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“God so loved the world that He
gave His only son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish
but may have eternal life.”
John 3:16
September 14, 2014
Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Dear Friends,
The Cross is around us. We cannot
avoid it. We see this very clearly in the battle against the spread of
Ebola. The families, villages, and individuals who are afflicted or
threatened by the virus have had their lives changed, and bear a cross
of suffering imposed upon them by this epidemic.
Around his neck, Pope Francis wears a
cross on a pendant—but it is a cross with a difference. In place of
Jesus Christ dying, it shows an image of the Good Shepherd embracing the
one lost sheep with the ninety-nine sheep in the background. I see this
as indicating that to reach out and help others, to seek to
find and help the lost, is truly to take up and embrace the Cross. Is
not this what we see in the battle to overcome Ebola? We see the heroic
efforts of doctors and health workers to bring aid to those suffering
and prevent the spread of the virus. These workers freely take up the
Cross by their dedication, exposing themselves to danger, sacrificing
for the sake of others, as Jesus Christ did when He took up the Cross.
Lord Jesus Christ, You call us to be saints along the way of the Cross. Cleanse us with pardon
of Your Cross. Instruct us in the school of Your Cross. Arm us for the
battle of holiness by the might of Your Cross. Bring us to the victory
of your Cross, and seal us in the Kingdom of Heaven among the servants
of Your Cross, with the Father, and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever
and ever. Amen.
Rev. Peter Schineller, S.J., CMMB Board of Directors
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