The Cross of Christ Contains all the Love of God

This weekend we celebrate the Exaltation of the Cross. "We preach Christ crucified." (1 Cor 1:23). This is Jesus, on the cross. We preach the crucifix. Jesus and the cross. Jesus is king and his throne is the cross.

Going back to Pope Francis' words after the Stations of the Cross during World Youth Day, he asked the youth of the world a very important question: "What has the Cross left in each one of us?" Answer: It leaves for us the certainty of God's love for us. "A love so great that it enters into our sin and forgives it, enters into our suffering and gives us the strength to bear it. It is a love that enters into death to conquer it and to save us." 

"The Cross of Christ contains all the love of God; there we find his immeasurable mercy. This is a love in which we can place all our trust, in which we can believe."

When I look at the cross, I am not scandalized as the ancients were. Even some Christian faiths are afraid of looking at Jesus on the cross. Or the believe that it is a form of idolatry to make an image of God. But the crucifix is not an idol; In the Old Testament, God was invisible and so it would have been very wrong to try to carve an image of God. But when the Son of Man entered our world to live and die, God became breathing, touchable, human. He had arms to embrace children, hands to bless and then to be nailed to the cross. A mouth to preach the Good news of forgiveness and healing, a head to be crowned with thorns. And these were all visible and better to draw and sculpt these so that we never forget that Jesus walked this earth and died on the cross. 

The cross is a very dreadful thing. But the good news for us is that Jesus always comes with the cross. And Mary, too, his faithful mother, who stood beside the cross. We are never alone in our crosses. I want to attempt to match Christ's love on the cross by giving myself to him. One of the most powerful lines of Pope Francis was when he called us all to give our lives to Jesus because "He never disappoints anyone!" "Only  in Christ crucified and risen can we find salvation and redemption. With him, evil suffering, and death do not have the last word, because he gives us hope and life: he has transformed the Cross from being an instrument of hate, defeat, and death to being a sign of love, victory, triumph, and life."

Do not be afraid of looking upon Christ Crucified. It is a pattern of our life and preaching. "We preach Christ Crucified." Keep his image close to you, and learn to give yourself as he does. I will be a missionary of Christ Crucified to the world so that others may know the love and forgiveness God has for us.

EXTRA: 

From Lumen Fidei 16, cited in this part of Pope Francis' talk:

16. The clearest proof of the reliability of Christ’s love is to be found in his dying for our sake. If laying down one’s life for one’s friends is the greatest proof of love (cf. Jn 15:13), Jesus offered his own life for all, even for his enemies, to transform their hearts. This explains why the evangelists could see the hour of Christ’s crucifixion as the culmination of the gaze of faith; in that hour the depth and breadth of God’s love shone forth. It was then that Saint John offered his solemn testimony, as together with the Mother of Jesus he gazed upon the pierced one (cf. Jn19:37): "He who saw this has borne witness, so that you also may believe. His testimony is true, and he knows that he tells the truth" (Jn 19:35). In Dostoevsky’s The Idiot, Prince Myshkin sees a painting by Hans Holbein the Younger depicting Christ dead in the tomb and says: "Looking at that painting might cause one to lose his faith".[14] The painting is a gruesome portrayal of the destructive effects of death on Christ’s body. Yet it is precisely in contemplating Jesus’ death that faith grows stronger and receives a dazzling light; then it is revealed as faith in Christ’s steadfast love for us, a love capable of embracing death to bring us salvation. This love, which did not recoil before death in order to show its depth, is something I can believe in; Christ’s total self-gift overcomes every suspicion and enables me to entrust myself to him completely.

