cross walk
“The Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes, who will condemn Him to death.” —Matthew 20:18
Jesus was telling His apostles about His imminent torture and death. He told them: “They will turn [Me] over to the Gentiles, to be made sport of and flogged and crucified” (Mt 20:19). After this heart-rending conversation about tragic suffering and death, Sts. James, John and their mother approached Jesus and asked for a promotion to the right and left hand of Jesus (Mt 20:21). They refused to relate to the message of the cross.
On another occasion, when Jesus first mentioned the cross, St. Peter said it would never happen. Jesus had to tell Peter, “Get out of my sight, you satan!” (Mk 8:33) The cross has been and still is a stumbling block to the worldly. They question how the Messiah can set people free if He was beaten and executed as a criminal. Pleasure-seekers think the cross “an absurdity” (1 Cor 1:23). The cross makes no sense to those with the attitude: “If it feels good, do it.”
Believers and unbelievers have one thing in common: they all don’t understand the cross. However, “to us who are experiencing salvation it is the power of God” (1 Cor 1:18).
Prayer: “Jesus, keep me near the cross.” May I know nothing except what shines in the light of the cross (1 Cor 2:2, RNAB).
Promise: “Remember that I stood before You to speak in their behalf, to turn away Your wrath from them.” —Jer 18:20
Praise: Maria forgave her father for hitting her when she was a teenager.
Reference: (Our annual Women’s Retreat, Evangelizing and Discipling the Family and Beyond, will be offered March 15-16 at our Retreat Center in Adams Co., Ohio. Plan to attend and be enriched by a retreat for women, given by women. Call 937-587-5464, 513-373-2397 or email retreats@presentationministries.com.)
Rescript: "In accord with the Code of Canon Law, I hereby grant the Nihil Obstat for the publication One Bread, One Body covering the time period from February 1, 2024, through March 31, 2024. Reverend Steve J. Angi, Chancellor, Vicar General, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio June 7, 2023"
The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.