Chaplain's Message

FORSAKEN AND THE CROSS

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Have you ever felt like saying these words? Have you ever felt like God was leaving you? Have you ever done your best and then felt that God wanted more of you? So you keep going, trying to do what the Holy Spirit is telling you.  Often much later, after you’ve done your duty for a long time, you realize slowly that God has transformed you. If you follow the Gospel, you see that you have been carrying the cross of Christ.  You will become His servant.

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Jesus said this just a little while before He died on the cross and gave up His spirit.  When the Lord Jesus said this was He in total despair? I don’t think so.  I think He just felt the weight of all our sins of all people for all time. This was His immense burden. Also, Our Lord was quoting from Psalm 22. This psalm is a true lament, a cry of distress. This prayer to God is followed in the psalm by a joyful confidence in final victory. The Son of God looks forward to His resurrection and the victory over sin and death. 

We must realize that Christ lives His Passion in each of us. He gave Himself totally for the salvation of the world.  Now He calls us to bear His cross. He tells us that His yoke is easy and His burden is light. It can only be like this if we share our crosses with Him. He is Lord of all. Let us say with St. Paul, “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Deacon Mark Clancy