The Cross contains in itself the mystery of salvation…  
The salvific lifting up of the Son of God on the Cross has its eternal source in love. This is the love of the Father that sends the Son; he gives his Son for the salvation of the world. And at the same time it is the love of the Son who does not "judge" the world, but gives himself for the love of the Father and for the salvation of the world. Giving himself to the Father through the Sacrifice of the Cross, he gives himself at the same time to the world: to each person and to the whole of humanity.
 
The Cross contains in itself the mystery of salvation, because, in the Cross, Love is lifted up. This is the lifting up of Love to the supreme point in the history of the world: in the Cross Love is lifted up and the Cross is at the same time lifted up through Love. And from the height of the Cross, love comes down to us. Yes: "The Cross is the most profound condescension of God to man . . . The Cross is like a touch of eternal love upon the most painful wounds of man’s existence" (Ioannis Pauli PP. II, Dives in Misericordia, 8). – Pope Saint John Paul II, excerpt from the Homily of Feast of the Holy Cross, Apostolic Journey to Canada, Halifax given on September 14, 1984
 
 
Christ is Risen!  He is Risen, Indeed!
 
Happy Easter! 
 
On this Friday within the Octave of Easter, just one week after the somber commemoration of the Crucifixion of the Lord on Good Friday we can now celebrate the glory of the Cross of Christ in the splendor of the resurrection.   These first days of the Season of Easter naturally connect the Resurrection to the Passion, Crucifixion, and Death of the Lord – we cannot simply gloss over the fact that Christ in his Risen, glorified body, had the wounds of the Crucifixion.  As we reflected already this week, by these wounds the Risen Christ was confirmed as Jesus to his closest Apostles.  Thus, the Cross is essential to the Resurrection.
 
A Cross is the common symbol for the Christian Faith in our society.  For Catholic Christians, it is likely to include a corpus – the body of the Lord – making it a crucifix.  To a degree this is very interesting, strange, as it expresses the depth of our Christian Faith; a faith that does not forget suffering and death in the New Life of Christ.  Through our most familiar symbol, central in Churches, homes, and any room in a Catholic Institution, we proclaim that the Lord had suffer and die for our salvation.  Yet, the story does not end on Good Friday with a sealed tomb that remains an eternal home for the corpse.  Rather, we proclaim that death was conquered by Christ.  Our Faith is not founded upon an ordinary man who did great and stunning deeds, we are disciples of the God-Man, the Lord Jesus.  Christ is Risen from the dead, yet our common symbol is of the dying Lord – our places are marked by the instrument of his death.  Even on Easter Sunday, the cross is glorified.  We mark our faith in Risen Christ by the Cross.
 
This is worthy of much prayer and consideration.  Pope Saint John Paul II – who himself was so very familiar with the costs of suffering – reflected so insightfully in the 1984 Homily on the Feast of the Holy Cross.  We began this post with a short quote from that homily (yes… of course, it’s worth reading the entire homily!) that made clear how the cross is essential to our salvation, our experience of the wideness of God’s Love – Divine Mercy!  It does not fail to frequently capture my attention, as I look toward a crucifix, that because of the Death of the Lord God is able to love me in any suffering, confusion, anxiety, or circumstance.  That the presence of the God is able to be in every human difficulty – even to death.  For me this is a great source of encouragement, of abiding hope, as I make my way through each day and attempt to help others find the Hope of Christ in their days.  Again and again, I am refreshed to know that the Lord himself has been in the depths of human misery and has conquered all of death, sin, and the Evil One.  For many this a very elementary step in the faith, but I would proffer that it must be returned to frequently in order to experience anew the intensity of God’s Love for each member and for all of humanity.  We will reflect on the proper place and attitude toward human suffering and death in another post, much needs to be discussed regarding these topics as our age wounded by sin has mixed-up many truths… but for now, on this Easter Friday, I would encourage each of you to give consideration to the necessity of the Crucifixion for the fullness of God’s Love to come into your life. This prayerful reflection is a time to renew our hope in every circumstance and draw us closer to all who are suffering
 
An anthem that is so familiar to us from Lent, from Good Friday, announces the glory of God’s Love in these bright days of Easter:  ‘We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you!  Because by your Holy Cross, you have saved the world!’
 
Christ is Risen!  He is Risen, Indeed!
 

 
Easter Friday & Easter Week
 
Yes, today is Friday – typically a day for some penance and mortifications – yet it is the Octave of Easter… each day this week is a ‘solemnity’ celebrating the glory of the Lord’s Resurrection from the grave.  So, as good and worthy as penance is for our continued growth in virtue and holiness, it would be good to relax and rest from mortifications today.  Perhaps adding a little extra, or having meat for dinner, would be a simple way to keep this Friday well situated in the Week of Easter.  As the Monks from generations past remind us: ‘fast with the Church and feast with the Church!’
 
As I have all week, I continue to encourage you to pray the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary each day this week.  Also, I suggest that you read and pray with the Gospel accounts of the Resurrection (Mt. 28:1-10; Mk. 16:1-7; Lk. 24:1-12; and Jn. 20:1-9).  Also, I invite each of you to pray with Scriptures for Easter Sunday Mass and the Scriptures for Today’s Holy Mass.  It would be good, in these most important days of our faith for you to pray a Spiritual Communion as you spiritually unite your time of prayer to the offering of the Holy Mass.
 
And, please pray the Divine Mercy Novena!
 
Christ is Risen!  He is Risen, Indeed!
 
 
Know of my prayers for you, please pray for me!
 
Father Wilke
 
Saint Joseph, Guardian of the Redeemer, pray for us!