Homily for the Sunday of the Cross
by Brother Christopher We are already halfway through Lent, and this might be a good opportunity to pause and ask ourselves, “So...?” Now, to be clear, I’m not suggesting that we grade ourselves on our Lenten resolutions, as that would place the emphasis on externals rather than on the real transformation this season calls for. There is a reason we have placed the cross in the narthex for each of us to reverence as we enter. It is meant to bring to mind a fundamental question: What does it mean to be a faithful disciple of Jesus? This morning’s Gospel presents a challenge that makes clear the cost of discipleship for anyone who would follow after him: “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” Each of us shares in the cross—each in our own way, with our own burdens, and with our own name metaphorically inscribed at the top of our own cross. There are no exceptions. To grasp the seriousness of this—Jesus is not ...