Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Contemplate the Sign of Love

 

  
For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life.
John 3:  16
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We exalt the Cross of Jesus, because in it God’s love for humanity was fully revealed. That’s what the Gospel of John reminds us of in today’s liturgy: “God so loved the world that He gave his only Son” (3:16). The Father “gave” the Son to save us, and this resulted in the death of Jesus, and his death on the Cross. Why? Why was the Cross necessary? Because of the gravity of the evil which enslaved us. The Cross of Jesus expresses both things: all the negative forces of evil, and all of the gentle omnipotence of God’s mercy….

When we look to the Cross where Jesus was nailed, we contemplate the sign of love, of the infinite love of God for each of us and the source of our salvation. The mercy of God, which embraces the whole world, springs from the Cross. Through the Cross of Christ the Evil One is overcome, death is defeated, life is given to us, hope is restored….

While we contemplate and celebrate the Holy Cross, we think with emotion of so many of our brothers and sisters who are being persecuted and killed because of their faith in Christ. This happens especially wherever religious freedom is still not guaranteed or fully realized. It happens, however, even in countries and areas which, in principle, protect freedom and human rights but where, in practice, believers, and especially Christians, encounter restrictions and discrimination….

On Calvary, there at the foot of the Cross, was the Virgin Mary (cf. John 19:25-27). She is Our Lady of Sorrows, whom we shall celebrate tomorrow in the liturgy. To her I entrust the present and the future of the Church, so that we may all always be able to discover and welcome the message of love and salvation of the Cross of Christ….

Pope Francis
Angelus, 14 September 2014
Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

For the complete text please visit:
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We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you, because, by your holy cross, you have redeemed the world!

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Chapel at Calvary

Our Lady of Sorrows
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The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross as well as Our Lady of Sorrows are “favorites” of mine.  They became extra special to me during my first pilgrimage to the Holy Land on a visit to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.  Encountering Calvary, seeing and touching the rock of Golgotha, had a spiritual, emotional and physical impact on me.  The pain and suffering of our Lord Jesus as well as our Blessed Mother Mary on Good Friday became real.  For me, for you, they suffered.  Our Lord Jesus died for my sins and those of the whole world. 

The human mind cannot fathom the infinite love and mercy of our God for us.  All we can do is devote our life to giving God all our love and thanks and glory.  May His will be done.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

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2 comments:

  1. When I came back into the Church, the mercy and the passion of Jesus meant so much to me. Being able to express my gratitude to Jesus for the cross in the liturgy has been amazing! Bending my knee in His presence seems such a small way to show how wonderful Jesus is. Remembering the Cross gives us perspective and strength as we take up our own crosses daily. Thank you for this lovely article and the photos which bring to mind our pilgrimage.

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  2. Dear Karen:

    Thank you for sharing this. This also reminds me of the Holy Land

    In communion of prayer and praise,

    Anne

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