The Unbearable Realness of the Cross

Last updated on: March 29, 2025 at 11:21 pm by Sherry Antonetti

0 Comments

The Unbearable Realness of the Cross 2025-03-29T23:21:28-04:00 Sherry Antonetti

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

We live in a world that cannot bear the reality of reality. The cross itself indicates to us the delicate ballance of truth, that our lives are not merely horizontal or vertical, but always both and. We are a sinful, suffering, fallen people, who are also beloved of God. One does not negate the other, we remain the prodigal son and the older brother, both puzzled to no end by the infinite generous love of the father, knowing that the other is not deserving, and that God deserved better than we give.

Photo by Felix Mittermeier: https://www.pexels.com/photo/gray-cross-on-mountain-2832052/
God is love. Love is generous and sacrificial and merciful. Our God is also justice and the fulfillment of all, and thus rightly to be honored, praised and worshiped always. We often want to skip the praise and thanksgiving part of prayer and get right to the, “Lord, I need.” Which is why Jesus makes sure we know, that praise comes first, and that need, while important, is in the midst of all our prayer, not the center, not the start, and not the close. It is a part, but not the whole of worship and prayer.

Modern sensibilities struggle with the reality of the cross, with the idea of the person who sins in a way we can recognize, being someone God offers forgiveness to, and just as mightily with the notion that we are the ones carrying those sins. Visiting my nieces over the weekend, one talked with great understanding about our first parents sewing fig leaves which would have been itchy at best, that the fruit from the tree of knowledge might have been a fig. It would make sense, since Jesus later curses the fig tree for failing to yeild fruit, and that our first parents, once they sinned, clothed themselves in the aftermath of their sins.
Photo by Daniel Watson
In creative writing, I’d been teaching that generic nouns tell the reader nothing, and so if one says they ate a fruit, we should specify the fruit, and paint the picture for the reader of the reality. The reality of our sins, hiding our innate dignity, and our selves from God, is like Adam and Eve wearing fig leaves to cover themselves. It does a poor job, it fails utterly, but it also reveals to us if we allow, the necessity of God’s forgiveness, and of our inability to escape the consequences of sin except through the gifts of grace of God.

So I sat there pondering all this in my heart, wondering how I could convey the true nature of our being with words. The great sinner offered forgiveness, freedom, and absolution, and the presumptious soul that thinks it understands who deserves and does not deserve mercy. I thought of the communion line, and being offered the opportunity to cradle Jesus in my hands, and that none of us are worthy of such an opportunity, even if we’ve been to confession and been absolved, we are still unworthy to hold Christ and yet He allows it. He welcomes it.

If we would understand Christ’s love, we need only look at the true reality of His being, offering Himself to be crucified, offering Himself to be consumed. It’s far more than we figleaf wearers deserve or could ever merit, and yet it is there. Thank God.

Previous Post

March 19, 2025

Response to the Hard of the World

Next Post

April 7, 2025 God's Glorious Word

Recent Comments

0 | Leave a Comment

"Being a parent is the greatest blessing. As a Father of seven, I know that ..."

Catholic Dad

Blessed Then and Now

"I love your post! A lot of us focus on making it to the mountain ..."

Catholic Dad

Easter Monday, Now What

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Advent Answered Prayers Blessed Mother Confirmation Devotion of the Sacred Heart Doctors of the Church Easter Family Humor family life Good Friday Growing up Healing Holy Spirit taps Lent Love in the little things Mary Undoer of Knots Not an Apologist Parenting Sacred Heart of Jesus Saint Therese of Lisieux Sin Small Success Saturday Teaching others and myself Uncategorized Waiting Writing Year of Saint Joseph

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz