September 14 is the Feast of the Triumph of the Cross. Last time we looked at why we honour the Cross: Because it reminds us that Jesus died to save us.
And this is where I have a problem. Why do we need to be saved by Jesus’ death? I remember growing up learning that we are made clean, that we are redeemed by Christ’s blood, that Jesus’ death forgives all our sins. St. Peter says that we are ransomed by the blood of Christ (1 Peter 1:18-19). But why? Why couldn’t God save us by just having one big party instead? Why death?
I’m sorry to say that we don’t have the full answer to that. It’s a Mystery. There are Mysteries to our faith — not mysteries that we have to solve, like a murder mystery — but capital “M” Mysteries because they are so awesome that there is no way to explain them. But that doesn’t mean that, “Oh, it’s a mystery and we’ll never figure it out, so let’s forget it.” No, we need to keep praying and trying to understand them. We need to dwell in their presence, because maybe we won’t understand them intellectually, but I can guarantee you that when we dwell in the presence of these Mysteries, they will transform us. And that’s what we’re trying to do here: to grow in the presence of this Mystery of the Cross.
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“Lift high the Cross, the love of Christ proclaim…”
That’s a song we all know, but what does it mean? Why do we lift high the Cross? September 14 is the feast of the Triumph of the Cross, also called the Exaltation of the Cross. Did you know that we celebrate this feast tomorrow?
Have you ever heard of St. Helena? She was the mother of Constantine. Remember that St. Constantine was the emperor who made Christianity the official religion of the whole Roman Empire in the 4th century. According to legend, St. Helena goes to Jerusalem and finds the true Cross – the actual cross on which Jesus died. Constantine had a church built over the site of the crucifixion; that’s where the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is today in the Old City of Jerusalem. The church was dedicated today, on September 13th in the year 335. The following day, September 14th, was decreed as the day when “all should celebrate the finding and exaltation of the Cross.”
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My homily for the 21st Sunday in Ordinary time, year C. The readings are Isaiah 66:18-21; Psalm 117; Hebrews 12:5-7, 11-13 and Luke 13:22-30.
I can picture the Pentecostal pastor or the Baptist preacher, leaning over the pulpit and asking, “Are you saved, brothah? Are you saved, sistah?” Are you saved? That’s a question that seems to be more important to non-Catholic Christians than it is for Catholics. I mean, whenever an Evangelical has asked me if I’m saved, my response is (shrugging), “It depends.” Do you mean, do I believe in God, or do I believe in Christ? Or has Christ already saved me or do I accept the fact that He has saved me? Or do you mean, am I going to Heaven? Because I don’t know. I’d like to go to Heaven, but I don’t want to presume.
Are you going to Heaven? Now that’s a question that’s important for everyone; probably the most important question. Who wants to go to Heaven? I want to go to Heaven. The Catholic Church’s response to the “are you saved?” question is the Universal Call to Holiness. I’ve written about this before. We are all called to be holy. We are all called to be Saints. That means we are all called to go to Heaven. We are all called to salvation. That’s what it’s all about. That’s the most important thing we’ll ever do: get to Heaven!
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Este fue mi sermón en la Parroquia de Santa Marta en la Ciudad de Panamá, el domingo 4 de agosto, 2013 con el P. Rómulo Aguilar una semana después de la JMJ en Rio 2013. Las lecturas ese 19º domingo de tiempo ordinario eran Eclesiastés 1:2; 2, 21-23; Colosenses 3:1-5, 9-11 y Lucas 12:13-21.
Que quiere ser rico ante Dios? San Pablo nos lo dice en la segunda lectura: “Aspiren a los bienes de arriba, no a los de la tierra.” Busquen primero el Reino de los Cielos. Ese es el mensaje de hoy. Pero mucha gente, cuando escucha este mensaje, piensan que tienen que estar metidos en la iglesia o tienen que estar rezando el Rosario todo el tiempo o estar frente al Santísimo – y todo eso es bueno e importante, pero no es suficiente y esas cosas no son el fin de la expresión Cristiana. Y creo que para todos Uds. no es necesariamente la mejor forma de buscar el Reino de los Cielos. Para explicar esto mejor, les tengo una palabra: MISION.
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deacon pedro 