Lifted Up

Fr. Lawrence Jagdfeld, O.F.M., Administrator

Today's Scriptures draw us into the mystery of Christ's passion, death, and resurrection. Jesus speaks of being "lifted up," an action which will reveal his identity as the one who has been sent by God. Indeed, just as Jesus claimed, many have come to believe in him because of his willingness to die for the sins of all. Just as the Israelites who wandered in the desert looked upon the bronze serpent and were healed, so to we, who look upon the image of the crucified Savior, are healed of our sins. We, like them, have been bitten by the serpent, the same serpent that tempted Adam and Eve in the garden. They suffered the pain of the sting of the seraph serpent; we suffer the pain that comes from sin. They were healed simply by gazing upon the serpent, an act of faith in God's healing power. We are saved when we embrace the crucifix and place our faith in the redemptive death of Jesus.

Just as Jesus was lifted up and nailed to a cross, we experience something like it in our own suffering. We too are lifted up. We too experience suffering in illness, disability, and in the frustrations and tribulation of everyday life. We can be transformed by that suffering if we unite ourselves to Christ. Suffering of any kind can be redemptive if we accept it and move through it, avoiding despair, and the many other traps that can ensnare us: self-pity, anger, jealousy, envy, dissolution, and constant complaint. By accepting the elements of our lives that cross us, we transform them into possibilities of growth and self-improvement. These crosses can teach us selflessness, generosity, and many other virtues as well.

The last days of Lent are particularly efficacious for those of us who bear the cross of chronic illness and/or disability. As we meditate on the mysteries surrounding Christ's passion, death and resurrection, let us strive to imitate him in his meekness, his obedience, and in his trust in God's providential care. Let us also embrace the attitude of forgiveness that he teaches us from the cross.