Sunday, July 3
Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
“Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.”
Reflection
Our readings this weekend share a common theme of Joy! In the first reading, we are instructed to “Rejoice with Jerusalem,” while our Psalm exclaims, “Let all the earth cry out to God with joy,” and in the Gospel the seventy-two disciples “returned rejoicing” after their successful ministry. At its heart, the Christian life is indeed a life of joy! The Holy Spirit fills our hearts and souls with joy, drawing us out of ourselves and into communion with Christ and his Church.
At first glance, then, it would seem that our second reading is out of place. In it, Paul is talking about the Cross and suffering, while all the other readings have a light and joyful tone. Is this a mistake?
The gospel truth, though, is that the Cross and joy go together. This is not intuitive, but it is at the heart of the Gospel and the foundation of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. As Christians, we are not scandalized by the Cross, nor can we try to avoid it in our own lives. Paul goes even further, claiming that we even boast in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, because it is the sign of his victory, and the means of our salvation.
I find that when I try to avoid the Cross in my own life I still end up unhappy, robbed of my joy. This can happen, for example, when I avoid making time for prayer, or sharing my faith, or standing up for what I believe. But when you and I choose to embrace the Cross in our own lives by humbly accepting the various sufferings and trials that come with sincere discipleship, we are surprised to discover a profound joy where we only expected difficulty. It is a joy that comes from trusting in Jesus, who never leaves us to suffer alone, but is always present anywhere that the Cross is.
Every time you and I step inside the doors of our parish here at Holy Cross (or drive past it at night when the sanctuary window is illuminated!) we can look up above the sanctuary and be reminded of this: the Cross is a reality of our lives, but wherever we encounter it we will always find Jesus, offering himself to us and for us in perfect love. And that’s something that inspires a profound joy indeed!
God bless,
Deacon James
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