The Cross in Our Lives

This excerpt from a liturgical resource manual is a great reflection on the Cross of Christ in our liturgy and in the daily lives we lead.

The cross has been a Christian symbol of self-denial, self-sacrifice, redemption, and identity with Christ from at least the fourth century. IT has become the primary symbol of Christianity. The cross leads processions and is venerated with incense, as are the altar and paschal candle. A cross with a corpus is to be on or near the altar during the Mass, which helps us relate the sacrifice of the Mass to the sacrifice of Calvary.

In the Eastern church the custom has been to use a cross rather than a crucifix (a cross with a corpus), often studded with jewels or richly decorated. Sometimes an image of Christ the High Priest may be used. The cross in this context celebrates Christ´s victory over death and sin and is a symbol of triumph. In the Western church the custom has been to use a crucifix with an image of the dying or dead Jesus. The cross in this context reminds us of Jesus´self-sacrificing love demonstrated through his passion and death. (Living Liturgy, 2009, p. 161)

Saint Louis de Montfort challenged us to never be afraid of the cross of Christ. He teaches that, if we are ashamed of the Cross in this life then Jesus will be ashamed of us in the next. Elsewhere he writes that our fear or dislike of the Cross is directly linked to how far we have let Jesus into our hearts. Never the Cross without Christ; never Christ without the Cross. Jesus and his passion are intimately linked.

Because of our vows of baptism, we too are intimately linked to the Cross of Christ. Nothing can take us from that reality. So let us not be ashamed of the Cross or the Gospel of Christ and let us live in the Light of the Love we see before us always: the love of God poured out totally for us and that calls us to eternal glory.

Walk the Stations of the Cross and allow Jesus to walk with you in the suffering. And all the pain, all the fear, all the sorrow will be turned in God´s Glory because of him who loved us from the beginning.