Today is April 8, Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Lent.
At today’s Mass, we hear, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I AM,
and that I do nothing on my own, but I say only what the Father taught me. The one who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, because I always do what is pleasing to him” (Jn 8:28-29).
Jesus says in the Gospel that we will see the full manifestation of his identity in the last place we would expect to see it: on the cross. Something about the crucified Lord tells us about who Jesus is and his relationship with the Father. Jesus is never alone. The Father is always with him.
It might be hard to see this when we first look at Jesus hanging from the cross, bloodied and deformed. Many see Jesus crucified and think, what kind of God would have permitted that to happen? While this question is common and understandable, it is not the right question. Jesus is God. The better question is, what kind of God would do this for me?
God’s love revealed
The answer is simple: a God who loves me.
As St. Paul writes, “Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person, though perhaps for a good person one might even find courage to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8-9).
On the cross, the love of God is revealed to us. Jesus was not alone on the cross, for the Father was within him accepting his sacrifice. We are not alone as we carry our crosses through the desert, for the love of God has been poured into our hearts. United with Jesus, our pain and suffering are infused with grace and love — the same love that Jesus proved to us on the cross.
Therefore, every time we look at the crucifix, we can say with confidence: I am not alone.
Let us pray,
Grant us, we pray, O Lord, perseverance in obeying your will, that in our days the people dedicated to your service may grow in both merit and number. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.
