"The Cross Our Only Hope"
A year of commentary from the Holy Cross community grounded in the spirituality and work of the Congregation of Holy Cross.
In our common life we give an immediate and tangible expression to what we profess through our vows: in the local community we share the companionship, the goods and the united efforts of our celibacy, poverty and obedience.
—Holy Cross Constitutions
One Sunday morning when I was very young, sitting in a not-so-angelic state in the pews of our church, one of my older sisters and I were sharing a brief moment of “sibling rivalry.” This undoubtedly involved some elbowing and pinching. There were no harsh words from my mom, no furrowed brow, and no scolding. She simply leaned close and, pointing toward the altar, asked if I could see the lamb carved there. She whispered to me that that lamb was Jesus. I was intrigued, but I wouldn’t really understand for some time the depth of her comment.
In that instant, however, my mom had patiently redirected my attention and literally pointed me toward Jesus when I was the most distracted.
As with our own families, we in religious life often learn from and are guided wisely by others in community. The vowed life helps us to stay focused, but it also requires patience, trust, commitment, and, undoubtedly, guidance. It is in the process of learning and living the vows of celibacy, poverty, and obedience well that we are pointed toward, and can point one another toward, Jesus.
No matter what our calling in life, it is easy at times on our journeys of faith to lose focus of what is most important to us. Sometimes, to stay on the path, we will need to be guided, but we, too, will need to be guides for others. And, inasmuch as we are good companions both in word and in action, we must always help to point one another toward Christ.
— Tom Eckert, C.S.C.
From _The Cross, Our Only Hope: Daily Reflections in the Holy Cross Tradition, ed. by Andrew Gawrych, C.S.C., and Kevin Grove, C.S.C.
Copyright © 2008 by Priests of Holy Cross, Indiana Province. Used with permission of Ave Maria Press._
Explore other examples from this book:
Reflection One
Reflection Two
Reflection Three
Reflection Four
Reflection Five
