Why Cross of Our Salvation?

25th Sunday in Ordinary Time: 19 September 2021

Readings: Wisdom 2:12,17-20; Psalm 54:3-8; James 3:16-4:3; Mark 9:30-37

Christ showing a little child as the emblem of heaven by Benjamin West (1790)
To listen to my audio reflections, please click here

1. Let the sign of the Cross make us holy

Liturgically this week has been a very rich one. We celebrated the feasts of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross and then Our Lady of Sorrows and not to mention the feasts of the saints like John Chrysostom,  Pope Cornelius, Bishop Cyprian, Bishop Robert Bellarmine and Hildegard of Bingen. Many religious congregations both male and female bear the name of Holy Cross or Our Lady. The utter devotion to the Holy Cross says it us all. Without the Cross, there is no salvation, and without Our Lady, we don't see the way to that salvation. Because in Mary, God becomes human.

For us Christians the Cross is salvation; in fact, it's a way to salvation. Our salvation is wrought by the Cross. Our faith journey begins with the sign of the Cross on our forehead at the baptism. When the Holy Water is poured on our head by the one who is officiating this service makes a sign of the Cross saying "In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." We are sent to eternity with the same sign of the Cross. Therefore when we make the sign of the cross in our daily moments of prayer we must be conscious of what we are doing. When our right-hand goes to the forehead we must remember to say that let my cognition or thinking be holy, when my right-hand makes the sign of the Cross on my lips we must say let my words be holy, when my right-hand makes the sign of the Cross at the centre of my chest let me say let my feelings in the heart be holy, when my right-hand makes the sign of the cross on both the shoulders let me say let my actions be holy and blessed. In other words, let my cognition/thinking, words, feelings and actions be holy and blessed always. The life journey of a Christian involves trying to become more Christ-like. It is a long, hard journey and a key part of that is becoming more humble – less worldly. 

2. Gospel values give life

In the context of what is already said above, the liturgical readings of this Sunday make sense of how this cross is truly salvific. In a world when people value money, power, prestige and macho type behaviour, where might is right, the words of Jesus put us into shame. Too often, Christian values are mocked in this world. The values of Jesus are different from the values of the people who surround him. Jesus chooses a very simple, humble and meek way of addressing this world and its problems. Moreover, Jesus is very sensitive and attentive to the needs of people but when he saw something and the issue needed a quick response, he did it boldly. Jesus lifts a little child in order to show what does it mean by being the lowliest and the least. “Whoever received one child such as this in my name, receives me” (Mark 9:36-37) Jesus says.  In Greco-Roman Empire, the children were regarded as insignificant with no social status in society. It is not just the pure, innocent and preciousness of the children that this modern world considers valuable but also their status as lowliest and the least to be imitated and practiced.

Looking at the elaborate discussion the disciples had among themselves on who is the greatest, Jesus takes a swipe at his disciples: “Anyone who wants to be first, he must make himself last of all and servant of all” (Mark 9:35). The exaltation of these worldly values has very little meaning when it comes to living the authentic Gospel values. The kingdom of God belongs to those who don't look for the values of the world. The dichotomy and the dialectic of prestige and power stand in no way in front of the values that Jesus propagated. Simplicity, sobriety, humility including our littleness is enough for God. Probably in a world of too many wants and desires living a simple lifestyle itself is a challenge. 

3. Values of Jesus are the answer to our emptiness

When the values of the world begin to feed our life, we lose touch with who we are and what we are. The more we focus on ourselves we lose our focus on God. No one can move toward God who remains focused on the self.  When we do that we become aliens to our friends and to those who are around us. We begin to run from one course to another, from one guru to another, from one hospital to another in order to satisfy our emptiness, boredom, fear and anxiety. Jesus has a solution to the emptiness of his disciples as he found them lost in themselves soon after the heated discussion on who is going to be the greatest, in other words, who is going to be on the top! 

St Mark notes that there was silence after that discussion. All their ideas and arguments with one another had left them in utter emptiness. And Jesus notices this very quickly. “‘What were you arguing about on the way?’ But they remained silent” (Mark 9:33-34), the Gospel of Mark notes. The disciples, who were close to Jesus, found it difficult and so it is not surprising that we do too. Nevertheless, it is a path we are called to follow.  As humans we are interdependent. We are called to play a positive role and finding the solutions to the problems rather than creating them. It is certainly, not sitting at the fence and pointing at the other to be involved.

4. Who is the focus of your love?

St James writes so boldly in his letter: "For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice" (James 3:16). All too human manner of thinking and acting leads nowhere except to human discord, war and evil. James' diagnosis of human misery and malice points to a disease that afflicts all human hearts. In the words of Pope Francis, we are often tempted by "spiritual worldliness" including for those who work "in and for the Church" where our behaviour and attitudes tend to seek “not the Lord’s glory but human glory and personal well-being.”  Therefore Pope Francis suggests that in order to avoid this we must  make the "Church constantly go out from herself, keeping her mission focused on Jesus Christ and her commitment to the poor.” 

All the more, Jesus invites the disciples to lead their life by imitating His example of love and self-sacrifice.  They must be “servants of all,” especially the weak and the helpless —symbolized by the child He embraces and places in their midst. St Paul writes to the Colossians so beautifully to clothe themselves in “compassion, in generosity and humility, gentleness and patience” (Colossians 3:12). We must develop a spirituality that tries to look not only inwardly to our own interests but also outwardly to the interests of others. Finally, what gathers us in Jesus is the wisdom from above, desiring humility, not glory, and in all things being gentle and full of mercy. Let us wish this grace to each one of us.

Questions for reflection:
1. Who is the focus of your life? Love of self or love of God? 
2. How do you see worldly values of money, power, prestige and authority in your life?
3. What is the difference God has made in your life once you realized your vulnerability?

4. How well you are placed when you read today's reading from the epistle of St James 3:16-4:3?

Prayer:

O Lord Jesus Christ, 
help us today to see ourselves in all our weakness, 
to see you in all your omnipotent power 
so that your fullness may substitute our emptiness 
and your light may banish our darkness 

and your Holy Spirit may transform the chaos in our hearts.

For you alone are true joy, you our hope and our crown,

we make this prayer in Jesus' Holy name. Amen

- Olvin Veigas, SJ

17 September 2021