“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the son of man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life” (In 3:14). Yes, God used the bronze serpent to save the Israelites, but only those who believed and gaze upon it. Through Moses, God demonstrated what He was going to accomplish in Christ Jesus. So today we exalt the Cross of Jesus.
“They shall look upon Him whom they pierced” (Zech 12:10). The wood of the Cross towering above all, on which is fastened Jesus, the Lamb of sacrifice, draws our attention to itself. In silence we wrap ourselves gently with Mary and John at the foot of the Cross. The Cross humbles us. There we surrender ourselves with all its strength and weakness, beauty and glamour, troubles of life and temptations, sickness and health, even life and death! All these dissolve into the one gaze of faith at Jesus hanging above.
“Ours were the suffering He bore” (Is 53:4). The Cross is for us. The pain and anguish of Jesus is unimaginable. He suffered every aspect of life open to suffering, physically, psychologically, emotionally, etc. But He accepted the suffering for our sake. We are the real owners of the pain and anguish. Hanging between heaven and earth, Jesus freely but painfully offered up Himself to the Father in exchange. Since He was bearing within Him that which belongs to us, i.e. suffering and death, our hearts are drawn to Him; our lives are mingled with His.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His Only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (Jn 3:16). Love is sacrificed; Love has conquered! God looks upon Jesus hanging above, and forgives us, and transforms our suffering into a means of blessing. The acceptance of Jesus' offering of our suffering becomes our merit. Thus we exalt the Cross that has made us. It towers above us as the banner of blessing; the fountain of grace and strength.
Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
Ss Peter and Paul Catholic Church
Tedi-Muwo, Lagos.
Saturday September 14th, 2019.
Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross.
“They shall look upon Him whom they pierced” (Zech 12:10). The wood of the Cross towering above all, on which is fastened Jesus, the Lamb of sacrifice, draws our attention to itself. In silence we wrap ourselves gently with Mary and John at the foot of the Cross. The Cross humbles us. There we surrender ourselves with all its strength and weakness, beauty and glamour, troubles of life and temptations, sickness and health, even life and death! All these dissolve into the one gaze of faith at Jesus hanging above.
“Ours were the suffering He bore” (Is 53:4). The Cross is for us. The pain and anguish of Jesus is unimaginable. He suffered every aspect of life open to suffering, physically, psychologically, emotionally, etc. But He accepted the suffering for our sake. We are the real owners of the pain and anguish. Hanging between heaven and earth, Jesus freely but painfully offered up Himself to the Father in exchange. Since He was bearing within Him that which belongs to us, i.e. suffering and death, our hearts are drawn to Him; our lives are mingled with His.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His Only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (Jn 3:16). Love is sacrificed; Love has conquered! God looks upon Jesus hanging above, and forgives us, and transforms our suffering into a means of blessing. The acceptance of Jesus' offering of our suffering becomes our merit. Thus we exalt the Cross that has made us. It towers above us as the banner of blessing; the fountain of grace and strength.
Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
Ss Peter and Paul Catholic Church
Tedi-Muwo, Lagos.
Saturday September 14th, 2019.
Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross.
