April 8: The Cross: Shame and Glory
♫ Music:
Day 39 - Saturday, April 8
Jesus Carries His Cross
Scripture: John 19:16-17; Luke 23:26-27
So they took Jesus, and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus. And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting for him.
Poetry:
"Calvary"
by Edwin Arlington Robinson
Friendless and faint,
with martyred steps and slow,
Faint for the flesh, but for the spirit free,
Stung by the mob that came to see the show,
The Master toiled along to Calvary;
We gibed him, as he went, with houndish glee,
Till his dim eyes for us did overflow;
We cursed his vengeless hands thrice wretchedly,--
And this was nineteen hundred years ago.
But after nineteen hundred years the shame
Still clings, and we have not made good the loss
That outraged faith has entered in his name.
Ah, when shall come love’s courage to be strong!
Tell me, O Lord--tell me, O Lord, how long
Are we to keep Christ writhing on the cross!
THE CROSS: SHAME AND GLORY
“So they took Jesus, and He went out, bearing his own cross….” These words from John’s Gospel, which introduce us to the Lord’s final movement toward His voluntary death, project a deep sense of foreboding among Christians. They become even more sobering when juxtaposed with the words of Jesus found elsewhere in the Gospels: “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” Can it be? Is Jesus calling us to Golgotha? Are we to be crucified also? The Apostle Paul surely thought so. “I have been crucified with Christ,” he wrote to the Galatians, “yet, it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.”
When we meditate on the mystery of the cross, on the Lord’s immense suffering and shame, and how this all relates to us, we would be wise to see it all as more than just a historical event that happened about 2,000 years ago. Yes, certainly, the crucifixion was an actual historical event. But even though it happened on a hill outside the city walls of Jerusalem so long ago, we must enter into the reality of His death now. We must, by God’s grace, become crucified ourselves, crucified to our disordered desires, crucified to the vanity of the world. Why? So that the abundant life that Christ possesses will be cultivated within us as well.
There is a great paradox in the cross of Christ. It is at once a symbol of terror and death and yet, for us who believe, it is pure joy and goodness. As an ancient hymn declares, “Lo, through the cross is joy come into all the world!” We cannot help but revel in the glory of the cross of Christ. The cross has become such a universal symbol for our salvation, it is so closely identified with the One who hung upon it, that Christians throughout the ages have not shied away from addressing the cross directly in poetry, song and prayer. Examples include the Old English poem Dream of the Rood, and the Italian Renaissance song Ave Victorioso e Sancto Legno, the music accompanying this devotion.
But what about carrying our own cross? We likely recoil at the thought. However, in order to be counted as genuine followers of Jesus, we must embrace the reality that we are called upon to die to ourselves and to be united to the sufferings of Christ so that we can be healed. We can never replace or add to the saving work of Jesus Christ. He is the Savior and we are the ones needing saving. As we contemplate the Lord’s suffering, death and resurrection by reading the accounts in Holy Scripture, by communing with God in prayer, and by attending church services that recount these dreadful yet life-giving events, may we be enlightened to begin to comprehend the magnitude of the love that God has for us.
PRAYER:
O Lord, save Your people and bless Your inheritance. Grant to Your people victory over all adversaries, and by the power of Your cross, preserve Your kingdom.
Amen.
(troparion of the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross)
Fr. Ignatius Valentine
Pastor of St. Raphael Orthodox Church, Iowa City, Iowa
About the Hail Victorious and Holy Wood Video:
This video features various artists’ depictions of Jesus carrying the cross.