My Experience at World Youth Day

Our trip to Brazil was so wonderful and it's fun to look back on everything we did. We were blessed to stay with Cristo Jovem parish for the first few days of our trip. The people there welcomed us at the airport with hugs all around and seemed more excited than us if that was possible. Our group had been looking forward to the trip for about a year, and I realized this parish had been doing the same thing. In the time that we spent with them, we went hiking, shopping, zip lining, and cathedral hopping throughout Sao Paulo. Going into the trip, we thought the first part of our trip would consist of mission work, but instead we were served the entire time. When we had to leave them, I was able to see how God's love was working among us. We said our goodbyes and hugged each of the Cristo Jovem parishioners about five times each, and there were tears everywhere. They kept thanking us for everything we did for them, and we really didn't do anything worthy of the thanks they gave us. All we had done was spent time enjoying their company. They were the ones organizing all of the things we did, giving us gifts, and making sure we were safe as we traveled around Sao Paulo. As we said our goodbyes, I realized all of the thanks was due to God's love working in our group and the Cristo Jovem group. I'm so blessed to have met them and am grateful for the beautiful ways they touched my heart.
Upon leaving Sao Paulo, we made our way to Rio de Janeiro. This is where the trip got rough at times, but was more than worth it. Without the people of Cristo Jovem by our side, we had to figure out eating plans and find our way through the city on the bus system. We struggled a bit in the beginning, especially when we spent the majority of a morning lost on the busses without Fr. James. We were trying to find our way to the church we were supposed to go to for catechesis, and eventually we stumbled upon Candelária where English catechesis was being held. Since Candelária was relatively easy to find, we decided to go there for the remaining catechesis sessions. This brings me to my favorite part of the trip. We had catechesis and Mass with Cardinal Napier of South Africa who was such a warm and loving man. This Mass felt so special and I enjoyed it so much. It was at this point in the trip that I realized exactly how amazing the universality of the Church is. I saw two musicians that I had met before in Arkansas and Missouri, and there was a large group of priests and pilgrims from Nebraska. All of my family is from Nebraska, and if you know me, you know that I'm kind of obsessed with the place and get so excited when I hear anything about it. So here I am, in Rio de Janeiro, and of the millions of people participating in World Youth Day, I somehow run into people that I know from America and find a huge group of Nebraskans. It was beautiful how I saw God working through our trip as I enjoyed this Mass. God helped me to realize that everything that had gone wrong during our trip leading up to that moment was meant to happen exactly as it had so that I would be in that exact place at that exact moment. Everything just felt so perfect and I loved it. I felt such a deep communion with God during this Mass.
Next, I'll shift gears to the part of World Youth Day that was absolutely insane. We got so close to Pope Francis not once, but twice. As it turns out we were not the only ones that wanted to see him up close, (I know, shocking right?) so we stood both of those times for about three hours crammed like sardines with all the Catholics from absolutely everywhere. When the Pope is traveling in his popemobile and he's getting close, you know. Suddenly, you have even less personal space if that's even possible, cameras are up in the air, and people are going crazy. The first time he drove past us, he went by so quickly, but I was able to get a better look at him the second time we waited to see him. It was so cool to see his cute little face in front of me from the second row behind the barricade blocking him off from the crowd. After seeing him, it was so wonderful to hear all of the things he was saying to us. He spoke with such simplicity, and everything he said was so important. I especially enjoyed hearing about and seeing his deep love for Mary because I love her so much. He said that once Mary received Jesus, she didn't wait to share Him. Instead, she went in haste to help her cousin Elizabeth. He told us to do the same and spread Jesus without delay after receiving Him. All of Pope Francis' words were wonderful, and I still can't believe I was there to hear them in person.
World Youth Day was an unforgettable experience, and  I was blessed to see God working in my life in the time I spent there. I look forward to continuing to have a deeper communion with God now that I'm home. God has allowed me to experience so many wonderful things so far in my life and has brought the most wonderful people into it. I'm truly blessed.

Running the Race

     As time forms the exciting experiences of World Youth Day into fond memories, I can't  help longing to be back in Brazil again with my fellow pilgrims. However, myself and the other three million WYD attendees must not linger in our longings, but go and pass on our encounter with Christ and the Church to others.
     When I am asked about what I took away from the pilgrimage experience, I think back to the moment I first saw Pope Francis with my own eyes. For several hours I stood waiting near the barricades lining the avenue along Copacabana Beach; then later as the popemobile started its way up the street, I was pushed even closer in by the swelling crowds. I was a mere twenty feet away from our Holy Father when he passed by amidst camera flashes and chants of "Papa Francisco" and "Esta es la juventud del Papa". In that moment, I thought "this is what I've been planning and waiting for over the past year". I was surrounded by millions of Catholics from all parts of the world gathered in Rio for one thing: to encounter Christ through His Church entrusted to the successor of St. Peter, Pope Francis, and to all of us. I was so joyous to be there and to see the Pope, that I sprinted up the beach to get as close as possible to the altar to see and hear Papa Francisco address us for the first time.
     Each of us must continue to run towards the altar everyday, to where Christ brings Heaven and Earth together. We are on a race in which Heaven is our finish line, and we are to invite whomever we meet to run beside us. Pope Francis imparted many words of wisdom upon us but the ones that impacted me most are from the closing Mass: "Jesus is speaking to each one of us, saying: 'It was wonderful to take part in World Youth Day, to live the faith together with young people from the four corners of the earth, but now you must go, now you must pass on this experience to others.' Jesus is calling you to be a disciple with a mission!" So as I settle back into my community, I am aware that because I was given many blessings and graces during the pilgrimage, much is expected of me in order to help carry out Christ's mission! If each of the three million WYD attendees joins in this mission to be a disciple, we can change our parishes, our communities, and our world by inviting others to run the race with us!



