Standing In The Shadow Of The Cross
On Good Friday, we stand in the shadow of the cross. On this day, the second of the three sacred days known as the Triduum, we call to mind the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ for the sake of our salvation. He laid down his life that we might be raised up. Our remembrance must not only include his death but his entire passion. He suffered agony, torture, humiliation and abandonment, which led to the very brink of despair. For this reason, he engaged in fasting and prayer throughout his life. In the end, he pleaded for all to be forgiven and then entrusted his spirit to the Father. Before looking beyond the cross, we do well to ponder the stark sense of human misery apart from divine mercy. As such, this is the one day of the entire year that there is to be no celebration of the Mass anywhere in the world.
In The Call of Matthew, prior to his arrest and crucifixion, Jesus was criticized for eating with tax collectors and sinners. He responds; “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. Go and learn the meaning of the words, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.” (cf. MT 9:9-13) With this in mind, each celebration of Mass involves the gathering of sinners in need of the great physician of souls. We stand constantly in need of mercy, and in turn, to be witnesses of mercy to others. This includes the bishop and priests. Such mercy is made possible in and through the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
Since Jesus desires mercy, we need to be clear exactly what constitutes mercy. The dictionary defines mercy as follows: a refraining from harming or punishing; kindness in excess of what may be expected or demanded by fairness; forbearance, compassion; a disposition to forgive, pity or be kind; the power to forgive; kind of compassionate treatment. It should be kept in mind that justice and mercy are necessarily opposed to one another. Though the two are not necessarily opposed, mercy picks up where justice might leave off. The Church provides us with a particular list of both corporal and spiritual works of mercy. The corporal works include feeding the hungry, visiting the sick, clothing the naked, giving drink to the thirsty, sheltering the homeless, visiting prisoners and burying the dead. The spiritual works include instructing the ignorant, counseling the doubtful, admonishing the sinner, comforting the afflicted, forgiving offenses, bearing wrongs patiently, and praying for the living and the dead. “Among all these,” the Catechism of the Catholic Church points out, “giving alms to the poor is one of the chief witnesses to fraternal charity; it is also a work of justice pleasing to God.” (cf. CCC, #2447)
Often, acts of mercy require sacrifice. The crucifixion of Jesus would prove to be the ultimate sacrifice of divine mercy. Jesus’ death on the cross was a sacrifice motivated by mercy. Each act of mercy on our part involves a willingness to sacrifice in a Christ-like manner for the sake of others. This is what it means to take up our cross, to lay down our lives in self-denial.
There are a multitude of ways to carry out works of mercy within one’s community, neighborhood, workplace, school and family. In his inaugural address on January 1 of this year, Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke noted the great work of local charities and encouraged everyone to get involved in supporting such organizations. A number of such organizations exist in the Catholic Church. In addition to the various parish ministries and services, our Catholic hospitals, schools and several service organizations (e.g. St. Vincent de Paul Society, Knights of Columbus, Knights of St. John). In essence, being good stewards of our time, talent and treasure cultivates a culture of mercy.
In a society where few are accustomed to very little delay in satisfaction, sacrifice is not highly regarded. Concern for fairness does not always include a willingness to sacrifice or be denied something for the sake of others. In other words, I don’t mind others getting a piece of the pie as long as it does not interfere with that which is due to me. The cross, however, reminds us that acts of corporal and spiritual mercy often require actual personal sacrifice. That sacrifice might be of one’s time, energy, comfort, possessions and/or personal desires. While the list of martyrs continues to grow (e.g. the four martyred Missionaries of Charity in Yemen, just a few weeks ago), carrying out acts of mercy generally does not require the ultimate sacrifice of one’s life for most of us. Yet, we must be willing to take up our crosses in whatever way necessary with regard to personal sacrifice in order to make a difference in the lives of those in need and transform the world. This is the path of holiness, the means by which sinners strive to become saints. It is the way of the cross, the way that leads to salvation.
We would do well to review and pray over the list of corporal and spiritual works of mercy. Simply take some time to discern and consider how God might be calling you to embrace a bit more fully the call to be a missionary of mercy. The burden of sacrifice or the cross will not outweigh the abundance of grace that God will provide in making a difference in the lives of others. Often we pray Lord, have mercy on us. Trusting in that mercy, let us pass it on.
