Monday, September 14, 2026 - The Cross is the consequence of standing up for the truth.

 

Monday, September 14, 2026 - The Exaltation of the Cross - Lifted up and Exalted

To read the texts click on the texts: Num 21:4-9;Phil 2:6-11; Jn 3:13-17

The Exaltation of the Cross is one of the twelve great feasts in the yearly Church cycle. Because the cross is at the heart and centre of all that we as Christians believe, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, the triumph of the cross of Christ over the power of sin and death. And so this feast provides us with another opportunity to reflect on the central mystery of our faith: that the one who was lifted up on the cross in crucifixion has triumphed over the power of sin and death because God highly exalted him.

This feast commemorates two historical events: first, the finding of what was considered the Cross of Christ in the year 326 by the mother of Constantine the Great, St Helen, and second its recovery from Persia in 628.

A story is told of Emperor Heraclius who in the year 628 after making peace with the Persians carried what was considered the Cross on which Jesus hung back to Jerusalem on his shoulders. He was clothed with costly garments and with ornaments of precious stones. But at the entrance to Mt. Calvary a strange incident occurred. Try as hard as he would, he could not go forward. Zacharias, the Bishop of Jerusalem, then said to the astonished monarch: "Consider, O Emperor, that with these triumphal ornaments you are far from resembling Jesus carrying His Cross." The Emperor then put on a penitential garb and continued the journey and carried the Cross into the Church of Holy Wisdom where it was triumphantly exalted. It was then resolved that the Fest of the Triumph or Exaltation of the Cross be celebrated by the Church in all parts of the world.

The Cross -- because of what it represents -- is the most potent and universal symbol of the Christian faith. It is a constant reminder -- and witness -- of Christ's ultimate triumph, His victory over sin and death through His suffering and dying on the Cross. The cross, once a tool of death, has become a means to life, an instrument of our salvation; it gives strength to resist temptation, it gives hope to seek new life and it dispels fear and darkness.

As Christians, we exalt the Cross of Christ as the instrument of our salvation. Adoration of the Cross is, thus, adoration of Jesus Christ, the Son of God who became Man, who suffered and died on the Cross for our redemption from sin and death. The cross represents the One Sacrifice by which Jesus, obedient even unto death, accomplished our salvation. The cross is a symbolic summary of the Passion, Crucifixion, Death and Resurrection of Christ.

In the first reading of today we read of how Moses lifted up the bronze serpent in order to heal and bring wholeness to a broken people. This was God’s way of showing the people that He was primarily a God who wanted to save and redeem and not condemn and destroy. The Church and especially the evangelist John interpreted this lifting of the bronze serpent by Moses as a foreshadowing of the salvation through Jesus when He was lifted up on the Cross. The Triumph of the Cross is the Triumph of Jesus Christ whose love for us and obedience to his Father climaxed with his death on the cross. The deeper meaning of the Cross is presented in The Christological hymn in today's second reading from the Letter of Paul to the Philippians. Jesus emptied himself completely, not just becoming a human being but accepting the worst public death of the society he lived in to demonstrate the extent of the love of God for us. He died making a willing statement of love, filling the world with the love he had for his Father and his Father had for him. We are saved from the horrors of evil, from meaningless lives due to the love of the Lord. Because Jesus died on a cross for us we are able to proclaim to the world: Jesus is Lord. His love made this possible. When we venerate and adore the cross we are saying: Jesus is Lord of our lives.

To the world this act of surrender on the cross was an act of utter humiliation and subjugation and the height of folly. To the world this death on the cross was a wasted life. To the world this death on the cross was a sign of utter defeat. But what the world calls wisdom, God calls foolishness, and what the world calls strength God call weakness. Therefore God highly exalted the crucified one by raising him from the dead. God gave Jesus his own name so that every creature on earth must now call Jesus “Lord.” What human beings did, God contradicted. And so in the weakness and foolishness of the cross we see the wisdom and power of God: Christ crucified. In him and his cross, surrender becomes power, waste becomes gain and death and defeat become victory and new life.

The cross is at the centre of our lives every time we face sickness and death. The cross is at the centre of our lives in frailty and old age. The cross is at the centre of our lives every time we feel utterly alone and abandoned. The Cross is at the centre of our lives every time we are tempted to give in and give up. It is at the centre of our lives every time we are tempted to throw our hands up in despair. It keeps reminding us that only when we embrace the cross in the midst of suffering and abandonment can we understand the power of the resurrection. Only when we have the courage to keep on keeping on can we like Christ become victorious and conquer. Only when we embrace the cross is it possible for God to raise us up and give us new life.

Sunday, September 13, 2026 - Will you give up all your un-forgiveness today?

 

Sunday, September 13, 2026 - Forgive, it is good for your health. What would be your position if God kept a grudge against you for every sin you committed? Will you give up all your un-forgiveness today?

To read the texts click on the texts: Sir 27:30-28:7; Rom 14:7-9; Mt18:21-35

The readings of today which are from centuries ago are still as relevant today as they were then. Most doctors today are agreed that harbouring resentment, unforgiveness and similar negative feelings are largely responsible for the ailments we suffer today.

Ben Sirach offers practical wisdom in the first reading of today when he exhorts his listeners to forgive and not hold anger in their hearts. The reason for this is that if one holds the negative, there is no room for the forgiving love of God to enter into one’s heart. When one harbours wrath and anger, one closes heart to receive the forgiveness and acceptance that God keeps giving.