Myself and Holly after our run towards the altar



Papa Francisco



at the closing Mass

Here is Pope Francis' homily from the closing Mass. http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/francesco/homilies/2013/documents/papa-francesco_20130728_celebrazione-xxviii-gmg_en.html
    

Perfect Love Casts Out Fear

With the help of a friend, it was brought to my attention how much I have failed to give God all of me. All He wants is my love. This is not just the “I go to Mass every Sunday because I have to” or the “I pray my daily prayers because it is part of my routine but I am really just going through the motions” kind of love. No, this is the kind of love where I go to adoration and sit with Him in silence, not because I am expecting anything out of it or because I expect to feel a certain way after I have prayed. This is the kind of love where I sit and just be in the presence of God because I love Him. I should not expect to always gain some feeling, some reward, or some sort of accomplishment from the time I give to Him.

A love such as this takes time and discipline but mostly an open heart. It won’t be easy. There will be times when we feel empty and prayer is the last thing we want to do. It may not feel like God is even there, but He is. It is in these times that we show God our faith, our devotion to Him, and our willingness to give of our time in order to gain something far greater than we can fathom. That is the love God wants. That is the love God expects from each and every one of us. He wants all of you. He wants you to pray, to read the scriptures, and to receive the sacraments. Through these we gain tremendous amounts of blessings and grace. When our focus is prayer everything else falls into place.

He has given each of us an incredible gift of love through His precious son Jesus. Through our Redeemer, we are able to enter into the kingdom of Heaven. But we cannot just expect to enter heaven without effort, without trying to give back to God as much as we are capable of in return. One way to give back is to love others, and to help others cultivate a relationship with God just like the disciples did.

Upon returning from World Youth Day, I took away the conviction to “Go and make disciples of all nations,” as Matthew 28:19 says. We can often take our Catholic faith for granted. But as Pope Francis said, he needs us. The Catholic Church needs every one of us. We must live out our faith, not just by words, but through our actions. Pope Francis said, “Go, serve, and don’t be afraid.” I have taken that to heart. I often get scared of putting myself out there. Scared of what others will think, scared of not saying the right thing, and scared of backlash from others. But in all my fears, I forget that God is always there; He never leaves. And by praying with Him out of perfect love, I can gain the confidence and ability to overcome all that stands in the way.

“There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment, and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love. We love because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:18-19

Infinitely impossible

John 15:16 -
 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 

How beautiful His word is. Yesterday I was talking with a friend "Bob" who seemed as though he was up against impossible odds in achieving his dream. He made the comment that the chances of him succeeding kept getting smaller with every small obstacle. Then I got the urge to tell Bob something to comfort him but I was a at a total loss as to what I should say. So I just kinda said my own little quick prayer and started talking hoping God would know what to say. He did. 

This is some of what I remember saying:

Bob do you have any idea the likelihood of you ever coming into existence? Think about all of the hundreds of generations that came before you. Now consider that each month during the few days of ovulation, there is a 25% chance of a woman becoming a mother. Bob do you understand the implications of that fact. It would be more likely for you to win the lottery ten times in a row than for you to come into being!  It is 100% impossible that you are even here now. The chances of you ever taking your first breath were infinitely improbable.  Yet here you stand. Well, do you think that maybe God doesn't give a hoot about how impossible something seems? 

Our God is not confined by statistics or chances. He breathes the impossible into life everyday! So Bob I charge you with this; leave your dreams in His miraculous hands. And if you are faithful to His will and prayerful for your goal He will reward you in ways you will only be able to describe as impossible.  

Leave it at the Cross

World youth day was an amazing experience. One I will never forget. The preparation, fundraising, friendships, experiences, traveling, churches, and people, everything! I will forever hold onto the memories and friendships this trip has given me. There are plenty of stories I could tell you all about, and probably some I should keep to myself... but there are also many moments that were indescribable. There were some moments that words just can't do justice. But I do have a lot of moments I want to share and so picking one to talk about was really tough. The people I met, the sessions, the closing Mass, the universal church, the Pope, I could blog about all of these. But the thing that impacted me the most at World Youth Day was the Cross. 

I've always had a difficult time putting together in my head that the Jesus I talk to everyday is the same Jesus that died on the Cross for me. In my eyes its a strange problem to have and I didn't know why I couldn't connect with the Cross like other people did.  So many people really cling to the Cross and connect to Jesus through it. I wanted that. Before WYD, I prayed that I would understand the Cross better. I said this prayer so early before WYD that I forgot about it once I got there. 

