Tuesday, September 14, 2021
Feast of di Exaltation of di Holy Kros
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God love di world so much sotey He give His only Son, so dat everybody wey believe in Him no go perish, but go get eternal life. God no send His Son come di world to condemn di world, but so dat di world go fit get salvation through Him. John 3:16–17
If Jesus no give His life for cross to save di world, nobody for ever see cross as something wey go bring “great joy.” Cross, on im own, na instrument of death—death wey terrible and full of violence. E still be instrument wey dem dey use disgrace and torture person. Yet, today, people see di Cross as holy object wey get blessing. We dey hang crosses for our houses, wear dem for neck, keep dem for pocket for di end of rosary, and spend time dey pray before dem. Di Cross don become image wey we dey honour, wey dey help us turn to God for prayer and surrender ourselves to Him. But na only because dem save us and bring us to eternal life through wetin happen for cross.
If you pause think about dis amazing truth, say one of di worst instruments of torture and death don become one of di holiest images for earth, e suppose fill you with wonder and deep respect. To understand dis fact suppose make us realise say God fit do anything and everything. God fit take wetin bad pass and change am to wetin good pass. He fit use death bring life.
Even though our celebration today, di “Feast of di Honouring of di Holy Cross,” na first of all feast wey we dey use give glory to di Father for wetin He do through di Person of His divine Son, e still be feast wey suppose make us humbly understand say God fit “lift high” every cross wey we endure for life, and use dem bring plenty grace.
Which cross heavy pass for your life? Wetin dey cause your greatest suffering? E fit be say, as you dey think about am now, e dey pain you. Most times, our crosses and sufferings na things wey we dey try remove from our lives. E easy for us to point to di crosses for our lives and blame dem say na dem make us no get happiness. E easy to think say if only dis thing or dat thing change or comot, our life go better. So, wetin be dat cross for your life?
Di truth be say, no matter wetin be your heaviest cross, dat cross get extraordinary possibility to become real source of grace for your life and for di world. But dis one fit happen only if you accept dat cross with faith and hope, so dat our Lord go fit join am to His own, and so dat your crosses too go fit share for di honour wey dem give Christ Cross. Even though dis na very deep mystery of faith, e still be very deep truth of our faith.
Today, think deeply about your own crosses. As you dey do so, try no see dem as load. Instead, recognise wetin fit come out of those crosses. With prayer, look at your crosses as invitation to share for Christ Cross. Tell your crosses “Yes.” Choose dem with your own free will. Join dem to Christ Cross. As you dey do so, get hope say God glory go show for your life and for di world through di way you freely accept dem. Know say God power wey dey bring change go transform these “loads,” and dem go become source of honour for your life.
My Lord wey dem don lift high, I turn to You for my need, with di fullest faith in Your divine power to save. Abeg, give me di grace wey I need to fully accept every cross for my life with hope and faith in You. Abeg, transform my crosses so dat dem go bring You honour, and so dat dem go become instrument of Your glory and grace. Jesus, na You I trust.
More Reflections on the Gospel
Reflection Dem about God im Mercy
Meditations on Scripture for Ordinary Time
Today Feast – Di Honouring of di Holy Cross
Di main picture wey dey above: Na Aaron Burden take am for Unsplash
