by M. J. Joachim

Created on: April 03, 2009

The Promise of Salvation through the Wood of the Cross

How can anyone truly address the significance of the cross? Was it not our God, who denied His very being, who made such a symbol amount to so much more than 2 pieces of wood, destined to be the final punishment for evil? Through the ultimate sacrifice of His life, in such a gruesome and significant manner, we are invited to reflect on the importance of our lives, saved by the power of His blood.

The cross, green with envy, does not burn. It rises from the ashes exposing the sins it has washed away. On one side it shows us the price for being stubborn, and refusing to accept the gift of mercy. On the other, we come to understand that it is never too late to acknowledge the goodness of God. In the center, we recognize the fulfillment of who we are called to be, and have the opportunity to come to terms with who we really are.

The cross is much more than a symbol though. It is the lifeblood of who we are as people of God. How many times have we denied this very source of eternal salvation? What gives us the right to pass judgment on innocence, and tear it to shreds with our vile cruelty? Who are we to hold up such a sign of victory, and then deny it in the words we speak, and the actions we do?

History has a lot to say about the cross, and what it signifies. We sit, calculating the cost of our ignorance, only to be embraced by the love that died for us on those same beams of wood. We spend our time striving to get ahead in this world, while the cross pleads with us to set different priorities that promise us an eternity of peace through salvation.

Have we simply become numb to the true meaning of the cross? Are we nothing more than mere animals, fulfilling the actions of our days based on instinct? Surely we can see that the love of God is greater than anyone has ever imagined, by the price He was willing to pay for our sins. That ultimate sacrifice is renewed every moment of every day, on the altars of the Catholic Church. No one other than Christ Himself reveals the power and significance of that cross, as the only sign of eternal salvation. Jesus alone is victorious as the conqueror of sin and injustice. We are simply invited to humble ourselves in His presence, and claim the gift He gave, when they nailed His holy hands and feet, outstretched and pleading on our behalf, to the cross on that very first Good Friday.

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