|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
The Pastor's Desk
This week the Church celebrates two important feasts: The Exultation of the Holy Cross on September 14th and Our Lady of Sorrows on September 15th. Each feast focuses on suffering, but not for the sake of pain and anguish; but rather to remind us of God’s power and mercy.
Historically, crucifixion was reserved for those the Romans considered the worst offenders such as: Enemies of the state, Slaves who rebelled; and the worst criminals. About 100 years before the death of Jesus on the cross, an estimated 5,000 slaves were crucified on the roads leading from Rome, condemned for challenging the state under a leader named Spartacus. You may have seen the movie that came out a number of years ago. Crucifixion was not an unusual means of exec
ution, which makes it remarkable that the cross became a symbol for the Christian faith. The use of the cross as a symbol of Christianity dates back to the second century. The Icythys (or fish symbol) and the Chi-Rho were more common, but in time the use of the cross grew.
The Gospels differ on what the Cross means. For the Synoptic Gospels, the cross was an implement of shame and humiliation. For St. Mark, the cross was also a symbol of liberation. For St. Matthew it was the emblem of death of Jesus as King of the Jews. And for St. Luke, the cross identifies Jesus with the poor and the downtro
dden. But for St. John’s Gospel, the Cross was a throne. For John, Jesus is elevated to the cross as a symbol of his seat as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
The cross was elevated into Holy status after Constantine’s mother, St. Helena, traveled to Palestine in the 330s to identify the Holy sites of Jesus’ life and death. A church and basilica were built on the site of what would be called Constantine’s Shrine, which housed the remains of what was thought to be the true cross.
On the 15th we will celebrate the Feast of "Our Lady of Sorrows.” The placement of this feast reminds us the crosses we must bear in our own lives as well as the recognition that we can’t avoid them, but like Mary, we must accept them and grow from our experiences. Mary felt pain and sorrow in her life despite her status and faith in her son. This reminds us that we too cannot avoid suffering and sorrow. We must be like Mary and stay close to Jesus. In case you were wondering, the seven sorrows of Mary that are found in the Bible are: (1) The prophecy of Simeon, (2) The flight into Egypt, (3) The loss of the Child Jesus at Jerusalem, (4) Meeting Jesus on the road to Calvary, (5) The standing at the foot of the Cross, (6) The descent of Jesus from the Cross (traditionally known as “The Pieta”, and (7) The burial of Jesus.
Finally, we are just a few short weeks away from the parish feast weekend of September 24th and 25th. Hopefully you have bought your pre-sale bracelet for the rides on the 25th, or have made your final donation to one of the booths for the feast (Plants, Baked Goods, Jar-A-Do or the White Elephant). Please remember that the cut off for the White Elephant is Sept. 12th. I would also ask that you please purchase a ticket for the parish dinner on October 3rd as we honor our Fr. Francis Ignacuinos recipients. More details can be found on the insert in this weekend’s bulletin
|
| |
 | |
|
|
| |
|
