THE THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT—THE CROSS: Recently, after a set of stressful meetings, a Sister was expressing delight in the outcome to another committee member. “After all that difficulty!” she exclaimed. The other person looked her straight in the eye and simply stated, “There can be no glory without the cross.” The perennial question as to the experience of human suffering is: “Why?” Often the difficulties and pain of our lives seem to have neither meaning nor merit. We prefer to shun and reject these hard times in favor of better days. Ironically, some of our best growth and glory spring from the depths of our suffering. Jesus invites us to unite our pain and suffering with his cross. “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses . . . “ (Heb. 4:15). We might not find a clear answer to the search for a reason for human suffering, but we will find comfort and compassion in the loving heart of Christ. New life will rise from the ashes, for the cross of suffering is the sign of salvation. Suggested Readings: Isaiah 52:13-53:12; Psalms 31; Hebrews 4:14-16, 5:7-9; John 18:1-19:42.

LENTEN READINGS: The Gospel of Mark introduces us into the most violent contrasts of Jesus’ mission on earth. Only by divesting himself totally of his divinity, even to the point of utter loneliness in his prayer at Gethsemane and of absolute abandonment on the cross, does Jesus manifest his divinity and be acclaimed by the Roman centurion: “Clearly this man was the Son of God.” This man is evidently human, even to the point of crying out, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’” These last recorded words of Jesus in Mark’s gospel are given in Aramaic first; Mark insists that Jesus really shouted them out. This man is that human! Throughout Mark’s gospel, Jesus continuously appears very human. He could be angry and give “a stern warning” even in the midst of his miracles. Yet everyone senses an extraordinary person beneath this human appearance. Jesus must silence the enthusiasm of the people (Mk. 1:44). This phenomenon is frequently called the “messianic secret” in Mark. The silence is broken by Peter’s confession: “You are the messiah,” yet Jesus at once “gave them strict orders not to tell anyone about him” (Mk. 8:29-30). Jesus is not the kind of Messiah that people would presume him to be. Jesus’ ministry continues till his messianic entrance into Jerusalem. Yet, here the tone is subdued, especially when compared to the other gospels, and the triumphant procession ends abruptly; Jesus enters the temple-as it were, alone with only the twelve-looks around, “but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany (Mk. 11:11). Only after his death amid desolation and mockery does the Roman centurion acclaim him the “Son of God.” At this point, Jesus’ messianic mission reaches the entire world. The Jewish messiah is the savior of all people.