September 14, 2022

Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ was lifted high upon the cross that he might draw the whole world to himself: Mercifully grant that we, who glory in the mystery of our redemption, may have grace to take up our cross and follow him – Collect for Holy Cross Day

Know for certain that thou must lead a dying life; and the more a man dieth to self, so much the more doth he begin to live unto God. – The Imitation of Christ, Thomas A' Kempis

Today is Holy Cross Day, one of those days I think we don't pay much attention to. Other than Good Friday, with its Veneration of the Cross, or the weekdays in Holy Week when we walk the Way of the Cross, we tend to avoid it. If I were to guess why that is it would be because we don't like that it reminds us of suffering and death.

To be sure, the empty cross symbolizes Christ's victory over death. Almost every Easter hymn recognizes and celebrates this fact (Christ is alive! Let Christians sing. His cross stands empty to the sky – Hymn 182). But in order to be a symbol over death, you have to have experienced death in the first place – there is no Easter without Good Friday. As much as the cross is that victorious symbol, we are also confronted with the fact that it was an instrument of torture on which Jesus had his hands and feet nailed through and hung in agony for three hours.

So we have a complicated relationship with the cross, in that in order to live we must first die.

Today's Collect leads us in that reflection. Our redemption is a glorious celebration that is achieved through the mystery of the cross and crucifixion. Through the lifting up of Christ on the cross the whole world is drawn to him in that salvific act. As Jesus took up his cross to destroy death, we are also called to take up our cross to destroy that which would destroy us.

Thomas A' Kempis recognized this when he wrote his meditation on the cross. We tend to be selfish creatures. We tend to live for ourselves. But it is in dying to self that allows God to dwell more fully with us. Each time we allow ourselves to get out of the way, we give God room to get in the way. Unfortunately that is neither easy nor painless.

Christian discipleship is hard work. It requires steadfastness when we would rather give up. It requires dedication when we would rather take a nap. It requires self-control when we would rather indulge our senses. It requires us to put to death those desires and habits which would keep us apart from God.

On this Holy Cross Day may you reflect on the humility of Jesus as he suffered and died on a cross which now stands empty and leads to the way of life and peace. And may you have the strength and courage to carry your own cross, putting to death that which keeps you from living a full life in God.

Blessings,