The Fourfold Message of the Cross

 

Deacon Dave · The Fourfold Message of the Cross

Homily for the 24th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Sept. 15, 2024. Gospel of St. Mark 8:27-35. Theme: The Fourfold Message of the Cross 

 The word Messiah, which we most often use in its Greek translation of “Christ”, had deep meaning for the Jewish people of Jesus’ time. The Messiah’s coming foretold by the prophets was what gave hope to every devout Israelite as they struggled to live under Roman oppression. It fueled within their hearts the yearning for freedom, prosperity, and independence. Therefore, what a shock it was when Jesus affirmed that he was indeed the Christ but in the same breath foretold his approaching Passion at the hands of Israel’s enemies! 

 This was too much to hear and so Peter stepped up and tried to change the subject. As he and the other disciples saw it, the cross was for criminals and certainly not for the Christ! However, in God’s mysterious plan, the cross was indeed central to the mission of Christ and in today’s Gospel he tells us that it is also part of our mission as Christians. Each one of us must bear the cross as it manifests itself in our lives. This is not easy to do so it's important to find hope and strength in the fourfold message that the cross brings to us. 

 First, the Cross is irrefutable proof of God's solidarity with us. We worship a God who did not remain far away and aloof from his creation. In order to save us and restore us to an intimate friendship with him, our God became one of us. He rolled up his sleeves and got dirty, so to speak, with the business of being a man. He gave up the glory of Paradise and laid aside his divine power to humbly become like us in every way except for sin. And this "every way" included suffering and death. He did not exempt himself from experiencing our deepest fears, sufferings and pains because he came to save, to heal, to redeem every aspect and experience of our humanity. Thus, the Cross shows us the depths of God's solidarity with us. 

 Second, the Cross is a sign of God's love for us. People often ask why Jesus "had" to suffer the Cross and Passion. Couldn't God have saved us in an easier and different way? Well, of course he could have. But he chose to save us in a way that we could never forget or doubt the depth of his love. Crucifixion was the most cruel, shameful, humiliating and painful way to die. It began with being stripped naked before your peers and ridiculed in public. The nails were strategically placed to cause excruciating nerve pain and were situated in such a way that the victim could only breathe by struggling to lift themselves up a bit, putting even more pressure on the nailed parts of the body and thus increasing the agony. Thus, the Cross shows us the unbelievable depth of God's unselfish and passionate love for each and every human being. 

 Third, the Cross is a call to partnership with Christ. Jesus chose to freely offer up his sufferings for the sake of our salvation. Through his Passion he grabbed evil by the horns, so to speak. and flipped it on its back. What this means is that he has made it possible for us to unite with him and turn the Bad News of Suffering into the Good News of Salvation! This does not mean that sickness, pain and suffering have now become something good. Rather, it means that because of our relationship with the Risen Lord by baptism, we can intentionally unite our difficulties and painful experiences to the Cross of Christ in a mystical union or partnership. We do not have to bear our sufferings alone nor need they become "wasted" or "meaningless". Through him, with him and in him we can bear the Cross out of love and participate in obtaining graces of salvation and redemption for others. St. Paul wrote and taught about this kind of partnership in the New Testament. 

 And lastly, the Cross is a pledge of our future resurrection to eternal life. It reminds us that Jesus has promised - not just said but promised - that if we remain faithful to him we, too, shall overcome our physical death and enter into a new and glorious eternal existence! For this reason the Roman Christians composed a short prayer of praise that goes, "Ave Crucis Spes Unica!" or in English, "Hail, O Cross, our Only Hope!" It reminded them - and still reminds us - that the Cross, which was originally the symbol of torture and execution has been transfigured by Christ into the sign of resurrection and eternal life. 

 This is why we wear it. This is why we bow before it in reverence. And this is why we trace it upon our bodies when we begin or end a prayer. It sums up everything good and holy that God has done for us and stirs up within our hearts the good things God still has in mind for us as we wait with joyful hope for these better things to come!

