THE SIGN OF THE CROSS

FEAST OF THE EXALTATION OF THE CROSS

Numbers 21: 4b – 9, Psalm 78, Philippians 2: 6 – 11, John 3: 13 – 17

How powerful is your memory? Can you still remember the things of the past? Can you still recall the exact date of your baptism? Can you still remember the first name of the first person who gave you a warm hug? Can you still remember the person who turned down your offer to love him/her forever? We must admit that we always fall short in remembering things, people, and events in our lives. That is why we are provided with signs so that we can remember! Traffic lights remind us that there’s a time for everything – a time to stop, to get ready, and to go. For lovers, you call each other with words of endearment – munch and kins; sweetie and pie; mhe and dhe. For couples, the purpose of your wedding rings is to remind you of your call to fidelity with one another. Signs remind us of valuable people and timeless moments in life.

In our first reading, God told Moses to erect a bronze serpent on a stand to remind them of the presence of God. Life shall be restored on someone who looks at the bronze serpent. And such sign, already prefigured the “lifting up” of Jesus on the cross.

In our Gospel, we heard Jesus telling Nicodemus that “just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up!” What then do we mean by the words, “so must the Son of Man be lifted up?” In another passage from John, he explicitly relates the “lifting up” with the death of Jesus on the cross. “And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself. He said this indicating the kind of death he would die. (John 12: 32 -33)”

And so, as we celebrate today the exaltation of the Cross, the lifting up of Jesus on the cross, what are we reminded of every time we gaze upon his cross? We are reminded of two things. First, the cross makes us recall the story which led to the end of Jesus’ earthly life – his passion. It was a story of denial. Peter his closest trusted aid denied him three times. It was a story of loneliness. His friends left him for they were filled with fear. It was a story of suffering which led to his death. However, the cross also reminds us that it is only a prelude to his glorious resurrection – wherein death has no longer power over life!

As Christians, the cross has always been part of our lives. At Baptism, we were marked with the sign of the cross. I guess no day ends without us having made the sign of the cross. However, let us put to heart this reality that every time we see the cross or mark ourselves with it, we are reminded of three things:

First, the inevitability of suffering because of our decision to follow Christ. Why? Even Jesus, whom we adhere, suffered because of his decision to do the will of the Father. This suffering can come in small ways like being teased or bullied for having lived a holy life or it can come in big ways like being violently persecuted or even killed because of Christ. Yet Pope Francis has this powerful reminder to offer, “ to those who suffer, God does not provide reasonable arguments but an accompanying presence!” When we are suffering, just look at Christ Crucified on the Cross, and remember that you are not alone. You have a God who accompanies you in life’s darkest, driest, and dullest moments.

Second, the cross reminds us that it is not the end of life. God is not yet finished with us! Jesus’ life did not end in the cross! From the cross, we were led to the empty tomb – a reminder of God’s victory over death. Whatever you are going through right now especially if you are carrying so heavy a cross in the family, school, or work, do not lose hope! It is part and parcel of God’s grand design for your life! We have been saved by hope and so we move forward in life with hope!

Finally, the cross reminds us that the key to a glorious end is loving obedience to the will of the Father. St. Paul in our second reading today beautifully puts it, “because of his obedience to death, even death on a cross, God greatly exalted him!” If our following of Christ even in the midst of suffering is not rooted on loving obedience to the Father, then, any time, we can let go of Him. What makes us move on with life despite its difficulties is our conviction that what we are going through right now is a daily submission to the will of the Father, who has loved us with an everlasting love!

And so, as we celebrate the feast of the exaltation of the cross of Christ, may we be reminded that suffering due to our decision to follow Christ is inevitable. Yet, it also points us to a truth that God is not yet finished with us. And only when we are convinced that what we are going through right now is a fulfilling of the will of the Father, then, we can truly reach our own empty tombs, our glorious Resurrection. Amen!