Yesterday in the worldwide Catholic community was the Feast of the Holy Cross. Some in the church community will begin to fast today…choosing to take only one full meal each day until Easter. Others will “fast” mentally from the grudges they nurse, or the bad language they are in the habit of using. They choose to do this as a form of loving. Others will wait until lent, 40 days before Easter when the entire community chooses to fast is some way to do “spring housecleaning” of the soul. The word lent means springtime.The cross is a tree of sorts. It was back then a form of execution. It is a good exercise to ask why the Word made flesh chose that form of death. Those close to God have some good insights to offer us. We lost our friendship with God through a tree…and we regain that friendship through the tree of the cross.
When the Word of God chose to unite with our humanness, it was a humanness in rebellion. We had gone our own way, and many still do today. To go fetch us, the Word had to go wherever we had wandered. Like a shepherd he had to climb down into the rock holes where we were trapped. On the cross this loving and innocent Word becomes a victim with all innocent victims. Hung like ripe red fruit on the tree of the cross, the Christ draws all the poison the world can inflict into himself. Because the Word is joined to our humanity in Christ, he can die. He chooses to do so by his own choice, not because he has no power to resist, but because he chooses to go where we must go when we suffer and die. Because the very Word of God experienced death through his sacred humanity, death was destroyed. Death cannot remain in the presence of Life.
This unbelievable mystery is the hope for all who suffer and die unjustly. They are joined to him, for he shares their humanness. He will hold them to himself and see them through, even though they do not know him. If the Word became one of us as we teach, then he has bonded with every human being.
In our study of the liturgy, called by many the Mass, we gather as he requested to “do this to remember me.” Remember in Aramaic, a dialect of the Hebrew he used, means to join me in the offering. He wants us to give of ourselves in imitation of him by our loving service of others…those he has joined himself to, whether they know him or not.
When the priest picks up the bread at the Eucharistic Liturgy and says, “This is my body, this is my blood,” it is Jesus telling us who we are. The bread and wine were brought up to the altar by us. They stand for us. They are changed into his very self. That is what he wants to do…ever deepen that bond between himself and us. Communion or receiving the Eucharist is then affirming our “yes” to let him live in us and direct our lives and service.
The front part of the Mass is an exchange. We beg pardon for forgetting who we are and who he is. We then listen to what he wants to tell us through the scriptural word. We listen to the “homily” which is a word for “breaking open the bread of the word.” After listening, we remember our baptism when we consented to belong to him, by reciting the creed, or summary of what we believe because he revealed it to us.
At the offertory of the Mass the gifts of bread and wine are brought up by us. They are like stand-ins for ourselves, our work, our struggles, our tears, our joys. Then he takes us in his hands and says, “This (bread which you just brought me that stands for yourself) is my body.” This (wine which you just brought me that stands for your joys and sorrows) is my blood, which has been given for the salvation of the world.”
Then he feeds us like a mother. He feeds us with himself so we can become what we eat - himself for others. Then he sends us out, like seed sown…so we can be a piece of good news wherever we land.
So this is the Mass. As you can see, it is the center of Catholic life.
Without it the Catholic community would not exist. If one understands what is happening there, the meaning radiates into the home, into the business, into the voting booth, into entertainment, etc. But it is not always understood, even by those who have been Catholic for many years, so you will need to forgive us…often.
During these days of inquiry you may want to sit with your crucifix if you have one…just look at it. He is silenced on the cross. The crucified has difficulty speaking. So instead, all his wounds talk for him…like a thousand tongues. They tell us silently how dear we are to him.
In baptism we say yes to being a follower of the crucified. Think hard about what you are saying yes to. When that day comes, his yes and your yes will become one. When you do it, your will do it out loud in the midst of the community so everyone can clap and cheer. It means you are bound to him through sickness and sorrow, through joy and tears. An outstretched hand needs another outstretched hand. His are out…
I hope this connects with some of your experiences…hugs to you until we can meet in person…
Carla Mae Streeter, OP
Aquinas Institute of Theology
23 South Spring Ave.
St. Louis, MO 63108-3323
streeter@slu.edu
phone: 314-256-8882
fax: 314-256-8888