Excerpts from the Pope’s homily yesterday morning on the Cross:
Amen.
PopeWatch: The Cross
Donald R. McClarey
Cradle Catholic. Active in the pro-life movement since 1973. Father of three, one in Heaven, and happily married for 41 years. Small town lawyer and amateur historian. Former president of the board of directors of the local crisis pregnancy center for a decade.
This man has lost my fealty. Nothing he can say can restore what his vagaries have savaged.
I will not contemplate the Joyful Mysteries until Easter Monday. However, the first is the Annunciation. Desire the love of humility. Think of the humility of the Blessed Virgin Mary when the angel said to her, “Hail, full of grace.”
Here is a sermon I want. What did Christ teach when he said, “Take up your cross and follow me.”?
My understanding is that Christ did not descend from Heaven to “serve” mankind. He came to convert and to save me. “You must be born again.” Christ did not become sin. He offered himself up as a spotless victim in atonement for our sins. Christ is like us in all things except sin.
To me, the Holy Cross is conversion, fell courage, forgiveness, mercy, love, redemption, salvation, and surrender/obedience to do what God wants me to do.
Think of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemene suffering bitter agony for our sins. Desire true repentence for my sins. Think of the crown of sharp thorns that was forced upon Christ’s head and the patience with which He endured the pain for my sins. Desire moral courage. Think of the love which filled His Sacred Heart during the three hours unjust agony on the Holy Cross and ask Him to be with me at the hour of death.
T Shaw writes, “Christ did not descend from Heaven to “serve” mankind.”
But He says, “and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:44-45) And the Apostle says, “emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant” (Phil 2:7)
T Shaw writes, “Christ did not become sin…”
But St Paul says, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Cor 5:21) and “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole. (Deut 21:23)” “(Gal 3:13)
The Real Presence, Jesus Christ, on the altar, in the tabernacle, is with us even now until the end of time. “Take up your cross and follow me.” We are not alone carrying our crosses. Jesus is with us right now. If people are wise, we follow Him.
My limited understanding is that In a sin offering, the victim you offer in atonement becomes your sin. So Christ became sin itself in atonement for all mankind’s sin.
Testing
Obviously, I’m no theologian.
Does the Chruch teach that Christ was a man in all things except he had no sin, was not a sinner, committed no sin? It teaches thusly about the Blessed Virigin Mary’s Immaculate Conception.
Is there is a difference between being a sinner/sinning and becoming the spotless victim for the atonement for sin?
T. Shaw: “Is there is a difference between being a sinner/sinning and becoming the spotless victim for the atonement for sin?”
If Jesus Christ were not a spotless victim, then Jesus Christ could not have taken our sins on Himself and redeemed mankind. Christ would have had to die for His own sins, and could not have died for our sins. “No one takes my life from me, I lay my life down and I take it up again.” Even here Jesus Christ forgives those who would crucify Him.
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Jesus Christ was in perfect conformity to the will of His Father in heaven, perfect conformity. Our Lady, too, with the grace of God, preserved from original sin, concupiscence, since the Immaculate Conception, was in perfect conformity to the will of God. The rest of us, in this Vale of Tears, have not willed to be in perfect conformity to the will of God…yet. God help us and have mercy, have mercy on us.
Ernst Schreiber: “My limited understanding is that In a sin offering, the victim you offer in atonement becomes your sin. So Christ became sin itself in atonement for all mankind’s sin.”
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Jesus Christ, in perfect conformity to the will of His Father in heaven, took on mankind’s sin. Jesus Christ fulfilled His Father’s promise since Eve ate the apple.
The cross was not something Jesus endured,
He embraced it with His whole heart,
His whole mind and all His strength.
At His cross, we stand before Love. ~ Unknown
That God could become man is a stunning mystery that is a stumbling block for most. That He could die, like all humans, and on a Cross, is a mystery so unsolvable except in the profundity of faith, that Calvary will always remain an event that none of our minds, no matter how brilliant, can finally explain or understand: but faith points to the answers: the answers are faceted exquisitely differently for each of the faithful. “Truly, this is the Son of God!”
Joseph Mary Plunkett-
I see his blood upon the rose and in the stars the glory of His eyes
His body gleams amid eternal snows.
His tears fall from the skies.
I see His face in every flower. The thunder and singing of the birds are but His voice-
Carven by His power rocks are His written words.
All pathways by His feet are worn, His strong heart stirs the ever beating sea.
His crown of thorns is twined with every thorn.
His cross is every tree.
I hope you enjoy this gift as much as I have.
He bore our sins (past, present, future) … the weight consuming Him …. though He committed none. I find PF’s words beautiful and understand the context they are said. I still question some of the translation points.