THE WAY OF THE CROSS
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily is, “The Way of the Cross.”
The cross is a theme we reflect upon during Lent – but
here it is in today’s readings – especially today’s gospel.
So a few thoughts on the cross for a homily for this 22nd
Sunday in Ordinary time.
JESUS’
EXPERIENCES OF THE CROSS
What triggered – and what thoughts – did Jesus have – for
him to come up with his teachings and thoughts about the crosses of life?
Did he see men hanging from crosses – dying a slow
execution - along the roads he traveled on in Galilee? The Romans used that
form of warning and execution in the land of Palestine which they occupied.
I assume it would be like a little kid seeing a head
severed from a body in Iraq or Syria today – and stuck on a pole. How will that
atrocity effect the whole future of that kid?
People had more kids in Jesus’ day than today – and the
death rate for kids was much, much
higher that today – except for the very poor places on our planet.
As a kid - did Jesus ask Mary and Joseph, “What’s going
on next door? Why does everyone look so sad?
Bruce Malina and Richard Rohrbaugh in their book, Social-Science Commentary on the Synoptic
Gospels state: “Infant mortality rates sometimes reached 30 percent. Another 30
percent of live births were dead by age six, and 60 percent were gone by age
sixteen. Children always suffered first from famine, war, disease, and
dislocation, and in some areas or eras few would have lived to adulthood with
both parents alive.”
What were his thoughts about other kids with blindness - or
crutches - or deafness – or leprosy – or
without parents – or who lost various brothers and sisters?
When did Joseph die?
Then when he got involved with teaching and preaching and
speaking out – he experienced attacks and envy and jealousy and the loneliness
that comes with being and seeing differently.
Did he see what every teacher and preacher sees: the yawns and the
looking elsewhere – the obvious silent rejections – the boredom or non-interest.
Did he have a similar experience that Jeremiah had – the
thoughts he had in today’s first reading. Jeremiah is called by God to speak
out – but when he did – he experience what prophets experience: Rejection! Did
Jesus yell to the Father, “Why did you do this to me?” Rejection hurts. Did he
then have second thoughts –like Jeremiah had - that God’s will for the world
was like a fire burning in his heart – imprisoned in his bones – even though he
grew weary of it at times and felt he couldn’t endure it.
Hopefully God becomes hot – burning within us – in our bones – that we have fiery
moments with the Spirit of God.
Please God we hold onto those memories – those moments – when we find ourselves experience the Way of the Cross.
Then Jesus was
arrested that night – after betrayal by someone he personally chose. Judas
betrayed him. Did he notice Peter denying him or was Jesus so turned inwards
from all this pain – that he didn’t notice Peter at the moment.
Then the crowning with thorns – the beating – the being
made fun of – the mock trial – the crowd that screamed praise for him just a
week earlier – some were now in the crowd screaming for his death.
Then came the way of the cross to Calvary – the falls,
the sights, the tears from his mother and others.
Then the hanging on the cross for a few hours – with just
his mother, a few disciples and faithful women friends - all down below.
Based on his comments to Peter in today’s gospel Jesus
saw this happening long before it happened,
Based on today’s gospel Jesus knew crosses, Based on
today’s gospel Jesus knew the secret of life – is denying self – dying to self
– so others can live.
Living is giving. Giving is living.
Jesus taught us the meaning of life – when each of us
Christians – realize Jesus gave us the secret of life at the last supper and at
each Mass –when he says – when we say to our world, “This is body…. This is my
blood…. I’m giving my life to you today.
Based on the gospels we know Jesus learned the meaning of the unwritten gospel
of creation: seeds need to come out of their pods and bags – be planted in the
earth. They must die in order to start growing in the soil. They must be cut
and then crushed to become wheat flour. They must be cooked and burnt in the
oven to become bread. Seed, wheat, flour, bread – preach the gospel of selflessness.
So too grapes – growing out there in the burning heat of
day or the cold night air – and then are crushed to become wine – to bring a
smile to a face – a toast at a dinner table or a wedding banquet.
Jesus knew mother’s felt great pain in bearing and
birthing a baby – and then that was just the beginning.
Jesus knew the next layer of life – and from life’s
experiences.
Forgiveness is central.
People do a lot of things without
a clue to the what and they of what they do.
So he was able to say from the cross: “Father forgive
them for they don’t know what they are doing.”
How many people have learned that lesson – from others
who were with them in their mistakes and sins and dumb doings? I know that
message has helped me live with and learn from other priests.
So he was able to say from the cross: “When hanging in
pain – whether it’s on a cross or in a bed of pain – seeing – spotting others –
forgetting self – thinking of others – takes some of the pain away. So he said
on the cross: “ “Woman behold your son!” and to John, his beloved friend,
“Behold your mother.”
THE WAY OF THE
CROSS
By reflecting on the cross, we get why it became the
Christian symbol.
By reflecting on the cross, we see the tiny cross at the
head of each rosary – and the gigantic cross in the front of this church and
the one gigantic cross in the back of St. Mary’s Church.
The way of the cross is the way of life.
THE STATIONS OF
THE CROSS
Our churches can be cluttered with statues and stuff –
but it seems every church has a set of The Stations of the Cross on their
walls.
I have never heard of bishops and chanceries getting
involved in details for stations of the cross – when churches are being built. I
have seen them do so for where tabernacles are and what have you – but I’ve
never seen edicts and jumping in when it comes to the Stations of the Cross on
the Walls.
Yet they only began to be developed since the 1300’s up
to the 1500’s years of our church’s history.
Why not get paper and pencil and draw your 14 stations of
the cross of your life: deaths and disasters, falls, many falls, times you had
people crying for you, times you were stripped of a title or an image people
had of you. Were you ever nailed to a cross – to an obligation – to taking care
of an aging parent or brother or sister – because nobody else was willing.
14 stations, 15, stations, 8 stations, 11 stations –
everyone has some hanging on the walls of their lives.
I was there at the death of my dad, mom, brother, sister,
nephew – and so many others. I saw a man once shoot himself in the mouth – in a
cemetery – standing under a statue of Mary.
And I was the only one there. Woo. It has always given me pause. It has
given me understanding – when as priest I’ve had to be there for a suicide.
Ugh. It has gotten me to say what Jesus said on the cross: Father forgive him
for he does not know what he was doing.
I have heard Jesus say from the Cross, “Hang in there!”
and I’ve wondered if that’s the origin of that life saying.
I hear the Passion Account of Jesus’ last days and the
various characters in the drama….
I have been Pilate, Simon, Mary, Judas, the Good Thief
and Bad.
I have been like Peter in today’s gospel. At time I don’t
want this side of life to happen to anyone – including myself. And I have heard
Jesus say to me when I’m thinking this way, “Get behind me Satan. You are an
obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings.”
Of course, I’m thinking as any human would think. I don’t want hurt or horror – but hurt and
horror are part of life – more or less – and so I need to hear Paul tell me in
today’s second reading – to learn how to change my mind – change my thinking –
and think as Christ thinks, as God thinks.
CONCLUSION
Two things to do this week as homework.
First: Make sure you have a crucifix somewhere on some
wall or some desk or book shelf in your life. Pick it up – dust it off – kiss
it and say, “Help!”
Second: Take a look around any Catholic Church you’re in
and study the 14 stations of the cross. A woman once told me she does this and
discovered which station was her key station – and that’s where she sits under
every time she comes to Mass. Wouldn’t that confuse a priest saying Mass or
anyone else – when they came into a church and everyone was sitting in the side
aisles – under their station of the cross?
