To be a Christian is to be signed with the mark of the cross, the baptismal mark of incorporation into Christ. To bear the cross in solidarity with Jesus is not to endure some mysterious kind of suffering which is thrust upon us, still less is it a way of describing an interior psychological attitude or orientation. It is a path freely chosen, the social reality of committing oneself in this world to the values of the world to come. This is clearly a call to lose one's life for the sake of the gospel. It is not a call to imitate Jesus as a figure form the past but to follow the risen and present Jesus today. Christians do not maintain the memory of a dead Jesus: grieving over the body was prevented by the very large stone which was rolled away from the tomb before the grief could get under way. To respond to the cross is to follow, to share; it is to be a disciple. It is to respond to a new and amazing relationship of co-operation with God which is utterly different from the relationship of slave to master. We are sealed not as slaves but as children, as inheritors of the Kingdom of God.
Kenneth Leech
Reflections of a parish priest
These reflections are offered to you, dear reader, for the nourishment of your soul and spirit in this time of political, religious, and cultural confusion. It remains to be known what topics will be covered in this missive, but I am hopeful that whatever comes forth from my hand or the reader's will inspire and aid you on your journey to the Cross.
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