Taking Up Our Cross. . .
Be Not Afraid
There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has
to do with punishment, and he who fears is not perfected in love.
We love, because he first loved us.
1 JOHN 4:18–19
There was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended
from heaven and came and rolled back the stone, and sat upon
it. His appearance was like lightning, and his raiment white as
snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like
dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid;
for I know you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he
has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.”
MATTHEW 28:2–6
“There are no accidents,” insisted Father Benedict Groeschel as
he began to recover from the injuries he suffered in Florida. This
strong statement of faith is similar to what Jesus told the disciples
on the road to Emmaus: “O foolish men, and slow of heart
to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary
that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his
glory?” (Luke 24:25–26)
Not an accident. . . necessary!
Father Groeschel frequently quotes St. Augustine in this
regard: “God does not cause evil, but that evil should not become
the worst.” So, when a car struck him that January night, Father Benedict’s faith told him that there was a reason for this cross, a
reason that ultimately God would reveal in time. This is the
power of the cross for the follower of Christ: No matter what
happens to us or can happen to us, we are not defeated.
Years ago I worked with someone who told me that her
mother had labeled her and her brother as “accidents”—two
unwanted, unpleasant surprises. Unwilling to think that a parent
would say such a thing, I
assumed my colleague’s recollection
of her mother’s words was
exaggerated.
Some years later, I was introduced
to her mother. In the course
of conversation, the topic of abortion
was raised. The woman
pointed at her daughter and said,
“If abortion had been legalized when I was young, I would never
have had any children!” By that time she was an old woman; her
daughter, who was divorced, lived with her and was a faithful
companion. I pointed out that, had abortion been legalized, she
would now be alone. “Wouldn’t that be great!” the mother
replied.
I left their home feeling very sad for both of them.
Without
the gospel message, some people see only accidents in their
lives—all of which have prevented them from reaching some
dreamed of earthly paradise. They never seem to realize they
cannot reach this paradise without help from above.
Reactions
Coming to the tomb of Jesus that first Easter morning, the
women discovered an angel there, the rock rolled away. It was a
shocking and unexpected sight. The guards, who were there to make sure that the disciples did not steal the body of the Lord,
were also witnesses to this. They were overcome with fear—to the
point of being “like dead men.”
One experience, two groups of people, two different reactions.
One group looks at the empty tomb and rushes to tell what
they have witnessed. The other group is paralyzed by the life
event. This wasn’t just something that happened thousands of
years ago; it happens every moment of every day. Those who see
the cross as the end of their life, meet death there; those who
believe and place their trust in God, find in the cross life and victory.
St. Peter Chrysologus (the “golden-worded”) was known for
his clear and simple style of preaching. About the angel’s appearance
at the tomb, he preached, “Pray that the angel would
descend now and roll away all the hardness of our hearts and
open up our closed senses and declare to our minds that Christ
has risen, for just as the heart in which Christ lives and reigns is
heaven, so also in the heart in which Christ remains dead and
buried is a grave.”
For those who do not believe, life unfolds as a series of accidents.
When a follower of Christ sees his life in exactly the same
way, Jesus calls that person foolish, slow to believe. Someone like
that needs to redirect his attention to the cross.
Gifts
The procession of the cross that begins and ends each celebration
of the Eucharist should help us to redefine our lives whenever we
witness it. As the Mass begins we join all of our crosses to the
cross of Christ, asking the Lord to have mercy upon us for our
inability to see. We listen to the Scriptures to once again learn
about all the necessary events of our lives, proclaim the Church’s
belief as our own, and give thanks to God as we offer the sacrifice that he has provided for us. We then receive the Living God
before the cross leads us back into the world!
Having received the life of Christ in us, we are better able to
extend that love to others.
I was reminded of this again a few
years ago, when I met another family who also had an unplanned
child. In the presence of the child they said what a gift they had
been given—like nothing they could have ever dreamed of asking
for, an incredible blessing. Their joy mirrored that of God the
Father, who could not contain himself in heaven when his Son
walked the earth. He opened up the heavens to exclaim, “This
is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Matthew
3:17).
That same Son would experience horrible suffering at the
hands of cruel men. Assured of the love of the Father, he knew
that ultimately the Father would not let him down. When you
and I are finally convinced in the same way that God loves us,
we will welcome whatever comes our way in this life and see it
with a vision that others will marvel at. On that day we will say,
“Alleluia. Praised be God!”
