How is the cross a sign of hope? Fr. Joseph Dickan, SJ, reflects on how God reveals his love for us not by a show of strength but by solidarity through Jesus Christ. Based on the readings for the Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
Why is the sign of the cross so important to our faith?
Hi, I’m Father Joseph Dickan, and this is my one-minute homily.
As a recently ordained priest, I’ve often been asked to give a blessing. Fellow Eastern Catholic priests often use a cross like this to bless people.
And that blessing reminds us that God draws near and pours out grace through the cross.
As the author of the Letter to the Hebrews tells us, God claimed victory over sin not by showing strength, but by coming into radical solidarity with us. Jesus took on humanity and its struggles, even to the point of death on a cross.
We know that Jesus is not ashamed to call us brothers and sisters because he shared our human journey. And so every dimension of our lives is transformed by the new life he brings. In times of illness or strained relationships, we can remember that the story doesn’t end with our suffering.
A symbol of suffering has become our symbol of hope.