On Friday night Pope Francis led us in Stations of the Cross and it was through those stations that God answered my prayer. Stations were pretty distracting. Volunteers were moving about, people were talking, and even trading items with us. It wasn't the most reverent stations I've ever been too but at the same time it almost was. I can't describe it, it must have been one of those moments where God gives you the grace to understand. There were so many reasons that I wouldn't haven been able to take anything from the experience, but God remembered my prayer, even though at this point I had still forgotten it myself! I can't explain it, but from then on I understood the passion so much more. After praying the stations I felt like I almost witnessed the passion firsthand. I felt a personal connection to His passion and Cross in a way I hadn't before. I better understood what Jesus went through for me. The Cross had touched my heart. Pope Francis then said "No one can approach and touch the Cross of Jesus without leaving something of himself or herself there, and without bringing something of the Cross of Jesus into his or her life." He then asked us to answer three important questions before we left World Youth Day. He asked, "What have you left on the Cross? What has the Cross of Jesus left for you, in each one of you? Finally, what does the Cross teach us?"

Pope Francis then went deeper into the three questions. He said that "With Christ crucified, evil, suffering, and death do not have the last word, because he gives us hope and life: he has transformed the Cross from being an instrument of hate, defeat and death to being a sign of love, victory, triumph and life." I think that sounds pretty awesome. Nothing in my life can be labeled as something that can't be changed for the better. Because if Jesus can transform the cross, He can transform the crosses little and big in my own life. He can transform my fear to courage, my sins to forgiveness, my worldly ways of thinking into heavenly ways. But to pick up this new transformation I must first place it at the Cross and leave it there. And then remember to pick up what the Cross has given me back in exchange. In Brazil I left fear at the Cross and I received courage. Fear of what others think of me was really plaguing me and when Pope Francis asked his first question, "What are you going to leave on the Cross?", I knew immediately that I didn't want fear anymore. Once I truly left fear at the Cross, I had so much more courage. I really recommend everyone to do this and believe it! Jesus already died on the Cross, place your problems on the Cross, stop carrying them around and give them to Jesus!

I wear my cross that I was given at WYD everyday now. It's a constant reminder to me of what I left behind and what I received. It reminds me of what Jesus did for me at Calvary. And it reminds me of Pope Francis' words to us, "There is no cross, big or small, in our life, which The Lord does not share with us." The Cross teaches me that beautiful things can come out of suffering and that I am never alone in that suffering.

I'm placing the link to Pope Francis' speech at the bottom of this page. I encourage you to read it and answer his questions on your own after praying about it. What are you going to leave at the Cross? What is the Cross giving you? What does the Cross teach you? 


Pope Francis' Stations of the Cross Speech

The Pope's Words from August 4th's Angelus in Rome

I can't think of a better way of putting my thanks and hope for those I met and led at World Youth Day. These are the words from our Holy Father this morning:

I also want to emphasize my gratitude, my deep gratitude, to the Brazilian people. A great people, the people of Brazil, a people of great heart. I won’t forget their warm welcome, their greeting, their affectionate gaze, so much joy! They are a generous people. I ask the Lord to bless them greatly.
I want to ask you to pray with me, that the young people that participated in World Youth Day will be able to translate this experience into their daily journey, in their everyday conduct; and that they will be able to translate it in the most important choices of their life, responding to the personal call of the Lord. Today in the liturgy the provocative words of Qoheleth resonate: “Vanity of vanities . . . all things are vanity” (Ecc. 1, 2). Young people are particularly sensitive to the emptiness of meaning and values that surrounds them. And they, unfortunately, pay the consequences. On the other hand, the encounter with the living Jesus, in the great family that is the Church, fills the heart with joy, because it fills it with true life, a profound goodness that does not pass away or decay: we have seen this in the faces of the youths in Rio. But this experience must face the daily vanity, the poison of emptiness that insinuates itself into our society based on profit and having [things], that deludes young people with consumerism. The Gospel of this Sunday reminds us of the absurdity of basing their happiness on ‘having’. “The rich man says to himself: ‘My soul, you have many good things stored up . . . rest, eat, drink, be merry!’ But God says to him: ‘You fool, this very night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?’” (cf. Lk 12, 19-20). Dear brothers and sisters, true wealth is the love of God, shared with the brothers. That love that comes from God and makes us share among ourselves, and makes us help one another. He who experiences this does not fear death, and receives peace of heart. Let us entrust this intention, the intention of receiving the love of God and sharing it with our brothers, to the Virgin Mary.