The Cross: Symbol of Saving Love

[Honey&Sweety 1]

Devotion to the suffering Jesus (Padre Jesus Nazareno) and the dead Jesus, taken down from the Cross(Santo Entierro) is very popular among us Filipinos. This can be seen in many different Lenten and Holy Week practices, especially those focusing on Good Friday. There are the stations of the Cross, the flagellantes, the Pasyon chanted throughout Holy Week, and the Senakulo dramatizations of Christ`s final week.Lent and Holy Week are also favorite times for Filipinos to make spiritual retreats and days of recollections.

The Suffering and dead of Jesus obviously strikes a very responsive chord in the heart of us Filipinos. We see in this Jesus one who can identify with us in our poverty, sufferings, and oppressions; one who can reach out to do us a forgiving and healing Savior in our weaknesses and failings.

But the very intensity of these devotions to the Suffering Christ unfortunately leads at a times exaggerations, and even superstitions. " We must have the courage to correct what leads to fanaticism or maintains people infantile in their faith' (PCP II 175; CF.12). These pious practices can give a very one -sided image of Christ which tends to enslave devotees rather than heal and liberate them.

In the face of that misleading views, it is all the more important for us to developed an accurate and ever-deepening personal understanding of the suffering and death of Jesus Christ.

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" The Son of Man has come not to be served but to serve - to give his life in ransom for the many.( Mk.10:45)

I solemnly assure you, unless the grain of wheat falls to the earth and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat. But if it dies. it produces much fruit. (Jn.12:24).

The whole earthly life of Christ came to its climax in his suffering, death and resurrection.

In a secular sense, it was the means of the most painful and degrading death. But for us Christian, the Cross of Christ is the symbol of salvation. At baptism we are marked with the sign of the Cross. Throughout life we are blessed with this sign, and sign ourselves with in prayer.

The Cross is the symbol not only of Christ saving power, but also of our true selves. For it is the exemplar for all time of Jesus " Paradox" recorded in all four gospels: " Whoever would preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it."Mk. 8:35,Mk. 10:39;Lk.9:24,Jn.12:25.)........Source:Catechism for Filipino Catholics, chapter 11.)

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Christ`s redemptive Death is, of course the ground for the center of Christian worship, the Eucharist, " this is the Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world.By dying he destroyed our death; and by rising he restored our life."

The Easter Proclamation even dares to proclaim:

Father, how wonderful you care for us!

How boundless your merciful love!

To ransom a slave you gave away your Son.

O happy fault, O necessary sin of Adam,

Which gained for us so great a Redeemer!

The Love of the Crucified Christ becomes the norm, the source, the means, and the final goal of all Christian Morality. Christ tell us: "If a man wishes to come after me he must deny his very self, take up his cross, and follow in my steps"(Mk.8:34). For this is my commandment : love one another as I have loved you".( Jn15:12)

REFLECTION:

Don`t just ignore this season of Lent. Let it be a time of growth and new life in the spirit.

[belovedbyme 0]

Thanks for posting. It touched my heart. Have a Happy Easter in advance. God be with you. Amen.