Last Sunday, the theme was centred on discipleship. Translated, it means that when we follow Christ, there is cost to it. That cost has to be borne by us as Jesus Himself said: “Take up your cross and follow me”. Incidentally, the 24th Sunday this year has given way to the Exaltation of the Cross. For Catholics, the Cross, be it the Sign we make or the Crucifix holds a central place of reverence for us. Today’s feast honours Christ’s Cross as it commemorates the finding of the True Cross by St Helena, the mother of Emperor Constantine. Apart from the cross as the price of discipleship, there is also another reality that belongs up to the Exaltation of the Cross. It is our sinfulness and thus the Cross also symbolises the power of Christ’s sacrifice which brought about our redemption and salvation.
The fact that we are sinners is brought out clearly in the three parables if we were to follow the actual 24th Sunday’s Gospel taken from Luke. Sin is analogous to being lost like the sheep, the coin and the son. In each case, redemption is demonstrated through searching,finding and looking out for. The shepherd searching for his lost sheep, the house-holder finding for his lost coin and finally the father looking out for the return of his son.
Sin may drive us away whereas the Cross draws us back by redeeming and saving us. In fact, to be lost is never the end of a chapter unless one intends it. It means that one must consciously reject God’s desire to save and as such be lost eternally in perdition. Thus, the son’s return to the father and in both the cases of the lost sheep and coin, the recovery is filled with joy and ecstasy. There is great rejoicing when sinners repent or return to the fold.
What should draw us towards God is that He is madly in love with us since He seems to long for our return. Therefore, the Exaltation of the Cross is not highlighting our need to suffer for our sins or even the necessity to suffer because we follow Christ. Instead, it is to recall the extent God will go to in order to ransom our souls. This theme radiates through the three readings today. The bronze serpent foreshadowed Christ lifted up on the Cross. St Paul reminds us how far Christ would descend in order to lift us up. In the Gospel, Christ on the Cross is the Saviour of the world.
If that be the case, should not an awareness of God’s yearning for us make humanity turn to Him in droves. Yet for a long time, the response has been lukewarm. What might be the problem?
Would it be true to state that even though we may be conscious that God loves us, it is still not attractive enough? Just like my cat which does not respond to me at all. She only searches for me when she needs food but otherwise there is no relationship at all, not when I call her. In other words, we need God when we are desperate and the only proper response He has is to grant us what we have asked for.
This less-than-attractive quality about God may be explained by our sense of sufficiency which is ironical as there exists a great hunger in us. The evidence of our immense longing is found in how much we are driven to accumulate. Have you noticed all the online shopping available to us? Lazada, Shein, Taobao, Shopee are merely material versions of the spiritual heaven that we actually desire. Apart from these online shopping channels, we are bombarded by some visions of “material” completion or satisfaction through the houses, latest electronic gadgets, club memberships or modes of travel we acquire. Actually, the notion of sin can be explained by this desire or hunger for God. We are looking for Him but in the wrong places.
At the same time, there is a phenomenon which might help us appreciate the cross. This year, there seems to be a positive uptick in Catholic membership in France as witnessed by the higher number of baptisms or increased Church attendance in the UK amongst men. What might be a plausible explanation for this change or this increase? Could it be that Covid Pandemic clarified our vision by pointing out the emptiness of materialism as it uncovers the nagging truth that material accumulation cannot truly satisfy the human thirst for God?
Interestingly, a parallel and observable phenomenon took place in the 19th century. France underwent the upheaval of the Revolution that brought in “egalite, fraternite et liberte” (equality, brotherhood and freedom) and swept away the “ancien regime” of the monarchy. The catastrophe visited upon the Church in France, even though it was witnessed through the wave of de-Christianisation at the same time was paralleled by the rise in religious life. A good example is the Congregation of the Little Sisters of the Poor which was founded post—French Revolution.
Perhaps, what is most revealing is that the human spirit will languish when unchallenged. When our hearts are coarsened by materialism, our spirits will lose their vitality. A lack of challenge will result in a faith which is tepid or lukewarm. What is necessary for the Church to become vibrant is when we have challenges to face and obstacles to overcome. We should not be afraid of challenges but instead look at them as opportunities for growth in our holiness. In other words, to follow Jesus, we need to carry our crosses. Having said that, the Cross does not need us for its own validation. We need the Cross not merely because it is the instrument that saves us from our sins. Rather, we need the Cross if our souls were not to languish from the lack of challenge, impoverished by an absence of courage and character to bear the Cross.
