THE MESSAGE OF THE CROSS.

EXALTATION OF THE HOLY CROSS - Year A
September 14, 2008
(Numbers 21:4b-9 / Philippians 2:6-11 / John 3:13-17)


THE MESSAGE
OF THE CROSS.

The cross is the message of Christianity. A message that is to be heard.

Jesus on the cross brings that message to all the world.

This is the message: That through the cross, Jesus turns death into life, war into peace, abuse into respect, misunderstanding into understanding, illness into health, desperation into hope, sadness into joy.

What happens when we hear the message of the cross?:
We become the message itself.
Jesus wants us to be the carriers of the message, the carriers of the cross. He tells each one of us: "If you want to be my disciple, take your cross and follow me"; take up my message ant bring it to the world.

As carriers of the cross, we also carry its message: We take on the responsibility and the power of turning death into life, war into peace, abuse into respect, misunderstanding into understanding, illness into health, desperation into hope, sadness into joy.

As we celebrate the exaltation of the cross, let us take upon ourselves the responsibilities and power of the cross for we are its messengers, for that cross belongs not only to Jesus, it also belongs to us.