Wherever the symbol of the Cross is set up,
Christ's victory and the devil's subjection are signified. You know that our
old enemy won his victory over the first man by means of a tree, and because of
that held him and all his issue . . . under the yoke of his tyranny. But the
Son came, as a strong man to the race, that He might strive with the powers of
the air, and to that first tree opposed another, spewing out through the
bitterness of the Cross the poisonous delight of the apple of old. When the
first man, tempted by Satan, stretched out his hand to the tree, it was as if
he wrote the bond of his unconditional servitude on wooden tablets. But the
second Adam, stretching out His hands on the Cross, obliterated the bond of
that deadly agreement. By a tree then we were enslaved; by a tree also we have
been restored to our pristine freedom. By a tree we were cast out from
Paradise; by a tree we are called once more to our native land. And we who
because of a tree were regarded as enemies have by the mystery of the Cross
been restored to friendship with God and concord with the angels, as the
Apostle bears witness, when he speaks of Christ to the Ephesians: For he is
our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of
partition: having abolished in his flesh the enmity, making void even the law
of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one
new man, so making peace, and that he might reconcile both unto God in one body
by the Cross, having slain the enmity thereby [Eph. 2, 14—17]. . .
This emblem of heavenly triumph, by which the
world was loosed from the bonds of her ancient captivity, was adored by the Fathers
from the world's beginning, and foretold by the Prophets and prefigured on
every page of the Holy Scriptures. That which we adore in grace, they venerated
in faith. And we now see fulfilled, by the grace of the Mediator, what was
prefigured to them in enigmas; what they predicted in spirit we can behold and
embrace with our bodily eyes. O wonderful loving-kindness of our Creator! O
praiseworthy humility of our Redeemer! He deigned to suffer the pains of a most
cruel death, that He might win for us a crown. He chose of His own will, the
dreadful torments of the Cross in order to raise us from the yoke of slavery to
the kingdom. He did not scorn to be cursed, so that He might free us from the
law's curse. He suffered a shameful death to deliver us from the disgrace of
everlasting death. So the Apostle says: Christ has redeemed us from the
curse of the law, being made a curse for us; for it is written: Cursed is every
one that hangs on a tree; that the blessing of Abraham might come on the
Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit
through faith [Gal. 3, 13-14]. .
We must mark and most diligently consider,
brethren, that our Redeemer first passed over by the Cross and so raised His
humanity to the glory of the right hand of the Father. In doing so He gave us
an example: where the head goes, the members must follow. We are signed with
the Cross on our foreheads; it will avail even more to our salvation if we hold
it in our hearts. When the angel of death saw both doorposts smeared with
blood, he passed by instead of bursting in. Let no one rely on the mark of the
cross on his forehead if he does not show forth the truth of the Cross in his
works. St. Paul showed forth the Cross in his behavior most notably, and said: I
bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus. [Gal. 6, 17]
Therefore, dearly beloved, let us cleanse
ourselves from all defilement of body or spirit; let us arm ourselves to break
the assault of our enemies, the vices, let us counteract the passions of carnal
pleasure, and minister lovingly to the needs of our neighbors and suffer
injuries in a spirit of charity. Let our souls be free from all the burdens of
earthly greed, so that, hurled on wings of holy desire they may forsake the
depths and returning to their Maker rest sweetly in His love. Let us despise
all that we see and hasten with unceasing labor to that which we believe. This
in deed is
the cross which we must imprint on all our actions, all our behavior. This is
the Cross which we are commanded to bear after the Lord daily. He who carries
it truly shares in the passion of his Redeemer. This emblem will separate the
sheep from the goats in the last judgement. And the judge, who knows not the
wicked, will recognize this mark in His own. Those whom He sees marked with the
seal of His own death He will, as a gracious rewarder, invite to partake in the
prize of everlasting life: Come, He will say, blessed of my Father,
inherit the kingdom [Mt. 25, 34] of Him with whom He Himself lives and
reigns forever and ever. Amen.
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