The WORD in other words (2019) by Fr Rudolf Horst SVD -Villa Cristo Rey, Christ the King Seminary, Quezon City
Saturday 25th Week in Ordinary Time
Jesus had a way of shocking people. He was not like many superstars who like to bathe in the praise and adulation of fans. Jesus was a realist and wanted those who followed him also to be realistic about him.
People “were amazed,” Luke tells us. They saw hus miracles: lepers were cleansed; the paralyzed walked at his command; evil spirits fled shrieking. There was no end to the amazing spectacles. And he did this without Hokus pokus–just his word was enough. For the people Jesus was ready for superstardom.
And then he ‘killed‘ the brewing stardom. It was like pouring a bucket of cold water on the heads of the excited crowd (and disciples) when Jesus suddenly spoke of his fast approaching arrest which would end on the cross, pulling them down from the clouds and putting their feet on the ground.
Let us be honest; we can be like the crowd around Jesus. We can be tempted to see the Lord only as the powerful miracle worker, the merciful, kind, sweet and all-forgiving Jesus, but don‘t like to hear of another reality–a harsh one.
He spoke not only of his passion, but about the cross as a condition of following him: “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me” (Mt 16:24).
That is difficult to swallow. But they did not understand him or didn ‘t like to understand– as we are tempted to do. But whether we like it or not, the way to eternal glory is through the cross.
A good example is today‘s saint, San Lorenzo Ruiz who with several companions entered heaven on crosses on a hill in Nagasaki.
