The Exaltation of the Cross

The Winner at the MSF Picnic

Isaiah prophesied:

The wisdom of its wise men shall perish and the understanding of its prudent men be hid. (29:14)

Saint Paul saw the fulfillment of those words in Jesus’ crucifixion:

For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written,
‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
   and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.’ 

The very name of today’s feast is a paradox: the exaltation of the cross. How can something so disgusting, perverse and shameful be exalted? Can you make a silk purse from a sow’s ear?

And yet that mystery is the core of our Christian faith. We must study it continually as we represent our God to our family, neighbors and nation.

Facing his last days, Saint Francis reflected on the beginning of his spiritual life:

This is how God inspired me, Brother Francis, to embark upon a life of penance. When I was in sin, the sight of lepers nauseated me beyond measure; but then God himself led me into their company, and I had pity on them. When I had once become acquainted with them, what had previously nauseated me became a source of spiritual and physical consolation for me. After that I did not wait long before leaving the world.

Clearly, for that young man, “the world” had nothing to offer. Fine foods, splendid clothing, gorgeous music, rich tapestries and witty conversation offered nothing to one who saw beauty in the stench, filth and horror of leprosy.

All this came to Saint Francis in a brilliant insight. He followed that vision doggedly. It may not come so readily to us. Americans are at least as fastidious as the young Saint. We can hardly bear odors of any kind; we’ve developed allergies to the most common substances; and we flee in terror from non-contagious diseases like cancer. With the American Mom’s obsessive sanitizing we’ll soon find MRSI -- Multiply Resistant Staph Infection -- in our kitchens and bathrooms. Our xenophobia extends to people of other countries, other languages and other religions. The more we spend on security, the less safe we feel. 

The cross teaches us to laugh at our fears. It sets us free to meet and embrace strangers, even those with diseases. It teaches us to welcome homosexuals, Muslims and criminals. Even liberals, tea-partiers, and reactionaries find a welcome in the company of the cross. Leaving the world as Francis did, we welcome the world with the wide open arms of the Crucified Christ.