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Feast of the Holy Cross Jn 3/13-17 |
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| Background: We return to day to St. John's Gospel today for the feast of the Holy Cross. In one of his profound mystical and theological reflections John puts on the lips of Jesus words that explain the death of Jesus. It is a death motivated not by punishment but by love. Jesus did not pay a ransome for human sin with his blood -- as St. Anselm taught, though he was speaking only metaphorically. Attempts to make this metaphor literal - Jesus appeased God's anger at sinners by dying for us - would turn God into a monster. Rather Jesus died in order to show us how much God loves us. He sent his own son to show us how to die and thus help us to die with so much confidence in God's love that we would show others how to die - just as Cardinal Bernardin did last year. |
read the padre |
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Story: Once upon a time a young mother was dying. Her parents, her children, her husband were gathered around her bed to say goodbye. They were all sobbing their grief, angry that such a wonderful woman would die long before her time. Her mother was especially angry. Why did God do this to you, she cried. Why is he taking you away from us? Why doesn't he take all the bad people instead of taking you? God is not just. God is a monster. I hate God. The dying woman said softly, God loves us all. God is taking me home a little early because he loves me so much. My life has been short, but it has been happy. I don't mind dying now. I am grateful for all the good things God has given me. We'll be together in a little while. I'll take care of you from heaven. You must all be good to one another, just as I would if I were with you. After she died, her daughter turned to the priest in the room and said, I hope when I die I will die just like mommy did. |
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