Exaltation of the Cross

  “Make a saraph and mount it on a pole, and if any who have been bitten look at it, they will live.” Nm 21:8

The cross has almost always been important symbol for Christians. Although controversial at first, because it seemed to focus so much on the violence done to Jesus, the cross soon became the most prominent way for Christians to announce themselves. Not simply a reminder of Christ's gruesome death, the cross is also a invitation to celebrate Jesus' triumph over death, and our assurance that death is not the end of Christian journey.

Displaying the cross publicly or personally should never be a condemnation of others, especially Jews, but a reminder to ourselves and others, that God came among us as human person who not only announced God's love for us in its fullness, but also handed himself over to death as a symbol of his total identification with us at every stage of our journey.

Although we might at times be too casual about it, signing ourselves with the cross is a powerful reminder of Jesus triumph of over sin and death and sign that Jesus, "Having disarmed the powers and authorities, ...made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross." (Col 2:15)

Today, make the sign of the cross as you wake and ask for the grace to accept whatever the day brings.

What does the Cross mean to you?

Offering and Accepting Forgiveness

 "Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive?" Mt 18:21

The Gospel has always been clear. While believers are called to follow Jesus and enter deeply into the mystery of God's love, following Jesus without loving our brothers and sisters is empty. Only the full response to all in love is sufficient, and while we all fail at this command as often as we succeed, our success is not the goal. Rather, our willingness to step beyond our small circle of friends and to love everyone as brothers and sisters in Christ is the true test of our faith.

The saints never doubted this. Although many of them had harsh tempers, they knew that their faults needed to be addressed. They did not try to defend their poor behavior but asked God for the faith to see all people with new eyes. St Jerome, to whom we owe the first translation into the Latin Vulgate, a feat that made the scriptures available to everyday people, was notorious for his temper. At the same time, especially after his vitriolic and judgmental pen got him into trouble, he writes about his great remorse, and it was his sorrow and repentance that earned him the title saint. The same can be true for us.

Today, pray for someone from whom you have been separated.

How important is forgiveness and reconciliation in your faith life?

Unity in Christ

  "The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the Body of Christ? Because the loaf of bread is one, we, though many, are one Body, for we all partake of the one loaf." 1Cor 10: 16-17

It is clear in the Gospel that there is little more important to Jesus then the unity of his disciples. Near the end of St John's Gospel he asks his father for a final gift, “I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you....that the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me." (Jn 17:20-21, 23)

Our unity with one another is the sign that that Jesus came from God and is God. We have only to seek unity with one another in Christ in order to preach the truth of the Gospel that Jesus has come for the salvation of all. Anything that inhibits this unity must be resisted, especially the use of power and wealth as weapons to control others.

What are the struggles we have that get in the way of our unity?

Today, if you have the opportunity, listen to someone with whom you disagree?

Facing our Blindness

 "Can a blind person guide a blink person?" Lk 6:39

It can be very sad to acknowledge how blind we have been in life. Not only do we fail to see the sick and needy around us, we often are blind to the needs of our closest friends. When we are too concerned with our own image, power or needs, we lose focus, forget our ideals, and everyone and everything around us suffers.

Unfortunately, none of this is new or particular to people of the present age. Jesus tried to help his disciples see the errors of the Pharisees, but his task was difficult. Finding a place within and a community of disciples with whom to walk the way of the Gospel is important. Being strengthened by others who seek to know and live the Good News is an essential element of the faith about which Jesus preached. Because Jesus knew the path of righteousness which he proclaimed would be a struggle for all, he was forever reminding his followers to go "two by two" and to work together to be faithful to God. The same is true for our generation.

Today, open your eyes and look around. Judge nothing. Simply look and reflect about what you see.

What spiritual practices help you see the world the way God sees it?