Theme:
The Sacrifice of the Cross: A Paradigm of Christian Sacrifice
Since the
fall of Adam, humanity has known no peace. Suffering and death has been the lot
of man so much so that life is nothing but misery. This death was not
restricted to physical death but included spiritual death. Man’s soul lost the
hope of paradise.
In this
miserable condition, God did not abandon His people because of the great love
He bears for them. He initiated plans to save them. This plan began with making
the people conscious of their evil ways and directing them in the right
direction. He made covenants with them and gave them regulations through the
patriarchs and prophets.
At His
appointed time, He sent His Son for the culmination of man’s redemption through
the great sacrifice he offered. Though the Israelites had previously offered
sacrifices for sins, their sacrifices were incapable of cleansing them because
they were made with blood of animals. There was need for a higher victim, so
Jesus became the victim and the oblation.
In the
first reading (Is. 52:13-53, 12), we see a picture of the suffering servant, a
pre-figure of Jesus who through his suffering and death will cleanse and save
the world. This suffering servant is the sacrifice offered for the forgiveness
of sins. In the passion narrative (Jn. 18: 1-19:42), we see the manner and form
in which this sacrifice was offered.
The story
line of Jesus’ passion and death is an old and familiar story. Every action is
significant and points towards our redemption and salvation. This evening, we
shall reflect on the significance of Simon of Cyrene in the passion narrative
and on the significance of the burial of Jesus.
The Significance of Simon of Cyrene in the Passion
Narrative: The gospel records that on his journey to Golgotha, fearing
that Jesus would die before reaching there because he could scarcely walk, the
soldiers mandated Simon of Cyrene to carry the cross behind our Lord. Simon of
Cyrene is a reflection of an ideal Christian life – that of carrying the Cross.
It is not only christian to carry one’s cross but more christian to carry one another’s
cross.
It is because
of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross that we are saved and he wants us to
reciprocate by sacrificing
