The Son of Man [had to] be lifted up,
that all who believe may have eternal life in him.
Yes, God so loved the world that He gave His only Son,
that whoever believes in Him may not die but may have eternal life
As we prepare to celebrate the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (September14th), we are called to remember all that was revealed to us through this most generous and loving act of our God. We need to recall the words of John, the disciple, who wrote: God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him may not die but may have eternal life. Perhaps the key words that need to be stressed are: whoever believes in Him.
Christ’s death on a cross makes no sense to a person without faith. Only faith can make sense out of this act of hatred. By faith we embrace the thought that Jesus voluntarily accepted His death on the cross in order to stress the truth of that which He taught. He lived and died in a manner that reflected His deepest teaching, namely: love of neighbor as self which is expressed through one’s actions of not judging others, forgiving others and treating others in the same way that you want to be treated. Jesus showed us, in a very poignant way, how to incorporate the four life-rules into everyday life. He lived, as I said, what He truly believed and taught! We, of course, are called to live the very same way. We must make every effort to live what we say we believe and hold to be true.
This coming feast of the Exaltation of the Cross truly challenges us to assess how we are living and answer the question: Do I truly live what I believe?
We will find, if we do an honest examination of our life, that living in accord with the four life-rules that Jesus taught truly challenges us to change, especially, the way we think.
As I experience life I find, especially living in this time in history, that society can easily lead me to judge others. Living in a very diverse society and with all the pressures of modern-day life, it is easy to judge those who don’t think like me or live like me. When you add the fear of terrorist attacks, which is fanned by the media, it is quite easy to give in to judging others, especially those who are culturally different from you and who don’t believe the same things that you do.
By saying this I don’t mean in any way to lessen the real seriousness of the threats that are directed against us as Americans. The possibility of attacks is real. Jesus, however, knew that crucifixion was a real possibility. He refused, however, to hate even those who had the ability to kill Him.