The cross of Jesus Christ is central to our mission. Like the apostle Paul, we “preach Christ and him crucified” (1 Cor 2: 2). If we bear in our body the death of Jesus, it is with the hope that the life of Jesus, too, may be seen in our body (cf. 2 Cor 4:10). Through the eyes of our crucified Saviour we see the world which he redeemed with his blood, desiring that those in whom he continues to suffer will know also the power of his resurrection (cf. Phil 3: 10).
CC&RR, Constitution 4
For the young Eugene, his encounter with the Cross was a stepping stone to new life – to resurrection. Some of us were brought up to keep our gaze at the foot of the Cross, reflecting on our misery and on how much Jesus suffered because of us. It is true that we can never meditate sufficiently on the price paid by Jesus to rescue us from our misery. He did, however, die to remove us from our misery and bring us to the fullness of life in the resurrection. “If we bear in our body the death of Jesus, it is with the hope that the life of Jesus, too, may be seen in our body.”
Eugene’s conversion happened when he became aware that his past attitude and behavior was leading him to death, to mortal sin. He changed when his eyes were opened to recognize that he was bearing the death of Jesus in his life. He changed radically and in embracing new life, it was “with the hope that the life of Jesus, too” would be seen in his body. It requires consistent effort to maintain the effects of this new life, or else we are in danger of the “cheap grace” made famous by Bonhoeffer.
“Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves. Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession…. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer
This morning I seem to have gotten caught up in reflection – on what cheap grace might look like in my life. ‘Empty’ is what comes to mind. Trying to make the exterior look good because there is no light or life on the interior.
And I have gotten caught up in what it means to look through the eyes of Jesus on the cross, our now resurrected Jesus – going past, into and through to something else. There is a woman I know who comes to Church most Sundays. She is in a wheelchair and her body is sometimes contorted. She is unable to speak or to coordinate her muscles or movements. But to look into and through her eyes is to love her – who she is – I am drawn to her. I have come to love her. I recognize Jesus within her, even parts of myself within her. And as I picture her at this moment I realize how much I do love her. Who she is – the whole package which is much more than the wheelchair or her inability to talk with me is somehow a grace. She is a very real grace bestowed by God on our parish, on me. New life within me – love.
I am a little surprised where I have been led this morning. Seeing Jesus on the cross, looking past his feet, seeing his tortured body and face. Most crucifixes depict Jesus with a calm and serene face, his eyes closed in peace. It takes very little effort (and extremely tremendous effort) to look through his eyes and see beyond. When I do I see such incredible life and love and become a part of that. I see Germaine and so many others with eyes that have been changed.
I think that once again I have probably missed what Frank has been sharing – but this is where I have been led and that is somehow a grace.