Today is the Twenty-Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time. In the Gospel Jesus asks, “Who do you say that I am?” We answer this question by our Christian witness in service: all our actions, our priorities, our works, our love and our forgiveness for each other. We daily take up our cross and lift it high. Our time, talent and treasure are consigned to God and the Kingdom on earth.
The sign of the cross is the emblem of our belief. We begin all liturgical and Para-liturgical celebrations, blessings and prayers with this sign. In Baptism we are signed by the cross, and we are anointed with it in Confirmation and in the Sacrament of the Sick. On Ash Wednesday we make the sign of the cross in ashes on our foreheads. We understand we must follow Jesus’ example and take up our own cross in order to live lives of hope—to live in the new life we are promised.
We gather today in the midst of all joy, sorrow, gratitude and burden. Each day we are given the opportunity to lift our cross high; this symbol of our salvation whose mark we carry by our Baptism. We believe in its power to destroy death and restore life. This is the core of our faith; to embrace the cross and its ability to transform death into life. All of us are commissioned by our Baptism to “teach” by our own personal examples of commitment to our faith—in the use of our time, talent and treasure—and in our worship of God. St. Paul reminds us today that faith without works is dead!
One of my favorite hymns is Lift High the Cross. It has a verse that says: “Each newborn fol’lwer of the Crucified, bears on the brow the seal of him who died. Lift high the cross! The cross of Christ proclaim!” To paraphrase the “Workbook for Lectors and Gospel Readers” (another Liturgical Ministry!), we must grow up as Christians and step beyond just trying to be good people; we must also be good for people. How to do this? In service and love as we Lift High the Cross!
Keep singing!
Elizabeth Dyc
The sign of the cross is the emblem of our belief. We begin all liturgical and Para-liturgical celebrations, blessings and prayers with this sign. In Baptism we are signed by the cross, and we are anointed with it in Confirmation and in the Sacrament of the Sick. On Ash Wednesday we make the sign of the cross in ashes on our foreheads. We understand we must follow Jesus’ example and take up our own cross in order to live lives of hope—to live in the new life we are promised.
We gather today in the midst of all joy, sorrow, gratitude and burden. Each day we are given the opportunity to lift our cross high; this symbol of our salvation whose mark we carry by our Baptism. We believe in its power to destroy death and restore life. This is the core of our faith; to embrace the cross and its ability to transform death into life. All of us are commissioned by our Baptism to “teach” by our own personal examples of commitment to our faith—in the use of our time, talent and treasure—and in our worship of God. St. Paul reminds us today that faith without works is dead!
One of my favorite hymns is Lift High the Cross. It has a verse that says: “Each newborn fol’lwer of the Crucified, bears on the brow the seal of him who died. Lift high the cross! The cross of Christ proclaim!” To paraphrase the “Workbook for Lectors and Gospel Readers” (another Liturgical Ministry!), we must grow up as Christians and step beyond just trying to be good people; we must also be good for people. How to do this? In service and love as we Lift High the Cross!
Keep singing!
Elizabeth Dyc
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