14 September 2017 Gospel Reflection

John 3:13-17 Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross. This is in commemoration of
the dedication of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in AD 335 and the finding of the Cross which
is traditionally celebrated by the Roman Church on May 3.

The Gospel reading presents to us an allusion to exaltation or glorification. In the Gospel,

Jesus recounts an historical event wherein Moses lifted the bronze serpent to a pole which
brought healing to the Israelites. After recounting this event, he presents the aforementioned
allusion the Son of Man must be lifted up also, to save (give eternal life) whoever believes in
Him. In St. Thomas Aquinas Catena Aurea, he cites St. Augustine who commented: Many
dying in the wilderness from the attack of the serpents, Moses, by commandment of the Lord,
lifted up a brazen serpent and those who looked upon it were immediately healed. The lifting up
of the serpent is the death of Christ; the cause, by a certain mode of construction, being put for
the effect. The serpent was the cause of death, inasmuch as he persuaded man into that sin, by
which he merited death. Our Lord, however, did not transfer sin, i.e. the poison of the serpent, to
his flesh, but death; in order that in the likeness of sinful flesh, there might be punishment
without sin, by virtue of which sinful flesh might be delivered both from punishment and from sin.

I would now like to discuss the shape of the cross. The cross has an intersection in its
center a vertical bar meets a horizontal bar. Perhaps we can say that the vertical bar represents
the eternal, the immaterial while the horizontal bar represents the temporal and material. With
the meeting of these two opposing (for they are of different direction) things, we can say that the
temporal meets the eternal. The shape of the cross reminds us that God, who is eternal and
immaterial, is reconciled to the sinful, temporal, and material man. Through the cross, man is
reconciled to God. Hence, the cross is a sign not only of salvation but also of reconciliation.

A friend of mine (who is affiliated with Opus Dei, though he does not admit it)
introduced to me a pious practice, which I am introducing to you. That friend of mine keeps a
small crucifix in his pocket wherever he may go. Whenever he receives a blessing, whenever he
is tempted by the devil, he touches this small and humble crucifix. He reminds himself that he is
indeed loved by the Crucified Christ, that he need to imitate this same Christ who commanded
the devil to depart from him. Perhaps we could follow his simple and pious example.

Br. Argene . Clasara