[0:00] Lorenzo Lotto (c. 1480-1556/57)
[0:14] Giampietrino (active 1495–1549)
[0:35] Titian (ca. 1485/90–1576)
[0:50] Titian (ca. 1485/90–1576)
[1:07] Giovanni Francesco Maineri (active 1489–1506)
[1:18] Niccolò Frangipane (1563-1585)
[1:48] Luis de Morales (1509–1586)
[2:00] Andrea Solari (1460–1524)
[2:30] El Greco (1541-1614)
About the Videographer:
Jeffrey Stivers creates Baroque music videos. Stivers says, “By combining art and music, I try to create a new art form that will hopefully enhance the listener's experience of the music. There's often an educational/didactic component to my videos, from the content of the videos themselves to a wealth of information (including links) about the music, the composer, and the performers, that you will find in the video description. These often include links for further research or even to the CDs themselves for purchasing. Information about the artists whose work is featured can also be found here.”
https://www.youtube.com/user/jdstivers
About the Music #1:
“Ave Victorioso e Sancto Legno”
Lyrics:
Hail, victorious and holy wood,
Through which heaven opened and hell was closed.
I salute you who saved this world
From burning in eternal flames which it deserved.
And as you helped the undeserving universe
And transformed perpetual evil into eternal good,
So, undeserving as we are, we pray
That you help us in this life and make
us worthy of salvation at our end.
About the Composer #1:
Marchetto Cara (1465 –1525) was an Italian composer, lutenist and singer during the Renaissance period. Mainly active in Mantua, Italy, he was well-connected with the powerful and influential Gonzaga and Medici families. Cara shares importance with Bartolomeo Tromboncino as a composer of the frottola, a poetic Italian song that preceded the development of the madrigal. Cara was employed as maestro di cappella of the church, as well as secular court musical establishments.
About the Music #2:
“The Power of the Cross”
[Verse #1:]
Oh, to see the dawn
Of the darkest day,
Christ on the road to Calvary.
Tried by sinful men,
Torn and beaten, then
Nailed to a cross of wood.
[Chorus:]
This, the power of the cross,
Christ became sin for us
Took the blame, bore the wrath
We stand forgiven at the cross.
[Verse #2:]
Oh, to see the pain
Written on Your face,
Bearing the awesome weight of sin.
Every bitter thought,
Every evil deed
Crowning Your bloodstained brow.
[Verse #3:]
Now the daylight flees
Now the ground beneath
Quakes as its Maker bows His head.
Curtain torn in two,
Dead are raised to life,
"Finished!" the victory cry.
[Verse #4:]
Oh, to see my name
Written in the wounds,
For through Your suffering I am free.
Death is crushed to death
Life is mine to live,
Won through Your selfless love.
[Final Chorus:]
This, the power of the cross
Son of God? slain for us
What a love! What a cost!
We stand forgiven at the cross.
About the Composers #2:
Keith and Kristyn Getty occupy a unique place in the world of Christian music today as preeminent modern hymn writers. In re-inventing the traditional hymn form, they have created a distinguished catalogue of songs teaching Christian doctrine and crossing genres by connecting the world of traditional and classical composition with contemporary and globally-accessible melodies. These modern hymns are rooted in the traditions of Celtic and English hymnody handed down to the Northern Ireland-born couple and their long-time writing partner, Stuart Townend. Their best known hymn, In Christ Alone (penned by Keith and Stuart, and recorded by Keith and Kristyn) echoes this heritage and has been voted one of the best-loved hymns of all time in the UK.
www.gettymusic.com
About the Performers #2:
Zoe is a greek word used throughout the New Testament that means “the absolute fullness of life.” The Zoe Group is a division of Christian Music Resources, Inc., a not-for-profit Christian ministry dedicated to worship renewal in the lives of individuals and the churches to which they belong. This is accomplished primarily through the creation and distribution of worship resources, such as acappella musical recordings and printed sheet music, and through live events and worship conferences.
http://www.zoegroup.org
About the Poet:
Edwin Arlington Robinson (1869-1935) was an American poet who won three Pulitzer Prizes for his work in the 1920s. Robinson's struggles early in life led many of his poems to have a dark pessimism. Many of his stories embody themes of "an American dream gone awry."
About the Devotion Writer:
Ignatius Valentine is a 1993 graduate of Biola University (BA in Biblical Studies). Since 2006, he has been the pastor of St. Raphael Orthodox Church in Iowa City, Iowa, where he lives with his wife Maria and their children.