A similar point is made in the conclusion of Matthew’s Community Discourse which is the Gospel text for today. It begins with a question from Peter about the number of times one is expected to forgive. The sevenfold forgiveness that Peter suggests is by no means trivial. Seven is the traditional number of perfection. That Peter suggests forgiving seven times does not mean, therefore, that he wants to grant his brother or sister only a limited forgiveness. Instead, the sense of Peter’s question is: “Is perfect forgiveness expected of me?” Jesus could simply have answered yes, but his answer calls for even more perfection. The most perfect, boundlessly infinite, countlessly repeated forgiveness is demanded of Peter. The answer that Matthew attributes to Jesus cannot be surpassed. In the church Jesus’ rule of radical forgiveness is in effect. The point therefore is not so much about numbers but about forgiveness from the heart. If one has to count the number of times one is forgiving, it means that one is not really forgiving at all.

For Matthew also it is clear that God’s forgiveness can be lost through human unkindness so that one’s earlier guilt returns. The story that follows in 18:23-35 about the king who forgave his servant a debt of ten thousand talents (a talent was more than fifteen years wages of a labourer) and that same servant who would not forgive another servant who owed him a mere hundred denarii (a denarius was the usual day’s wage for a labourer) insists that if one has not genuinely received God’s forgiveness, one cannot forgive others. The servant, who was forgiven his huge debt, had not interiorised the forgiveness he received. He did not let the grace of forgiveness seep into his heart and consequently was not able to appreciate it. This lack of appreciation of grace, lead to his own unforgiving action toward a fellow servant. The response of the king is immediate. He asks for no explanation, but simply labels the forgiven one as evil and treats him as he treated his fellow slave. The parable ends with the hearers being challenged to reflect on how God will deal with each one and of the consequences of unforgiveness.

The model of forgiveness whom Paul asks us to look to is Jesus. It is he who first showed us the true meaning of forgiveness and also taught us how to forgive in his ministry and especially when on the cross. It is this Jesus for whom we live and die and who remains, the only inspiration that we will ever need.

We expect to be forgiven by others when we do them harm and after we have said sorry. Sometimes, if they do not forgive us, we get upset with them. We need to apply the same yardstick to ourselves when others ask for forgiveness from us. The readings of today are explicit that if we have to truly receive the unconditional forgiveness of God then we have first to open our hearts wide to receive this forgiveness. This openness will result in our being able to forgive others who we think have hurt us.

I am fond of saying, “Forgive, it is good for your health”.

Saturday, September 12, 2026 - There is no point in merely saying “I believe” if we are not going to show that belief in action.

 

Saturday, September 12, 2026 - Will your faith show in action today? How?

To read the texts click on the texts: 1 Cor 10:14-22; Lk 6:43-49

In the last part of the Sermon on The Plain, the Lucan Jesus uses the metaphor of a tree and its fruit, and through it exhorts the listeners not merely “to say”, but rather “to do”. The nature of a tree is known by the fruit it produces, and each tree produces a different kind of fruit. If a person’s heart is good, then what he/she produces will also be good, whereas if a person’s heart is evil, then the deeds of that person will also be evil.

Luke concludes his sermon with an exhortation to do what the Lord says rather then merely to call him Lord. There is no point in merely saying “I believe” if we are not going to show that belief in action.

Friday, September 11, 2026 - Did you know that when you point a finger at someone, there are three fingers pointing back at you?

 

Friday, September 11, 2026 - Did you know that when you point a finger at someone, there are three fingers pointing back at you?

To read the texts click on the texts: 1 Cor 9:16-19, 22-27; Lk 6:39-42

The parable that begins this section is a rhetorical question. The blind who need someone else to lead them surely cannot lead another who is blind. What is worse is that if this is attempted both persons will be in trouble. This is why disciples who intend to lead others must first learn to be like the master. If they attempt to lead others without first learning from the master, their teaching will be erroneous.

The second parable reinforces the point made in 6,37-38 about not judging or condemning. Before one can point to the faults of others, introspection is called for. One must realise that often one might be guilty of greater misdeeds than the person to whom one is pointing.

Thursday, September 10, 2026 - How often have you done something for someone else without any expectation whatever? Will you do something like this today?

 

Thursday, September 10, 2026 - When did you last say a positive word to someone? Will you speak a positive word to at least one person today?

To read the texts click on the texts:1 Cor 8:1-7,11-13; Lk 6:27-38

After pronouncing the beatitudes and woes, the Lucan Jesus goes on to speak of love of enemies. The disciples are called to be actors rather than reactors. They are to love their enemies and bless and pray for those who are against them.

How this is to be done practically is then illustrated. Disciples are to offer no resistance to the violent and are to be generous in their giving expecting nothing in return.

The Golden rule is stated positively here and by placing it in this context, Luke probably intends that this is how the disciples must respond to those who are against them.

Our relationships generally are based on barter exchange. If someone does good to me then I will be good to that person in turn. However, the Lucan Jesus calls his disciples to go beyond and to build relationships based on unconditional love.

The last two verses of this section deal with not judging and not condemning. These are followed by two positive prescriptions to forgive and give freely without measure.