April 2, 2013      Martin Mallon  (Ireland)      Martin's previous articles

                                         CHALLENGES  

Holy Week is over for another year. Usually, I concentrate on the Resurrection at this time; after all, Paul did say:  

and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is without substance, and so is your faith.  

What is more, we have proved to be false witnesses to God, for testifying against God that he raised Christ to life when he did not raise him -- if it is true that the dead are not raised.  

For, if the dead are not raised, neither is Christ;  

and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is pointless and you have not, after all, been released from your sins.  

In addition, those who have fallen asleep in Christ are utterly lost. [i]  

So for me the Resurrection has always been what Holy Week was all about.  

The agony and suffering Jesus went through did teach some lessons, but nothing of major importance. Then last week at his General Audience Pope Francis said:  

to live Holy Week following Jesus means learning to come out of ourselves … to reach out to others, to go to the outskirts of existence, ourselves taking the first step towards our brothers and sisters, especially those farthest away, those who are forgotten, those most in need of understanding, consolation, help. There is much need to bring the living presence of the Jesus, merciful and full of love!  

Living Holy Week means entering more and more into God's logic, the logic of the Cross, which is not first of all that of pain and death, but that of love and self-giving that brings life. It is entering into the logic of the Gospel. To follow, to accompany Christ, to stay with him requires a "going out", to go out. [ii]  

This struck me to the core, especially when he said that “the logic of the Cross, which is not first of all that of pain and death, but that of love and self-giving that brings life.” I had never thought of this, although it seems obvious now. The real significance of the cross is that loving and giving of yourself brings life; the suffering, pain and death are secondary. Yet, it gives meaning to the suffering, pain and death if they are helping to bring life. But the Cross is a sign of Love, not just suffering;  wonderful.  

Reading the above passage now I find myself challenged by the necessity of “going out”. If I want to follow Christ I must go out “to the outskirts of existence”. I do want to follow Christ, I love him, but the thought of going out is very difficult. I have a family and a business to look after which does not leave a lot of time for “going out” in my own town and country, never mind to the outskirts of existence.  

However, this brings to mind a priest who told Mother Theresa that he was too busy to pray and adore; she told him that he was just too busy and had to change things. Must I change things.?  

Perhaps it would have been better if Benedict had not resigned, at least I could have gone on as usual with a clear conscience.