The Cross Of Jesus Christ

“May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ through which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world.”

St. Paul writes these words toward the end of his letter to the Galatians in which he has been trying to show us that our salvation does not rest on something we have done but on what God has done for us in Jesus Christ. This is why St. Paul does not boast in himself but in the cross of Jesus Christ. 

There was a time when Paul did boast of his own accomplishments. He followed the Law of Moses carefully. He was so zealous for the faith of his ancestors that he persecuted those who believed in Christ. But when the risen Christ appeared to him, Paul understood that the one he was persecuting was the very Son of God. He realized that as pious and zealous as he was, he could not save himself. This is why he writes that he does not boast except in the cross of Jesus Christ.

The cross he once despised became the center of Paul’s life. He says that the world has been crucified to him, and he has been crucified to the world. His old way of living and thinking about the world was a thing of the past because he now lived in the new creation of Jesus Christ. What had been important to Paul was no longer important to him because he now lived in the crucified Christ. “It is no longer I who live,” he says, “but Christ Jesus who lives in me.” 

Look at our church, and you will see the cross everywhere because it is the central sign of our faith. Take the cross away and there is no Christianity. Take the cross away and our faith is empty. Take the cross away and we no longer know Jesus Christ. 

The cross is the way God enters our lives and the life of the world. The cross gives meaning and purpose to our life. The cross of Jesus Christ is our hope and salvation.

To boast in the cross is to live in such a way that we see and do all things in the light of Jesus Christ. To boast in the cross is to glory in what God has done for us rather than what we have done for God. The cross teaches us that God can bring life and grace out of suffering and death. The cross teaches us the meaning of life. It shows us how God is present in our life every day. 

When you look at the cross today, think of the gift God has given you in Christ, a gift that has the power to change and transform your life forever if you place your faith and trust in Christ. Paul knew this and so he boasted in the cross. May we never boast except in the cross of Lord, Jesus Christ!

- Fr. Matera