ON the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross of Christ, which falls on September 14, we are given an occasion to consider once again the importance and indispensability of the cross in our life. Let’s savor some words of the readings used on that feast’s Mass. (cfr. Jn 3,13-17)
“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 did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.”
These words certainly tell us how the Cross of Christ embodies God’s love and mercy for us in spite of our undeniable wretchedness. It’s where we can deal properly with our wounded, sinful condition here on earth.
Yes, Christ preached. He performed miracles. But in the end, he had to offer his life on the cross because no matter what he did, our sins are such that they simply cannot be undone and forgiven through the preaching of the truths of our faith and the tremendous effects of the miracles. Christ has to offer his life on the cross!
We need to know the purpose of the cross because the cross, through Christ’s passion, death and resurrection, is where everything in our life is resolved. Christ’s passion, death and resurrection is the culmination of Christ’s redemptive mission on earth.
We might ask, if Christ is God, why did he have to go through all that suffering and death? Why not just say, “Everything is now all right, guys.” As God, nothing is impossible with him. With a simple movement of his will, with a flick of his hand, everything would be as it should be.
I must say, it is a good question to ask. Indeed, nothing is impossible with God. He does not have to do anything spectacular to repair what was damaged. A word from him, and everything would be as he wants it to be.
Be that as it may, the fact is that Christ chose the way the Father wanted it. “Not my will, but yours be done,” Christ said. (Lk 22,42) And I imagine the reason behind this is because God respects our human nature as it is, as it has been created by him, capable of loving and hating, and also capable of being faithful and unfaithful and faithful again after some conversion.
The return to fidelity, given our nature, will unavoidably involve suffering and death which Christ took to himself. It shows us the way of how to go about the consequences of our sins.
That is why, it’s always recommendable to meditate often on the passion, death and resurrection of Christ, so we would learn to have some healthy abhorrence against sin and temptations, as well as to develop the capacity to suffer calmly with Christ to make up for our unavoidable sins.
This is the purpose of the cross in our life. It is to instill in us the proper attitude and virtues with respect to our sin, before it is committed and also after it is committed. Christ’s cross atones for our many sins, satisfies the requirements of divine justice, and demonstrates God’s unconditional love.
With Christ’s cross, sin and death are conquered, and we are liberated from the bondage of sin. With it we are offered a path to eternal life!
