The Mystery of the Cross

The mystery of the Cross is brought into sharp relief in the readings for this weekend. We may be familiar with the reality of the Cross in daily life. Suffering seems to be a part of our daily life whenever we turn on the television, surf the net or read our newspapers. There seem to be many instances where people suffer violence from the ravages of war, the reality of how this impacts our own lives and how the images can distress us. Even locally we can become aware of those who need our prayers for healing, those who wrestle with division in their own homes and how inner conflict can isolate us from each other. There seems to be so much that can overwhelm us that the burden can seem impossible to bear.

Yet amid so much suffering  we meet the suffering servant, Jesus who seeks to take what seems to crush us upon himself. This can confuse us as we seek to make sense of our own anguish and navigate paths through this suffering. As we gaze upon the Cross our attention is often drawn to the cross that causes the suffering or the person who suffers. There is a sense of compassion and bewilderment at times about why a good man needs to suffer. Yet is the person who suffers who helps us to make sense of our own suffering. He does not do this out of duty or obligation but out of a profound outpouring of love and compassion, Jesus accompanies us even in our suffering and does not abandon us. He seeks to show us how mercy can be found at the time of our greatest need. 

This evangelisation of others helps us to encounter a person who will not abandon us but allow us to witness to holiness,mercy and life. As a Christian people this witness is best lived out when we seek to alleviate suffering and address the causes of suffering out of love and compassion. Our community grows together as we gather, especially at times when we challenged by the reality of suffering. We can become a people of God who are healed through the Sacrament of Anointing, reconciled through the Sacrament of Penance and nourished through our sharing of the Eucharist at Mass. God does not abandon us but offers his very self so that we can be healed.

In this we witness the suffering servant who came to serve not be served. Who witnesses to the compassion of Christ who offers his very self to us. This is where we acknowledge how all the baptized are called to preach all the Gospel to all the people all the time.