Sunday Gospel Comment
Alberic Jacovone OSB
YEAR C TWELFTH SUNDAY OF THE YEAR Zech 12,10-11.13,1; Gal 3,26-29; Lk 9,18-24 The Power & Logic of the Cross We
preach Christ Crucified.
Today, Luke’s Gospel talks about the necessity -for Jesus & for us to- to
accept the cross in the reality of our life. Every day we are to take it - carry
it - die on it & raise transformed with Jesus. This same point is made by
Mel Gibson in his movie: ‘Passion of Christ’. If by the end of the movie,
this point is not clear, (namely that Jesus had to, & chose to, suffer the
ignominy of the cross, in all its shame - injustice - cruelty & pain), then
the movie is lost on us & more importantly the teaching of ‘Christ
Crucified’ is also lost. In the paper ‘The Australian’, on 5th March 2004,
the Columnist Frank Divine wrote his review on Gibson’s film, praising its
accuracy, daring, genius & financial success. He concludes saying: ‘The
most important part of Gibson’s movie, is that -as true religious art, it
stirs up the emotions... The movie brings tears, & not just for Jesus,
because his suffering & death are awesome, but for other frail human beings
too. For poor Judas. For Peter, bravely following Jesus to his place of trial,
& then devoting the rest of his life, to expiating his failure of nerve
under direct threat. For the women who followed Jesus to Calvary Until now
moving pictures, with sound electronically transmitted, have resisted depiction
of transcendent concepts, But Gibson’s “Passion” is a true work of art
& enters the inner life...’. We take up the cross because we love. As
horrific as his death was, Jesus loved us to excess. It is fundamental to human
existence, that authentic love involve sacrifice, to the point of total giving
of self.. ‘Love is laying down ones life for one’s friends’. For 2000
years, people consider absurd, the truth that sacrifice & suffering, if
endured for the good of others, is sanctifying & salvific. As St Paul put
it: ‘The word ‘cross’ is folly to those on the way to perdition, but to us
who are saved, it is the power of God (1 Cor 1,18). Did Paul have the stigmata?. In his many letters, Paul was unstoppable in preaching ‘Christ Crucified’. His courageous views represent a Christian conviction, way before the Gospels were written. His language is passionate, aggressive, controversial, unequivocal. Hidden in Christ’s crucifixion, is the ‘folly’ of Jesus accepting humiliation, & total obedience, to the point of death on a cross. In the crucified Christ is revealed God’s immense love for us. Paul says: ‘We preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block for Jews & madness for Gentile Pagans; yet to us who are called -Jews & Gentiles alike- it is the power & wisdom of God’ (1Cor 1,24).Paul had top pedigree: he was born a proud Jew from strict Jewish parents, was piously circumcised, became a Pharisees & a persecutor of Christ’s Church. ‘But because of Christ I now consider all this as sheer rubbish...I believe that nothing can outweigh the supreme advantage of knowing Jesus Christ my Lord, for him I have accepted the loss of everything, as long as I have Christ & have a place in his sufferings, & become like him’ (Phil 3,6+). Because of his strong views on Christ Crucified, Paul was himself persecuted, but never wavered: ‘As for me let there be no other boast except in the cross of my Lord Jesus Christ, through it the world is crucified to me & I to the world’ (Gal 6,14). So, I gladly bear all sufferings for you, knowing that doing this, I accomplish what is lacking to the sufferings of Christ for the sake of the Church (Col 1,24). ‘So -Paul concludes-, ‘let no one give me any more trouble, since I bear on my body the stigmata of Our Lord Jesus Christ’ (Gal. 6,17). Was Paul like Francis, Padre Pio & others? ______________________________________ |
