This is part of Good Friday's homily
There is a passage in the letter to the Phillipians where Paul says: “Brothers, be united in imitating me. Keep your eyes fixed on those who act according to the example you have from me. For there are so many people of whom I have often warned you, and now I warn you again with tears in my eyes, who behave like the enemies of Christ’s cross. They are destined to be lost; their god is the stomach; they glory in what they should think shameful, since their minds are set on earthly things." (Phil 3: 17 – 19)
There are therefore two types of people according to him: those who act according to Paul's example and those behave like enemies of Christ's cross. It seems that Paul is talking about people who call themselves Christians but they do not want to accept the consequences of that name.
I was wondering what it is to live as “enemies” of the cross of Christ. He already gives us some examples. I thought of others...
“Looking for special places”
In last Sunday's second reading of St Paul to the Phillipians we read: Jesus "was humbler yet, even to accepting death, death on a cross". The cross is about humbling oneself.
The apostles always struggled with it. Enough to remember Peter's difficulty to accept that Jesus would go down so much at the washing of the feet.
We are also familiar with another couple of stories like when, on the way to Jerusalem, Jesus teaches the apostles about his coming suffering and death and they are discussing who among them is the greatest.
Or the time when Zebedee's sons ask to sit next to Jesus in his kingdom. They want to be close to His Majesty, the King of Kings.
It is that attitude of “looking for” those places that makes someone being an enemy of the cross. Some people spend all their lives looking for them. Politically, in businesses, at work, in the community, in the Church too. For some it is the only goal of their lives and being on top is the only thing that counts.
There is nothing wrong with trying to improve one's life. Our Church reaches the poorest in the community and supports them in their need. Even more. We try to understand the causes of their suffering and work with them to remove them. The problem comes when "that" is one's life' goal because it always generates violence. If it is you, it cannot be me. The other one becomes an obstacle on my journey to the top.
For some, this is the only "Gospel" they know. If so, they have become enemies of the cross of Christ. Even if they faithfully pray and preach the Word!
“Corruption”
Last Sunday's Gospel started with the story of an unknown woman who pours pure nard – very expensive – on Jesus' head. In the Gospel of John, the story is slightly different and very meaningful. The woman has a name: Mary, Lazaru's sister. The comment wondering why the nard was not being sold and the money given to the poor is done by someone who also has a name: Judas.
John makes this comment: Judas “said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he was in charge of the common fund and used to help himself to the contents” (12:6).
- Judas symbolises not only someone who betrays Jesus but also someone who uses “the common fund” for his/her own benefit;
- Judas symbolises someone who uses the poor for his/her own benefit; someone who talks about the poor but only because he/she knows that can take advantage from them.
On the cross Jesus gives all of his life for each one of us. Corruption is exactly the opposite: someone takes from someone else's life, from someone else's dignity, from someone else's present and future... for his or her own benefit.
While on the cross Jesus reveals our dignity showing we are people worth dying for, corruption means “using” someone else for one's own benefit. The other one can wait, does not count. It is only me that counts.
Our identity if corrupted. Our value is linked to money. We are bought and sold. There is a price on each one of us.
As Pope Francis says, corruption is linked to power and possessions: “Corruption, a process of death that feeds the culture of death,” the pope said, “because the thirst for power and possessions knows no limits.”
Unfortunately, whoever is in power, is suspected to be corrupt and whoever is linked to power too. It might not be true but this seems to be today's culture. Many times we “justify it" in very “fancy” ways but, it is indeed corruption.
If someone before the coming elections would become very generous in order to get votes, it is corruption. That person will be trying to buy people and is ready to pay for that. Some people, in their great need, might be ready to sell themselves too.
Again, you might be going to church every Sunday, you might be carrying a cross on your neck but you behave like an enemy of the Cross of Christ.
“Anger – revenge”
In both stories of the passion we read this year (Mark and John), Pilate says he finds no reason to condemn Jesus. "What wrong has he done?" he asked on Sunday. Today he said: "I see no reason...". Jesus is – in fact – an innocent victim of their violence.
It strikes me that even if Jesus experiences so much violence and hatred, there is no anger in his heart. There is no spirit of revenge. We never hear him say: "I will rise from the dead and will kill you all!".
Even more. In Luke's gospel he prays for them saying: "Forgive them Father, they do not know what they are doing".
We do struggle to forgive. That is "our" cross. Not Jesus' cross. I believe there are two types of crosses. One that makes us free and one that kills us slowly.
The one who lives with anger in the heart, the one who refuses to forgive, the one who looks for revenge carries a heavy cross, the type of cross that brings us down, oppresses us, hurts us more, kills us slowly.
I am not talking about the one who struggles to forgive. Many times people share their suffering at not being able to do so. They see the need. They see how it hurts them but they do not find a way.
I talk about the one who says: "I will never ever forgive him/her". Much worse when that person looks for revenge. Some talk about the sweet taste of revenge. Interesting enough, the truth is that it makes us more bitter. It poisons us.
You always hear me telling you that I do not believe that God punishes us. If he would, we would all be dead by now! At the resurrection, Jesus' very first word to the apostles who had abandoned him is: Peace!
The times when we decide not to forgive, the time we look for any type of revenge, the times we live with anger in our hearts we behave as enemies of the cross even if we come to Mass daily and receive communion.
* * *
I believe our Christian churches today are packed. We are happy to be able to celebrate together.
At the same time we need to ask if we, Christians, if our so-called-Christian-country, if our continent and world welcomes the cross of Christ or if we behave as enemies of his cross.
We need to discern if we are led by the example of the one who humbled himself, made us worth dying for, lived without anger and revenge and entrusted himself to the Father or, instead, choose to be involved in power struggles, have accepted corruption as a way of life, live in anger and revenge.
The choice is ours.
