![\"wed_0452\"](\"http:\/\/of.communityofjesus.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/wed_0452-300x200.jpg\")
<\/p>\nBy Melodious Monk<\/p>\n
Last Sunday, was the feast of the Holy Cross. \u00a0The Old Testament reading was a familiar story about Moses following God’s command to make a snake and place it on top of a pole for people to look in order to save their lives. But why a snake? \u00a0Why did God choose to have Moses’ people\u00a0(and I dare say us\u00a0today) look at the fiery serpent to be healed? The story is almost too simple to be true. The only thing the people had to do was go and look. For us Christians, perhaps we make our salvation more complicated then it needs to be. If I make the choice to go to the cross, to go look at the fiery serpent of my sin, and in so doing, realize that I need Jesus, I can live freely.<\/p>\n
This 14th century poem by a Franciscan monk talks about this journey. He describes how marking ourselves with the sign of the cross is in a way like looking at the serpent and being healed. In having the courage to look at our sin, in the poet’s words, we are being giving a “shining bough,” \u00a0and with this bough comes an invitation to a joy-filled life.<\/p>\n
How We Exalt the Holy Cross<\/i><\/p>\n
There is a tree planted by God which we call Love.
\nYou there, you I see up in its branches-
\nShow me where I can begin to climb,
\nthat I might leave this darkness behind.<\/p>\n
I climb so slowly that if I stop to speak to you
\nA puff of wind will blow me down.
\nI have a long way to go;
\nIndeed, there’s a hard struggle ahead.<\/p>\n
The glory of the ascent, I know, is God’s, not yours,
\nBut help me work free of this swamp-
\nIf thanks to your aid I come to serve God
\nIt will be you who has won me back for Him.<\/p>\n
To the praise of God I tell you,
\nAnd as a friend,
\nThat in fear of the Enemy
\nWas I led to this tree.<\/p>\n
I looked at it in my mind’s eye
\nMeditated on it at length,
\nAnd burned with the desire
\nTo climb that measureless height.<\/p>\n
I could not even guess
\nHow high the branches reached;
\nThe trunk was straight and smooth.
\nI saw no place where I could get a hold,<\/p>\n
Except for one branch
\nThat curved down to the ground;
\nA poor despised little bit of a branch,
\nIt bore the mark of humility.<\/p>\n
was ready to climb when suddenly
\nI heard a voice; “Do not touch me
\nUnless you have first confessed,
\nCleansed yourself of all mortal sin.”<\/p>\n
Contrition flooded my heart,
\nI cleansed myself with confession
\nAnd with the help of God
\nMade satisfaction.<\/p>\n
Coming back to the tree I felt fear and misgivings,
\nIn anticipation of the exhausting effort;
\nI devoutly prayed to God for help,
\nFor without His aid I could not climb the tree.<\/p>\n
“Sign yourself with the sign of the cross,”
\nSaid a voice that came from Heaven,
\n“And take hold of the shining bough,
\nA branch that is pleasing to God”<\/p>\n
Brother Jacopone Da Todi, O.F.M.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By Melodious Monk Last Sunday, was the feast of the Holy Cross. \u00a0The Old Testament reading was a familiar story about Moses following God’s command to make a snake and place it on top of a pole for people to … Continue reading