Way to the Cross

We have been reading from St. Augustine in the Office of Readings, and of his Sermo Guelferbytanus. As Augustine reflects upon the suffering and death of Jesus, he borrows heavily from St. Paul. In this sermon Augustine recognizes the significance of the cross and that we like Saint Paul keep the cross and its spirituality as the center of our faith lives. To be sure it cannot be in some superficial sense in which we reflect on 'taking up our cross.' Rather the cross of Christ calls us to transformation. Since we began looking at and reading the Theology of the Body, I have found it revealing to re-examine the Genesis story of creation. The story reminds us of the sacred nature of men and women, and our participation in the dignity and integrity given to us by God. God sees us as 'good' and worth redeeming. Jesus comes in human form to bring us salvation. Saint Augustine reflects that Jesus' death should not be a cause for shame, but one of joy. Jesus suffered the death we deserved for our sins and for Sinfulness, Augustine will say. So that while a solemn time this is a week of joy and celebration as we recount all that Jesus did to save us. "By your own blood Lord you brought us back to God" While Jesus does not die year after year, his one death, through his blood, we have life and have this life abundantly. When I was young, during the time of dinosaurs and glaciers, we started this 'doing something for Lent.' I think that the idea was that our Lenten practice was to draw us closer to God and God's love. To forgive or do charity might bring us that much closer to the transformation we are called to. As Saint Paul reflects upon, the instrument of death, in the cross, becomes for us the instrument of life.