Confirmation Session 4: Understanding Holy Mass Part 1 – we cannot understand Mass unless we’ve grasped the meaning of the Cross.

Published on January 29, 2023

The central Christian image is the Cross.

 

How do we make sense of that?

 

Ultimately, it is the sign of the rejection of God. When speaking of God – about Confirmation, about anything like that – we should always keep this ultimate rejection of God in mind.

 

But there’s more to it… and I think we understand it much more than we realize.

 

You know how hard it is to forgive, don’t you? Think about it… take a moment to feel what it’s like!

 

For those who’ve been deeply hurt forgiving can be crucifying – impossible – it is beyond the ability of many.

 

Why are we like that? Why do we find forgiveness so difficult?

 

Because we’re chips off the old block! We’re made in the image and likeness of God and we’re reflecting our eternal origins, we’re reflecting God.

 

Forgiveness costs, always. Ultimately when God forgives humanity, it is forgiveness on a universal scale and the cost is phenomenal – his crucifixion in Jesus.

 

What proves that God loves us is that God will always forgive us – provided we’re repentant – and will always bear the cost in love.

 

God will always do what humanity finds difficult if not impossible. That’s the meaning of the Cross.

 

One note of caution: We might be tempted to say that forgiveness is all very easy for God – sure God can do anything – but that’s to misunderstand the very nature of God. God is love and when love is offended or hurt there is always pain. God is the human experience of love and betrayal multiplied by infinity! Think of your struggle to forgive multiplied by the struggle of all humanity! Just think your experience on a universal scale.