Hold Thou Thy Cross

In one Crematorium where I would frequently conduct funerals, there was a practise of changing the cross to a crucifix whenever the staff knew that the service was for a Catholic. I never really got to bottom of why this was so.

It wasn’t that Catholics didn’t believe in the resurrection. But the image of Christ hanging on the cross is a powerful reminder of the suffering and death he endured so that the world would, once and for all, be freed from slavery and experience life again.

During Lent, many of us pray the Stations of the Cross as a way of reflecting and meditating on Christ’s journey, suffering and death. Now we enter Holy Week, and this Sunday is known as ‘Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord’.

Let us, this week, journey with Jesus in his triumph — and in his desolation and suffering. In your prayers this week, be with Mary and John, sitting or standing at the foot of the cross. Meditate on the words that you hear Jesus speaking from the cross:

“Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”
“Today you will be with me in paradise.”
“Woman, behold, your son! Behold, your mother!”
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
“I thirst.”
“It is finished.”
“Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.”

A few years ago, in my desire to deepen my understanding of the crucifixion, I bought Fleming Rutledge’s book “The Crucifixion”. As part of her conclusion, she wrote:

“At the historical time and place of his inhuman and godless crucifixion, all the demonic Powers loose in the world convened in Jerusalem and unleashed their force upon the incarnate Son of God. Derelict, outcast and godforsaken, he hung there as the representative of all humanity and suffered condemnation in place of all humanity, to break the Power of Sin and Death over all humanity.”

Some years ago, I was taking communion to a man who was seriously ill, and he asked me for a “holding cross” that he kept with him till the day he died. It reminded me of the words of the hymn “Abide with Me”:

“Hold Thou Thy cross before my closing eyes;
Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies;
Heaven’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee;
In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.”

This Good Friday, as we process to venerate the cross at our 3pm Liturgy, we can remember this traditional prayer before the crucifix:

Look down upon me, good and gentle Jesus, while before Thy face I humbly kneel and, with burning soul, pray and beseech Thee to fix deep in my heart lively sentiments of faith, hope and charity; true contrition for my sins, and a firm purpose of amendment. While I contemplate, with great love and tender pity, Thy five most precious wounds, pondering over them within me and calling to mind the words which David, Thy prophet, said of Thee, my Jesus: “They have pierced My hands and My feet, they have numbered all My bones.”

Amen.

Canon Father Anthony Charlton
Canon Father Anthony CharltonParish Priest