Ephphatha! Be Opened!

 

Deacon Dave · Ephphatha! Be Opened!

Homily for the 23rd Sunday of Ordinary Time, Sept. 8, 2024. Readings: Gospel of St. Mark 7:31-37. Theme: Ephphatha! Be Opened! 

 “Ephphatha” is a strange word in today’s Gospel. It’s actually one of the very few words we have from the lips of Jesus in his own native language of Aramiac. And as St. Mark tells us, it means “Be opened”. This healing story was of such significance in Christianity that it became part of the ritual of Baptism wherein Jesus' words and gestures are repeated in what is called the “Ephphatha Rite”. At that part of the ceremony, the baptizing minister touches the ears and mouth of the newly baptized while saying, “May the Lord Jesus, who made the deaf to hear and the mute to speak, grant that you may soon receive his Word with your ears and profess the Faith with your lips, to the glory and praise of God the Father.” 

 It’s nearly impossible for us to imagine how much the deaf man suffered due to living in a silent world of social isolation. Notice how intentionally and carefully Jesus interacted with the man. Because he could not hear, touch became the basis for their communication and so Jesus placed his fingers upon the man’s ears and lips, indicating that he was focusing on these parts. Then the Lord placed saliva upon the man’s tongue, because it was thought to be a natural and powerful medicine, so it delivered a message of health and healing. Finally and thoughtfully, Christ groaned aloud so that the man could sense the vibrations of his voice and know he was being personally addressed. And when Jesus exclaimed, “Ephphatha!” the man was set free from the suffering of isolation and given a renewed life! 

 But you know, being deaf and mute are not the only ways in which the ears and lips can lead us into the prison of social isolation. It can also happen when those who are able to hear and speak choose to use these faculties in negative and destructive ways, such as by gossip and detraction. Such people often find themselves in a social isolation of their own making because no one likes to be around those who exude such negativity. And then there are also those who put others into social isolation by trying to silence them, closing their ears to hearing what someone is really trying to say. This can make the speakers feel invisible and that their thoughts don’t matter. 

 It’s also possible for such things to go beyond the personal and become a national problem. We’ve seen this happening in the past few years particularly via social media. Those who speak unpopular truths are maligned and silenced. Many who have a public voice speak lies and innuendos. There is no attempt to really listen to one another and to speak in a way that builds peace and promotes unity. Instead we see the virus of social isolation taking on a new and ugly form as it spreads and infects others, even causing social isolation to take place within families and in workplaces. All of these misuses and abuses of the lips and ears - whether in our private life or in the public forum - stand in need of healing. They all need to feel the touch of Jesus and hear him exclaim, “Ephphatha”! “Be opened!” 

 And this brings me back to the Ephphatha Rite in Baptism. We receive our own “ephphatha” at the beginning of our Christianity because it spiritually empowers us to become part of the healing solution to this divisive and isolating problem. Baptism washes away sin and the Ephphatha brings this cleansing grace to our speaking and our hearing. It isn’t there just for the sake of ceremony. It isn’t simply empty ritual symbolism. Rather, it makes us part of the on-going ever-present miracle of Christ, by bringing us into a participation in his healing ministry. Those of us who have had our ears and lips opened are called to pay it forward and spread the Lord’s “ephphatha” to those around us. 

 So, how do we do that? How do we ordinary everyday Christians pay it forward and do what we can to be Ephphatha healers? We do so most of all by ensuring that our own use of speech and of listening are guided by the supreme law of charity. We are to say the good things people need to hear, things that will really help them and so become a healing presence in a very broken world that is inhabited by very broken people. Following the instructions of St. James in our second reading, we are to speak and listen without showing any favoritism or partiality, accepting each person as someone who deserves to be heard and spoken to with respect. As Ephphatha Christians we strive to act in this way so that others can experience the touch of Christ through us, enabling him to open their ears to truly listen and open their lips to speak the truth.