I AM referring to the cross. More
specifically, the cross
of Christ. It is the tree that symbolizes all our sinfulness and all
its awful effects and consequences, as well as our own salvation, that
is, if we look at it the way Christ did.
The cross in all its forms should be seen in its proper
perspective, and that is the perspective of our faith, as articulated
by Christ himself not only in words but most especially in deeds. The
cross is not an afterthought of God. It is part of his eternal plan
for us.
We should avoid regarding it based solely on our own
estimation of things. Such attitude can keep us in an unholy
captivity, since it can only give us its dark, negative side, and not
its redeeming and supernatural character. In this, we have to help
everyone to overcome the common and improper tendency.
We need to see the cross in all its entirety. It certainly
is not simply bad news. It actually is good news, deserving of being
loved and of looking forward to. We should not be afraid of it.
The cross is the symbol of our sinfulness and all its
effects and consequences that ultimately include our death. That’s
because our very own nature, which is not only biological but most
especially spiritual with the capacity for the supernatural, would
involve these effects when we misuse the gifts God gives us,
especially that of our freedom.
It is therefore unavoidable. But Christ shows us how to
suffer it and to convert it into our way of salvation. He has assumed
all our sinfulness and all its effects and consequences, especially
death. But he has turned them, with his death in obedience to his
Father’s will, into our way of salvation. This is the secret of that
happy conversion—suffering in obedience to the Father’s will.
Thus, the cross becomes a tree of life, a source of grace
and joy. That’s why we should not be afraid of it. We should rather
welcome it and be most eager to embrace it. We need to overcome our
natural fears and resistance, and in fact train our natural systems,
with God’s grace that’s given to us in abundance, to conform to this
wonderful truth of our faith.
We have to be wary of our tendency to be easily taken up
simply by our feelings when crosses come our way. While we cannot
avoid them, we should not allow them to lead the way in reacting and
accepting these crosses. We have to react in a spiritual and
supernatural way.
God’s grace in the form of faith, hope and charity can
certainly enable us to bear all things. We may not be able to
understand the mechanism involved. But what we know is that what is
impossible with us is always possible with God.
And what is usually feared and resisted by us becomes an
object of extreme interest when done with God. Christ has shown us the
way, and the saints have continually given testimony to this truth.
On our part, we have to take advantage of the many little
discomforts, disappointments, frustrations, problems, etc., we meet
everyday to cultivate this love for the cross. This is how we can
prepare ourselves to face the ultimate big cross of our life—our
death.
We have to be quick to see the opportunity and the
invitation God is sending us to identify ourselves with Christ when
suffering, in one form or another, comes our way. Yes, for this, we
need to discipline our emotions and thoughts, even as we quicken our
faith, making many acts of faith, hope and charity.
We should never belittle these practices that may appear
childish to some but actually are clear manifestations of human and
Christian maturity. This is another challenge to tackle, an erroneous
mindset that needs to be changed.
We have to reassure everyone the crosses, when seen from
the point of view of our faith, are actually welcome events with great
potentials for our own purification and atonement for our mistakes and
sins, and ultimately for identifying ourselves more and more with
Christ. In fact, in this life these crosses guarantee that we are
dealing with Christ.
These crosses attract graces and occasion spiritual
growth. We should always relate them with the abiding and
never-failing providence of God. Our problem is that we usually fall
into relying on our own estimation of things that no matter how
brilliant can only take so much. We need to change that attitude.
of Christ. It is the tree that symbolizes all our sinfulness and all
its awful effects and consequences, as well as our own salvation, that
is, if we look at it the way Christ did.
The cross in all its forms should be seen in its proper
perspective, and that is the perspective of our faith, as articulated
by Christ himself not only in words but most especially in deeds. The
cross is not an afterthought of God. It is part of his eternal plan
for us.
We should avoid regarding it based solely on our own
estimation of things. Such attitude can keep us in an unholy
captivity, since it can only give us its dark, negative side, and not
its redeeming and supernatural character. In this, we have to help
everyone to overcome the common and improper tendency.
We need to see the cross in all its entirety. It certainly
is not simply bad news. It actually is good news, deserving of being
loved and of looking forward to. We should not be afraid of it.
The cross is the symbol of our sinfulness and all its
effects and consequences that ultimately include our death. That’s
because our very own nature, which is not only biological but most
especially spiritual with the capacity for the supernatural, would
involve these effects when we misuse the gifts God gives us,
especially that of our freedom.
It is therefore unavoidable. But Christ shows us how to
suffer it and to convert it into our way of salvation. He has assumed
all our sinfulness and all its effects and consequences, especially
death. But he has turned them, with his death in obedience to his
Father’s will, into our way of salvation. This is the secret of that
happy conversion—suffering in obedience to the Father’s will.
Thus, the cross becomes a tree of life, a source of grace
and joy. That’s why we should not be afraid of it. We should rather
welcome it and be most eager to embrace it. We need to overcome our
natural fears and resistance, and in fact train our natural systems,
with God’s grace that’s given to us in abundance, to conform to this
wonderful truth of our faith.
We have to be wary of our tendency to be easily taken up
simply by our feelings when crosses come our way. While we cannot
avoid them, we should not allow them to lead the way in reacting and
accepting these crosses. We have to react in a spiritual and
supernatural way.
God’s grace in the form of faith, hope and charity can
certainly enable us to bear all things. We may not be able to
understand the mechanism involved. But what we know is that what is
impossible with us is always possible with God.
And what is usually feared and resisted by us becomes an
object of extreme interest when done with God. Christ has shown us the
way, and the saints have continually given testimony to this truth.
On our part, we have to take advantage of the many little
discomforts, disappointments, frustrations, problems, etc., we meet
everyday to cultivate this love for the cross. This is how we can
prepare ourselves to face the ultimate big cross of our life—our
death.
We have to be quick to see the opportunity and the
invitation God is sending us to identify ourselves with Christ when
suffering, in one form or another, comes our way. Yes, for this, we
need to discipline our emotions and thoughts, even as we quicken our
faith, making many acts of faith, hope and charity.
We should never belittle these practices that may appear
childish to some but actually are clear manifestations of human and
Christian maturity. This is another challenge to tackle, an erroneous
mindset that needs to be changed.
We have to reassure everyone the crosses, when seen from
the point of view of our faith, are actually welcome events with great
potentials for our own purification and atonement for our mistakes and
sins, and ultimately for identifying ourselves more and more with
Christ. In fact, in this life these crosses guarantee that we are
dealing with Christ.
These crosses attract graces and occasion spiritual
growth. We should always relate them with the abiding and
never-failing providence of God. Our problem is that we usually fall
into relying on our own estimation of things that no matter how
brilliant can only take so much. We need to change that attitude.
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