Veggies of Faith

Carrying our crosses daily

John 8:21-30

          Jesus said to the Pharisees: “I am going away and you will look for me, but you will die in your sin. Where I am going you cannot come.” So the Jews said, “He is not going to kill himself, is he, because he said, ‘Where I am going you cannot come’?” He said to them, “You belong to what is below, I belong to what is above. You belong to this world, but I do not belong to this world. That is why I told you that you will die in your sins. For if you do not believe that I AM, you will die in your sins.” So they said to him, “Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “What I told you from the beginning. I have much to say about you in condemnation. But the one who sent me is true, and what I heard from him I tell the world.” They did not realize that he was speaking to them of the Father. So Jesus said to them, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I AM, and that I do nothing on my own, but I say only what the Father taught me. The one who sent me is with me.  He has not left me alone, because I always do what is pleasing to him.” Because he spoke this way, many came to believe in him.

            Have you ever noticed how some of the greatest Catholic art has to do with death and dying, especially that of Jesus?  This emphasis really distinguishes Catholics from Protestants, who’d rather underscore Jesus’ Resurrection.  You know you’re in a Catholic church if you see a prominent crucifix – that’s a cross with Jesus’ body on it – instead of just a cross without a corpus.  Of course, Catholics believe in the Resurrection, too!  But that’s the easy part of Jesus’ life story, the fun part; the hard part is the suffering and death.  Parents don’t have to remind their children to eat their dessert, but you have to remind them to eat their vegetables!  Suffering is like the veggies of our faith, the Resurrection is like dessert.  Catholic art reminds the children of God to eat their veggies, that is, to carry our crosses.

            One of the most famous pieces of Catholic art is the Pieta.  It is one of Michaelangelo’s signature sculptures and he completed it when he was only 24 years old, in 1499.  It sits prominently in St. Peter’s, the central church of Catholicism.  It captures the moment when Jesus was taken down from the cross, and he lays limp in Mary’s arms.  There’s an oddity about the Pieta.  Mary’s body is considerably larger than that of Jesus; if she stood up, she would be 9 feet tall!  Now, all Jewish mothers look 9 feet tall to their sons!  But that’s the only way Jesus could lay across her legs.  A small replica of the Pieta sits on my desk in the church office.  It often reminds me to ask Mary’s intercession for our parishioners who are carrying their crosses, because we all need help to eat the veggies of our faith.

            In the gospel Jesus says, “The Son of Man must be lifted up,” that is, he must be lifted up on the cross. Why should he be lifted up?  So that those who look up on him may believe and be saved.  Catholic art continues that request of Jesus that he be lifted up on the cross.  So that when Christians see our Lord, and see his love for them, they may be inspired to eat the veggies of their faith.  We know the Resurrection is coming tomorrow, but we must carry the Cross today.

            The season of Lent also continues Jesus’ request to be lifted up, not so much in Catholic art, but rather in our own bodies.  When we make Lenten sacrifices, we lift up Jesus in our bodies, so that others may be inspired by our faith and draw closer to Christ.  When we face our sorrows and sufferings with a smile, others are inspired to draw closer to Christ.  Do you know what I do when I feel down and discouraged?  I go visit our parishioners in the hospital!  I always leave feeling uplifted in my faith.  When spouses struggle but stay married, they carry their cross and they lift up Jesus in their bodies, and inspire others in their marriages.  We lift up Jesus in our own suffering bodies, so that others may draw closer to him.

            In making us carry our crosses, I realize that the Catholic Church may seem like a 9 foot tall Jewish mother!  But don’t all good mothers make sure their kids eat their veggies before they can have dessert?

            Praised be Jesus Christ!