14th Sept - Exaltation of The Cross

[BarbTherese]

It is the 14th September today in Australia.  Here we use the General Calendar.  To find your own particular calendar and links to it, go to: https://universalis.com/n-location.htm and scroll down.

My thoughts only - and please share your own thoughts:............. The 14th September each year, we celebrate the Victory and Exhalation of The Cross.  We are sealed indelibly with the Sign of The Cross at Baptism and traditionally before and after Prayer, and at many other times, we unite ourselves to the Cross and our Baptism - through making The Sign of The Cross.  I don't think we should ever make The Sign of The Cross thoughtlessly.  Because we do make this sign so often, it can become thoughtless......but hopefully only temporarily..........we remain fallibly weak and human and not angels.  Our God of Infinite Love and Mercy fully understands this.  Amen.

  The Cross is universally known as the symbol of Christianity and the Sign of The Cross, universally known as the sign of Catholicism.  To my mind, we are therefore the sign of The Cross and proclaim it with the Sign of The Cross, the sign of victory and the exaltation by Jesus of suffering.  Suffering of self and others, especially for the Catholic, is no longer a source of confusion and meaninglessness.  Suffering is now exalted and a sign very much of Jesus in our world and therefore we unite our own and all suffering to Jesus and His own sufferings on earth.  We make our own sufferings and that of others holy, redemptive.   The Father as it were ratifies and proclaims the Cross through the Resurrection of Jesus. 

The cross ever since has been the magnificent paradox and it is through the Power of The Holy Spirit we unite ourselves and our brothers and sisters to Jesus and proclaim the cross/suffering as victory and redemptive.  It is forever the magnificent transformation.

Suffering has become a privilege and an honour.  We are gifted to be able to unite ourselves and all to The Sufferings of Jesus and His Resurrection.  The sign of the magnificent transformation of pain and difficulty, confusion and non understanding, meaninglessness, to great Joy and celebration.

I took much from monastic life, including the fact that on cell doors and in one's cell was always a cross, not a crucifix, because it is the sign that the occupier of the cell is nailed to the Cross of Jesus and so it is wherever the Sign of The Cross is made.

 

Quote

 

https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2019-09-14 "We made the Sign of the Cross before prayer which helps to fix our minds and hearts to God. After prayer we make the Sign of the Cross to keep close to God. During trials and temptations our strength and protection is the Sign of the Cross. At Baptism we are sealed with the Sign of the Cross, signifying the fullness of redemption and that we belong to Christ. Let us look to the cross frequently, and realize that when we make the Sign of the Cross we give our entire self to God — mind, soul, heart, body, will, thoughts.

O cross, you are the glorious sign of victory.
Through your power may we share in the triumph of Christ Jesus."

 

 

[cappie]

This feast of the Holy Cross reveals the great love which God has for us. He is the Son given to us, “so that anyone who believes in Him will not be lost, but will have eternal life,” this Son whom we have rejected and crucified. But precisely in this rejection on our part, God has manifested Himself to us His fidelity and His love which does not stop before the hardness of our heart. And even in spite of our rejection and our contempt He gives us salvation (cf. Acts 4:27-28), remaining firm in fulfilling His plan of mercy: God, in fact, has not sent His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world may be saved through Him.”

Todat we say with St.  Francis:  "We adore you, Lord Jesus Christ, in all your churches throughout the whole world and we praise you, because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.”

[Guest]

Peoples of great price!

The Physical Death of Jesus Christ

    https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?id=252 

by William D. Edwards, MD, Wesley J. Gabel, Mdiv, Floyd E. Hosmer, MS, AMI

Quote

 

DESCRIPTION

This article describes the suffering and death of Christ from a medical point of view.

LARGER WORK

JAMA - The Journal of the American Medical Association, Volume 256

PUBLISHER & DATE

American Medical Association, March 21, 1986

 

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Quote

Excerpt Only:   "The life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth have formed the basis for a major world religion (Christianity), have appreciably influenced the course of human history, and, by virtue of a compassionate attitude towards the sick, also have contributed to the development of modern medicine. The eminence of Jesus as a historical figure and the suffering and controversy associated with his death have stimulated us to investigate, in an interdisciplinary manner, the circumstances surrounding his crucifixion. Accordingly, it is our intent to present not a theological treatise but rather a medically and historically accurate account of the physical death of the one called Jesus Christ."

 

Edited September 14, 2019 by BarbaraTherese

[Guest]

1 hour ago, cappie said:

This feast of the Holy Cross reveals the great love which God has for us. He is the Son given to us, “so that anyone who believes in Him will not be lost, but will have eternal life,” this Son whom we have rejected and crucified. But precisely in this rejection on our part, God has manifested Himself to us His fidelity and His love which does not stop before the hardness of our heart. And even in spite of our rejection and our contempt He gives us salvation (cf. Acts 4:27-28), remaining firm in fulfilling His plan of mercy: God, in fact, has not sent His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world may be saved through Him.”

Todat we say with St.  Francis:  "We adore you, Lord Jesus Christ, in all your churches throughout the whole world and we praise you, because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.”

Thank you, Father.  I started out to highlight points that struck me - but by the time I got very close to the end of your post, I had highlighted it all and decided to do so.  Thanks again.  I also look forward too to your weekly homilies.