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!