Wear a cross and feel holy; or kneel at the Crucifix and find his Forgiveness

Wear a cross and feel holy; or kneel at the Crucifix and find his Forgiveness

O how easy it becomes when we are in the shadow of a spiritual entity and feel as though we have stepped beyond the clutches of sin.  But look, again, at the Crucifix;  and realize what our suffering Christ endures each time we sin and he is there forgiving us every time we fall into sin.  Wouldn’t it be a glorious essence if each moment our weakness allows the reality of sinfulness to take the upper hand and the demon says, “You did it again and you still turn back to Christ.”  We can reply with, “Be gone with you Satan, because the Cross of Christ has turned your evil into dung.”  

Whether it is our personal sin or the tragic events that affect our faith leading to sin, God is there to lift our drooping spirits and assure us that he never leaves us without lifting us above the evil that surrounds our world.  We only need to call on him and his mercy which is eternal is there.

Looking at the Book of Job as we see how evil had caused more than the average man could ever endure.  Yet, this narrative proves just how often all of us will be assaulted by the many ways that sin in itself will attack our weaknesses and attempt to bring us down, accusing ourselves of living without God and seeking the pleasures of life which could destroy our faith and cause our objection to ask God for his forgiveness.

It may seem like a paradox, the words of the Easter Exultet, “O truly necessary sin of Adam, destroyed completely by the death of Christ!  O happy fault that earned so great, so glorious a Redeemer!”  But, here we adhere to the very truth that without sin there would be no Incarnation of Christ and therefore no way to be forgiven of any of our sins which is the final justice of mankind.  

Each time any of us fails and commits a sin there is the human cry of why? And once we shamefully admit our need for mercy Christ soothes our drooping body filled with disobedience and at the same time repentance crying out “O happy fault of Adam…”  “Forgive me; Lord.” 

I have seen this same scenario occurring in my life when the temptation to fail presents itself and realizing that the closer my faith is gaining strength the more intense an evil entity will try to pull the grace of Christ away from me.  It cannot destroy what the Lord has handed us, but will in fact become like an Angel of Light that is evil in a cloak of damnation.  Job saw this and yet maintained his faith with God in spite of the evil that surrounded him and his family.

Be assured that the more we find solace with Christ the more the evil forces in life will fight to take charge of our trust in God.  If there are never instances of temptation in our life we better take a look and see if we have slipped away from our faith and allowed an evil sustenance to creep into belief in goodness.

As Christ was being accused by the very people whom he ministered to, they only cried out, “Crucify him, Crucify him.”  When the evil events assailed Job, his friends and his wife echoed the same negative shouts; “Curse God.”  When we are in a shroud of disbelief do not listen to what seems to say, “Now God is not listening to your cries of sorrow since your free will has taken over.”  Listen to the Holy Spirit who is stepping in and finding this is his call. 

Ralph B. Hathaway