https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/091426.cfm
Don’t Be Afraid of the Sting
In all Catholic Churches and Chapels worldwide, we celebrate the “Exaltation of the Cross,” an instrument of execution adopted by the Romans from the Chinese, who reserved it for the worst criminals.
How does God take something so evil and cruel and change it into the central symbol of our Catholic Faith and the sign of our salvation? I like Brennan Manning’s story in The Signature of Jesus.
“While meditating under a big tree on the bank of a river, an old man saw a scorpion floating helplessly on the river. The man quickly stretched himself out on one of the tree’s long roots, reaching out to rescue the drowning creature.
“As soon as he touched it, the scorpion stung him. Instinctively, the man pulled away. But as soon as he regained his balance, he stretched out again to save the scorpion. Again, he was stung for his efforts so severely that his hand swelled up most painfully.
“A passerby who had seen all that had happened called out, “Only a fool would risk his life for the sake of such a creature.” Calmly, the man replied, “My friend, just because it is the scorpion’s nature to sting, that does not change my nature to save.”
There’s no getting around it that Jesus did not want to have to do this. He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane to let the cup of suffering pass him by. Only a free, pure act of sacrificial love stops evil and sin in its tracks.
Like the scorpion, sin and evil aim to destroy, while Jesus’s nature is to save and give life. Until we accept His perfect love and turn from sin, there is no Exaltation of the Cross. Let us not fear the sting we might feel when facing the truth of our sinfulness, for it is a tiny cross compared to what Jesus bore. May our crosses become trees of life and sources of salvation.
Gospel Challenge:
Being a disciple of Jesus is all grace; there’s only one place we can find it: being with the Lord daily. Spend precious time with Him. Only God can change our hearts and what they value.
Love One Another!
Father Rick Pilger, I.C.
