No Cross, No Resurrection

I am a very critical homily reviewer. My family has come to know my telltale signs of dissatisfaction, and they know to expect a full debrief of my feedback when we exit to the car after the dismissal. I’m not proud of this trait; in fact, I’m working actively to be more sympathetic to the priest delivering the homily. I know it cannot be easy to prepare a fresh interpretation or offer fresh perspective week after week to roughly the same audience who is looking for solace, grace, and peace in the midst of a weary, messy world. 

The one positive effect of this trait is that I cling to homilies that do successfully reach me. A few years ago, I heard a homily that connected scripture to several poems, including favorites of mine by Emily Dickinson and William Wordsworth. I think back to that commentary often. A good homily can change the way you encounter not only the scripture but the world. 

Today, on Good Friday, I find myself thinking of a particularly excellent Lenten homily from a few years ago. The priest in question, who generally had a reputation for being a bit on the verbose side, stood and said “today offers us a stark reminder: no Cross, no Resurrection.” And that was it. No Cross, no Resurrection. 

I think about these four words all the time. This world is messy and weary, and I, like the majority of my human brothers and sisters, look to my faith for guidance and advice amidst the chaos. These four words offer a path forward: no Cross, no Resurrection. Where there is suffering, there is space for redemption. Does it explain the presence of suffering in the first place? No, but it does give us a path forward and through it. At night there are tears, but joy comes with the dawn. No Cross, no Resurrection. 

I have a million thoughts about this day. I could go on and on about the Passion and the Christian universality of Good Friday and the sorrow of this liturgy and my experiences singing the Passion in college… Truly, I have a million different ideas. Instead, I offer you these same four words: no Cross, no Resurrection. As we commemorate the death of the Savior, we recognize an inherent duality in our world: sorrow does exist, the light does go out, and life does end, while, at the same time, we turn our eyes to the joy, peace, and light of the Resurrection. May we all continue learning to embrace this duality in our faith, in our lives, and in our world. 

Today's Readings