Reflection on the Cross

Today is the feast of the Triumph of the Cross. Here are some reflections:

Jesus is lifted up and we are lifted up with him as well. Crucified is excruciating, however, so how might we look at it in a way that opens the way for us to love the cross?

                Well, when lifted up above the world, we are lifted above its lures and enticements, above its woes and miseries, knowing that somehow this rising up will bring an ultimate end to all misery.

                In prayer, it could mean being raised up beyond distraction, beyond the things that run through our minds deterring our mission, which is to rest in God’s love and to allow our souls to commune with him in silence and in peace.

                In sickness, it can serve to remind us that while on the cross, that very agony is what leads directly to the Kingdom of Heaven. The end of the pain is eternal bliss. The end of the pain is the unfathomable comfort which will never end. There will be no more pain of any kind, at any time.

                The cross is also humiliation leading to glory. There are so many humiliations in our lives: the humiliation of our state in life, perhaps, or the humiliation of knowing that once again we have failed, the humiliation of living with the things that drag us down, the “thorn in the side” that throws us to the ground, the humiliation and scorn of those who hate us or simply do not appreciate or scorn us. At times like these, we might remember that Christ calls it “being glorified” and that “blessed are you who are persecuted for my sake, for your reward will be great in heaven.”