On this Sunday that we celebrate the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ we are suddenly brought face to face with the casualness that has enveloped the meaning and use of this central symbol of our Christian faith. Crucifixes hang on the walls of most Catholic institutions, Catholics, including those stepping up to bat or preparing to make a free throw make the sign of the cross imagining that this will bring success.
My cursory study of local weather science tells me that something is happening on our planet that probably has not happened since the “Big Bang,” that moment in evolutionary history when order was set in place by a benevolent Creator. Thus it has been for trillions of years (earth time) until this most recent age when it has become evident that something is awry.
It is incumbent upon us not simply to pray for something more promising and hopeful to happen but to be aware that we live in one world on one planet and the Middle-Eastern family pictured in the newspaper is as much part of us as the neighbor next door. It is called human compassion for those whom we have never met and will probably never meet in our entire lifetime.
Readers and friends: The explosive Feast of Pentecost will be upon us soon. I use that word explosive deliberately because that is exactly what happened. Scripture tells us that on the 50th day after the Resurrection of Jesus an event occurred in Jerusalem that could only be described as the Spirit’s descent in wind and fire. That’s a fact.
True to form, parades have a message to convey; someone needs to be honored for valor, an event needs to be commemorated, special groups need to be appreciated, a day in summer needs enjoying.
And so it was on a certain spring day in Jerusalem that a group of ragtag Palestinian peasants — kids included — came trooping down a narrow alley of the city, willow and palm branches in hand, leading a donkey on which was seated Jesus of Nazareth who had gained considerable fame preaching and healing back home.
Ash Wednesday is nearly here! I am quite sure, of course, that you will be delighted to hear that; somebody has to break the news. Ah, but let me break it over you gently: if you are willing to get started a few days early on the annual question, What’cha doing for Lent?
CatholicAnchor.org From what I was later told regarding the following event, it probably happened on a cold November weekday in the year 1924. The setting was a country church named Saint Henry in rural North Dakota. The event was a christening ceremony. Seemingly, there was a certain urgency about occasion and the ritual about…