Feast Of The Exaltation Of The Holy Cross, Year C.

-

 

Numbers 21:4-9; Psalm 77:1-2, 34-38; Philippians 2:6-11; John 3:13-17.

“CROSS AND CROWN!”

By: Rev. Fr. Charles Onyeka Ezejide.

·       Today, the church celebrates the feast of Exaltation of the Holy Cross. The cross is an integral part of the mystery of our salvation. Jesus specifically instructs us that if you want to be my disciple, you must first renounce yourself, take up your cross and follow me.

·       Jesus shows us the way by first going to the cross to die for the salvation of mankind. The death of Jesus is a redemptive death for the salvation of mankind. What we celebrate today is the proclamation of Jesus that, “When I am lifted from the earth, I shall draw all people to myself.”

·       The cross, which used to be a symbol of shame and pain, has now been transformed by the death of Jesus on it into a symbol of hope, salvation, love and redemption. Jesus shows that the cross is the way to the crown. Where there is no cross, there is no crown.

·       In the first reading (Numbers 21:4-9), we read the prefiguration of what the cross of Christ will be transformed into. We read the story of the fiery serpents and the experience of the Israelites in the wilderness. These serpents beat the people of Israel; they were in pain and anguish. They complained to Moses and spoke against God, but God did not hesitate to save them.

·       God instructed Moses to set up a bronze serpent and put it on a standard. Anyone bitten by the fiery serpents and looks to the bronze serpent will be saved. The experience of the people of Israel in the wilderness also represents our own individual stories. We may be bitten in the world by all kinds of pain, regrets, hardship and difficulties. We may have complained against God in many ways and done the things we should not do, but God is not distant from us; he calls us to look to the cross of Christ and be saved.

·       From the second reading (Philippians 2:6-11), St. Paul re-echoes the reason for which Jesus went to the cross. It was a choice in obedience to the father. Jesus went to the cross for the salvation of mankind. In going to the cross, he took on the nature of man for the salvation of man.

·       In Jesus becoming man, we are the beneficiaries. As a man, Jesus went through our daily life experiences. He knows our weaknesses and difficulties. Jesus feels our human conditions, and he can save us from those conditions if we are able to turn to him in total trust and confidence. There is no need to be afraid to approach the foot of the cross of Christ for all that troubles us.

·       In the gospel reading (John 3:13-17), allusion is made to the first reading from the book of Numbers, that the former symbol of pain has now been transformed by the death of Jesus on the cross as a symbol of hope. Jesus willingly went to the cross on Calvary for love of humanity and in obedience to the Father.

·       The lessons for us as we celebrate this great feast are that the cross of Christ is at the centre of our faith. All that we do as Catholics stems from the cross of Christ. That is why we begin our prayers by the sign of the cross and conclude our prayers by the sign of the same cross.

·       The cross is a reminder to us to love as Christ loved. To lay down our lives in the service of others. To constantly go to the foot of the cross of Christ without pain, joys, disappointment and leave them at the foot of Christ. When we look to God for help, he sends us the help that we need.

·       As Catholics, we must be proud of our identity as the people of the cross. We ought to profess that faith in the cross of Christ wherever we find ourselves. The cross is not a curse. It is not a burden but a means to our salvation. The cross is the way to the crown. The cross, which was a symbol of pain, is now the symbol of victory, hope and gain. Christ gained the salvation of the world through the agony of the cross.

·       May our lives be constantly renewed by the cross of Christ. May we be ever appreciative of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, and may the cross remain our path to salvation, because in the cross is our salvation.

·       May the Lord bless his word in our hearts, through Christ our Lord, amen.

·       Happy Sunday!!!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Homily For The 8th Sunday In Ordinary Time Year C.

-
Image
Ecclesiasticus 27:5-8; Psalm 91:2-3,13-16; 1 Corinthians 15:54-58; Luke 6:39-45. “ BE LIKE YOUR TEACHER! ” By: Rev. Fr. Charles Onyeka Ezejide. ·        Today’s readings throw a personal challenge of introspection to every Christian who desires to grow in faith and holiness. The model for that introspection is no man but God, through his son, who is a good teacher. ·        The theme for our reflection this Sunday is “Be like your teacher.” The temptation is to think that the priest or your classroom teacher is the “teacher” here. No! The teacher here is the teacher par excellence – Jesus Christ, the son of God.  ·        The reason your priest or your classroom teacher cannot be your excellent guide is due to human weakness. They may desire to lead you to perfection, but they will often fail due to human limitations and weaknesses. This is not to say that we should never aspire to perfection....
Read more

Homily For The 2nd Sunday Of Lent, Year C.

-
Image
  Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18; Psalm 27:1, 7-9, 13-14; Philippians 3:17-4:1; Luke 9:28-36. “LENT: A TIME TO DISFIGURE TO TRANSFIGURE AND TO CONFIGURE!” By: Rev. Fr. Charles Onyeka Ezejide ·        Like a joke, dear friends in Christ, our Lenten experience is more than a week spent. I hope we are using this opportunity of grace and renewal to tame our excesses, discipline our bodies, and train them to be transfigured into the glorified body of Christ. ·        Apart from being a time for fasting, prayer, and almsgiving, the Lenten season is a special reminder that we are citizens of a special place, and all we do and say should be geared toward granting us admission into that special place. These 40 days of grace become a special opportunity to prepare adequately. ·        When we disfigure our mortal bodies through bodily discipline and mortification, then our eyes will open enough to s...
Read more

Homily For The 5th Sunday In Ordinary Time Year C.

-
Image
  Isaiah 6:1-2,3-8; Psalm 137:1-5,7-8; 1 Corinthians 15:1-11; Luke 5:1-11. “ THE AWESOME CALL FROM AN AWESOME GOD! ”   By: Rev. Fr. Charles Onyeka Ezejide. ·        Reflecting on today's readings fills me with awe about the awesome God we serve! The readings bring back nostalgic memories of being ‘called and sent’ by God together with 15 other classmates of mine. This month of February precisely on the 7 th  of February, will be 10 years of accepting the profound vocation and privilege to SERVE as PRIESTS of the Most High God. ·        It is an opportunity for me today, to reflect deeply on this call handed on to me, how much I have felt, the high and the low moments, but in all, the confidence that has kept me going is that in ALL THINGS the grace of God is sufficient for me! ·        The truth is that God continues to elect men and women in all works of life for service in his vine...
Read more