The crucifix is a symbol of Christianity in general and a symbol of salvation in particular. There are several feasts in which the Catholic Church venerates the crucifix. Today is the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross when she celebrates the recovery of the cross on which our Lord and Saviour was crucified as a political criminal. Our Lord could have escaped in several opportunities. Yet he obediently offered himself up as a perfect sacrifice to redeem all mankind.
The crucifix is a simple but beautiful symbol. The vertical bar joins heaven and earth, God and sinners. The crucified Son of God became a conduit joining them all. The horizontal bar joins a man with his fellow men. The crucified Jesus opened his arms to embrace all mankind, joining them into a family of the redeemed.
For he has made known to us in all wisdom and insight the mystery of his will, according to his purpose which he set forth in Christ
as a plan for the fulness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth (Ephesians 1:9-10).
For he has made known to us in all wisdom and insight the mystery of his will, according to his purpose which he set forth in Christ
as a plan for the fulness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth (Ephesians 1:9-10).
Today, we read of the story of the Bronze Serpent in the wilderness when the Israelites made their way around Edom. They complained against God and Moses.
And the people spoke against God and against Moses, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food." (Numbers 21:5)
Such complains were harmful to the people themselves. They could not return to Egypt because Pharaoh would butcher them. If they rejected Moses as their leader, all the people would perish in the wilderness. To wake them up, God sent fiery serpents to bite them, killing many of them (Numbers 21:6). But God did not enjoy punishing them. He took every opportunity to show them His mercy. Therefore, when the people repented, God told Moses to heal them with a bronze serpent hanging on a pole.
And the LORD said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and every one who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live."
So Moses made a bronze serpent, and set it on a pole; and if a serpent bit any man, he would look at the bronze serpent and live (Numbers 21:8-9).
Christians immediately recognize this prefigure of the crucifixion of Jesus. Through looking up to the crucifix, we are healed. Of course, we need to open up our mind's eyes to penetrate into the salvational meaning under the apparent failure of Jesus' mission. The death of Jesus is a sacrament. Through this visible sign, God bestows the saving grace to all who look up, all who believe. This reminds us of the Sunday reading. There, Jesus taught his disciples to carry their cross to follow him.
And he called to him the multitude with his disciples, and said to them, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me (Mark 8:34).
Our Lord Jesus set up a model for us to follow. He himself denied his own free will, surrendered himself to the will of the Father and died obediently on the cross. Thus, our Lord has won for himself the whole world. In him, God and the whole Creation are reconciled.
And the people spoke against God and against Moses, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food." (Numbers 21:5)
Such complains were harmful to the people themselves. They could not return to Egypt because Pharaoh would butcher them. If they rejected Moses as their leader, all the people would perish in the wilderness. To wake them up, God sent fiery serpents to bite them, killing many of them (Numbers 21:6). But God did not enjoy punishing them. He took every opportunity to show them His mercy. Therefore, when the people repented, God told Moses to heal them with a bronze serpent hanging on a pole.
And the LORD said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and every one who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live."
So Moses made a bronze serpent, and set it on a pole; and if a serpent bit any man, he would look at the bronze serpent and live (Numbers 21:8-9).
Christians immediately recognize this prefigure of the crucifixion of Jesus. Through looking up to the crucifix, we are healed. Of course, we need to open up our mind's eyes to penetrate into the salvational meaning under the apparent failure of Jesus' mission. The death of Jesus is a sacrament. Through this visible sign, God bestows the saving grace to all who look up, all who believe. This reminds us of the Sunday reading. There, Jesus taught his disciples to carry their cross to follow him.
And he called to him the multitude with his disciples, and said to them, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me (Mark 8:34).
Our Lord Jesus set up a model for us to follow. He himself denied his own free will, surrendered himself to the will of the Father and died obediently on the cross. Thus, our Lord has won for himself the whole world. In him, God and the whole Creation are reconciled.
Dear Lord, on this Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, let us carry our cross joyfully to follow you. You have won the whole world with this crucifix. I look forward to the glorious breaking in of Your kingdom. Amen.
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