A good luck charm for many

Although we won’t be seeing too many athletic events for sometime, we can still think about the past.  Many baseball, football players, boxers, ball players in general, praying for a hit, a touch down or even a knockout do something unusual.  Watching a sporting event, we often see the good luck charms players seem to use. Players on both teams making the sign of the cross and praying for something good for themselves or their team.

Back in the late 1950’s I visited my Grandfather who was an avid Phillies fan.  God did come first in his life, but he lived and died with the Phillies. On this one particular day, he had his 6 transistor radio on and the Phillies were playing ST. Louis Cardinals. The Phillies were behind 3 to 2. It was the bottom of the ninth and the Phillies were batting with the bases loaded and two outs. Pitching for the St. Louis Cardinals was Vinegar Ben Mizel and at the plate, batting for the Phillies was Tony Taylor.

The count to Tony Taylor was full, three balls and two strikes. And the announcer, who may have been Byrum Saam, was excited. And he said, “They’re ready, Vinegar Ben is on the mound, he backs off the mound, blesses himself, walks back to the mound and his starring at the catcher, who blesses himself and gives the sign for what pitch to throw. Tony Taylor, awaits the pitch, calls time and backs out of the batter’s box. He blesses himself. He positions himself again in the batter’s box, waiting for the pitch, then calls timeout again, backs away from the plate takes a practice swing and then puts the sign of the cross on his bat.  Now he’s ready. 

Vinegar Ben, with the bases loaded is pitching from a full windup”.  I look at my grandfather, he looks at me.  He blesses himself.  I bless myself.  Byrum Saam says, “Here’s the pitch, and it’s a”.  And my grandfather turns off the radio.  My mouth was still open waiting for the result, and he turns off the radio.  He looks at his radio, but talking to me says, “I know God is a Cardinal fan, God will always hears the prayers of his cardinals – St. Louis Cardinals.”  He waits another minute before turning the radio back on and we hear the announcer say, “final score Cardinals 3 and the Phillies 2.

In many ways, the cross is our sign of identity as a Christian, a mark that we belong to Christ.  We trace this cross on ourselves, or bless ourselves, especially before prayer or during prayer.  Many of us have a crucifix hanging around our neck.  We see It hanging in our homes, offices, classrooms, meeting rooms, even some hospital rooms, although fewer places today than ever before. 

 Yes, we see it and yet, do we truly understand the true meaning of the cross of Jesus in our lives

But, as we seriously know, the cross or the sign of the cross, is not a good luck charm, and the cross cannot take sides with or against another good luck charm.

No, the Cross is a sign of victory. And that victory was so important that Jesus’ entire life moved him to Calvary, to hang on that Cross of victory over death.  It hangs around our neck for us to remember we were redeemed. It is a reminder that we must follow in his ways to be ever with him in heaven.

The Cross of Jesus was true humiliation. It was degrading. It was the sign of a criminal’s death. And, yet it was, not a sign of victory, it was the victory of our lives.

There is power in that Cross, and we are commanded by Jesus, to carry our own crosses, our own hardships with him, crossing over the finish line someday and into his loving arms. “Whoever wishes to come after me, must deny himself, pick up his cross and follow me” Mt 16:24

Every hardship, all our sorrows, our discomforts, our trials are crosses and

when accepted, as Jesus accepted his own Cross and, like Jesus, carried with love, provides the perseverance, the ability to walk with Jesus.  Every cross we carry, we carry with Jesus, as He tells us, “I am with you always, even to the end of time”.

Today, we find ourselves in the midst of a crises, something we have never experienced before. And we are full of uncertainties. It is a cross that we are all carrying, for it is affecting our lives and the lives of all those in the world.  

This cross can, at many times be bitter, and it could test of our faith.  But, when carried with the help of Jesus, this cross will strengthen us, even to the point of deny ourselves.  We place this cross in God’s hands with trustful abandonment, serving Jesus. With that abandonment and accepting that cross will provide the graces we need to love, help and pray for our brother and sister. In this current crisis, our cross, we will live those words of Jesus, “Love your neighbor as you love yourself”

In the end, we will be accountable to Our Lord, on how well we carried our crosses, this one no different than any other.  How we helped our brother, sister, our neighbor, denying ourselves some of the luxuries of this moment, thinking twice about stock piling and leaving others without.    “Whatever you do to the least of my brethren that you do unto me”. 

 It is true, followers of Jesus do have their own crosses. Followers of Jesus must deny themselves and by denying themselves they begin to love as Jesus loved. That cross, and every cross sent our way, carried with love is our key that will open our door to heaven. No cross, no key, no key, no heaven. 

No one knows for sure why we are in the predicament we are in. Is it God, cleansing his Church, is it a warning for lost souls or for those whose eyes need to be opened? Is it a caution from God that we are a sinful people? God always gives us choices, and with the crosses sent our way we have a choice. Jesus’ cross is the symbol of love. Our cross depending on how we choose to accept it, can be love, or it can a selfish motive.

Reminds me of a verse in Luke, “Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. Then I will say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take it easy. Eat, drink, and be merry!”’

But you have to love Jesus’ response, “You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you”. Let this cross be love.