As we end the 17th week after Pentecost we prepare for one of the 12 Major Feasts of our Church, that is the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, which is celebrated on the 14th of September. The readings that are assigned have been picked to reinforce the message of the up-and-coming feast.

The first, taken from the conclusion of Paul’s Letter to the Galatians, is entitled: The Cross, Our True Boast. Paul writes:

May I never boast of anything but the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ! Through it, the world has been crucified to me and I to the world…. All that matters is that one is created anew. Peace and mercy on all who follow this rule of life…. I bear the brand marks of Jesus in my body.

Our second reading is taken from John’s Gospel. In the 3rd Chapter John writes:

… so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that all who believe may have eternal life in him…. That whoever believes in him may not die but may have eternal life.

IF we reflect upon both readings, we quickly see that both Paul and John found true strength to face the challenges of life in the message of the Cross. For them the Cross symbolizes the victory Jesus had over the greatest challenges of His life. Think about the Cross. It was the result of a friend’s betrayal and the jealousy of others within Jesus’ community. It caused friends to desert him and even a friend’s denial of acquaintance.

It was, however, the greatest moment of grace for mankind since it demonstrated how humans, who believe in a loving God, can deal with the greatest of human challenges and not become embittered. Jesus continued to love and forgive others even during the greatest moments of pain.

Jesus had the power, as a man, to live through these horrendous experiences because He truly had placed His Hope and Trust in His Abba – Father. Through His voluntary acceptance of the challenges of life, He revealed to all humankind how to live and testified that our God, our Creator, is a loving and caring Father Who will not rescue us from the challenges of life but will be with us in confronting the challenges of life, giving us sufficient courage and strength to endure them and live through them.

The Cross tells us that the challenges of life are, indeed, opportunities to truly place our hope and trust in God. It is all a matter of what we believe! Do you believe God is a loving Father? Do you believe that the challenges of life are opportunities for spiritual growth?