Pope
at Angelus: Why exalt the Cross?
(Vatican Radio) “Why do Christians exalt the
Cross of Christ?” asked Pope Francis of pilgrims and tourists Sunday who had
gathered beneath the window of his study for the midday Angelus. Because,
he told them, that Cross on which Christ was nailed “is the source of the mercy
of God that embraces the whole world”. It’s not just any cross, it is the
source of our salvation.
And today – on the Feast of the Exaltation of the
Holy Cross – the Pope said we should pray for Christians who are being
persecuted and killed because of their faith in Christ. “This happens especially
there where religious freedom is still not guaranteed or fully realized. It
happens, however, even in well-to-do countries which, in principle, protect
freedom and human rights, but where in practice believers, and especially
Christians, encounter restrictions and discrimination. So today we remember
them and pray especially for them”.
The Pope also warned against considering the
cross a sign "magic": "The Holy Cross .... is not a sign of
'magic'! Belief in the Cross of Jesus involves following Him on his path. Thus
Christians collaborate in His work of salvation by accepting together with Him
sacrifice, suffering, even death for the love of God and neighbor".
Below a Vatican Radio translation of the Holy Fathers reflections before the Angelus prayer:
Below a Vatican Radio translation of the Holy Fathers reflections before the Angelus prayer:
Dear brothers and sisters,
On September 14th the Church celebrates the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Some non-Christian person might ask: why "exalt" the Cross? We can say that we do not exalt just any cross any or all crosses: we exalt the Cross of Jesus, because God’s love for humanity was revealed most in it. That's what the Gospel of John reminds us in today's liturgy: "God so loved the world that He gave only begotten Son" (3:16). The Father has "given" the Son to save us, and this has resulted in the death of Jesus and His death on the Cross. Why? Why was the Cross necessary? Because of the gravity of the evil which kept us slaves. The Cross of Jesus expresses both things: all the negative forces of evil, and all of the gentle omnipotence God’s mercy. The Cross would appear to declare Christ’s failure, but in reality marks His victory. On Calvary, those who mocked him said, 'If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross "(cf. Mt 27,40). But it was the opposite that was true: it was because Jesus was the Son of God, that He was there, on the Cross, faithful to the end to the loving plan of the Father. And for this reason God has "exalted" Jesus (Philippians 2.9), conferring universal kingship on Him.
On September 14th the Church celebrates the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Some non-Christian person might ask: why "exalt" the Cross? We can say that we do not exalt just any cross any or all crosses: we exalt the Cross of Jesus, because God’s love for humanity was revealed most in it. That's what the Gospel of John reminds us in today's liturgy: "God so loved the world that He gave only begotten Son" (3:16). The Father has "given" the Son to save us, and this has resulted in the death of Jesus and His death on the Cross. Why? Why was the Cross necessary? Because of the gravity of the evil which kept us slaves. The Cross of Jesus expresses both things: all the negative forces of evil, and all of the gentle omnipotence God’s mercy. The Cross would appear to declare Christ’s failure, but in reality marks His victory. On Calvary, those who mocked him said, 'If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross "(cf. Mt 27,40). But it was the opposite that was true: it was because Jesus was the Son of God, that He was there, on the Cross, faithful to the end to the loving plan of the Father. And for this reason God has "exalted" Jesus (Philippians 2.9), conferring universal kingship on Him.
So what do we see, when we look to the Cross
where Jesus was nailed? We contemplate the sign of the infinite love of God for
each of us and the source of our salvation. That Cross is the source of the
mercy of God that embraces the whole world. Through the Cross of Christ the
evil one is overcome death is defeated, we are gifted life, hope is restored.
This is important: Through the Cross of Christ hope is restored. The Cross of
Jesus is our only true hope! That is why the Church "exalts" the Holy
Cross, which is why we Christians bless ourselves with the sign of the cross.
That is, we don’t exalt crosses but THE glorious Cross of Christ, a sign of
God’s love, our salvation and journey towards the resurrection. This is
our hope.
While we contemplate and celebrate the Holy
Cross, we think emotionally of so many of our brothers and sisters who are
being persecuted and killed because of their faith in Christ. This happens
especially there where religious freedom is still not guaranteed or fully
realized. It happens, however, even in well-to-do countries which, in principle,
protect freedom and human rights, but where in practice believers, and
especially Christians, encounter restrictions and discrimination. So today we
remember them and pray especially for them.
On Calvary, at the foot of the Cross, there was
the Virgin Mary (cf. Jn 19,25-27). She is the Virgin of Sorrows, whom we
celebrate tomorrow in the liturgy. To Her I entrust the present and the future
of the Church, so that we all may always know how to discover and accept the
message of love and salvation of the Cross of Christ. To Her I entrust in
particular the newly wed couples whom I had the joy of joining in marriage this
morning, in St. Peter's Basilica.
(Emer McCarthy)
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