true cross" - the actual wooden cross on which Jesus died. The second level concerns the symbolic and theological significance of the cross for Christian faith! A crucifix reminds us of what Jesus did for us. A cross is a present invitation!
The feast of the "exaltation of the Holy Cross" is an opportunity to reflect on that difference. We rightly venerate the cross, especially a crucifix, for its relationship to the person of Jesus and his death. But do we venerate it for its relationship to ourselves? The gospels are clear about the necessity of the cross to discipleship! Would it make us uncomfortable to see a cross-shaped mirror with our own image? One Easter, a child presented me with a chocolate cross! I could not bring myself to eat it! Has the cross become a vague symbol, divorced from its original purpose? How does a symbol of death and suffering become an object of comfort? Or candy? If we take Jesus' body off the cross, are we willing to replace it with our own? AMEN