OBEDIENCE
I felt so moved by the second reading last week. It was from St Paul’s letter to the Hebrews. ‘But even though he was God’s Son, he learnt through his sufferings to be obedient.’ (Hebrews 5:8). It reminded me of a talk to the prayer group by Fr Alliston where he emphasised that we should not look to emulate others in our efforts towards holiness. But, instead, look to follow the example of our Lord Jesus Christ. He said this while pointing to the crucifix on the wall.
I’ve always wondered why is it that, in most churches, it is the crucifixion that adorns the altar. Why not the image of our risen Lord? After all, we believe that he rose from the dead. I suppose I felt disturbed whenever I looked up at the cross. Not because of fear, nor dread. But because I wondered what it is that I have done that he would sacrifice himself to save me; to save us. In “Everyone’s Way of the Cross”, the reflection on the eleventh station (Jesus is crucified), asks these questions: ‘Is my soul worth this much? What can I give you in return?’ The second question, especially, can be quite unsettling, daunting. In Matthew 16:24, our Lord says, ‘If anyone wants to come with me, he must forget self, carry his cross, and follow me.’ Now if I put two and two together, oh boy.
From the same “Everyone’s Way of the Cross”, a portion of the reflection on the second station (Jesus Takes His Cross) reads ‘Remind me often that in carrying my cross, I carry yours with you. And though I bear a sliver only of your cross, You carry all of mine, except a sliver, in return.’ I forget that it is not because of my efforts, but it is by His grace, by His love that we are all saved. “For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
The Jews in the desert had the snake image to look towards so that they would not die if they were bitten (Numbers 21:8-9). We have our crucified Lord, who in his obedience to God, “became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey him” (Hebrews 5:9).
Looking up to our crucified Lord, how can we not obey?
Have a blessed Holy Week.
Randy Reyes
