EMBRACING THE CROSS OF CHRIST
The passage from the 1st reading taken from the prophet Isaiah speaks about the SUFFERING SERVANT. The suffering servant acknowledges God’s action in his life. He knows that God gives him the strength and wisdom needed to fulfill his mission. He can endure any kind of persecution and humiliation. He affirms the loving presence of God in times of trials and difficulties. He thrives amidst adversities. He is always calm under pressure. He suffers quietly without complaining and taking revenge. He remains steadfast in faith because he knows that God vindicates and defends him always.
The second reading from the letter of St. James focuses on FAITH. Faith must be accompanied with actions. Itis not just an intellectual assent on the existence of God. It is also the expression of care for God’s creation. It is not only looking above heaven but also looking at the people around especially the poor and the needy. Faith motivates us to be in solidarity with the “unwanted, unloved and the uncared for.” It is a commitment to give justice to the oppressed. Faith is not a wishy-washy thing. It must lead us to social responsibility. It is not confined only inside the church. It reaches us to those in the peripheries. Faith is not only pass on through words but through deeds of goodness. It grows in others by attraction, by giving witness to one’s life. Faith sees blessings even in suffering.
The gospel reading from St. Mark deals with the IDENTITY OF JESUS. We need to know the truth about Jesus. Not knowing His true identity could have undesirable effects. It may lead us to wrong conclusions and expectations. The disciples misunderstood the identity of Jesus. They thought that He is a political messiah. Jesus therefore has led them to the realization that He is the suffering messiah. It is only in accepting Him as the suffering messiah that the disciples would also accept their own sufferings as a result of following Jesus. To be Christ’s disciple is to follow Him in the way of the cross. There’s no fast and easy way of discipleship. Discipleship has demands and renunciations. We cannot confess Jesus as Lord and at the same time shun hardships and sufferings. When we suffer for others to help them restore their dignity, when we are humiliated for faithfully carrying out our mission and when we are scorned for remaining strong in the catholic faith … then we are truly living the cross of Christ.
With the so many controversies hounding our Church today, it is hard to be a Catholic. It is difficult to profess our faith in the open. However, what seems hard, love makes it easy. Love strengthens us in our weakness. Love gives us hope in our despair. Love empowers us to do what seems impossible. True love consists in giving it up for the sake of the beloved. The shape of a true love is not a heart but a cross. The cross connotes suffering. Jesus died on the cross for our sake. The cross…Jesus’ suffering…is the greatest expression of His love for us.
We are therefore called to embrace the cross of Christ. Embracing the cross…is embracing our sufferings including our smallness, weaknesses, and vulnerabilities. Embracing the cross…is embracing with an open heart our suffering brethren. Our faith compels us to become the present day disciples of the Lord…the suffering servants …lowly yet rich in mercy and compassion.
Fr. Jong Atinaja
