"Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life."
The cross has become the most distinctive sign of Christianity, and perhaps that is why we are already used to seeing it in churches, in houses and in the people, who carry it around their necks. And custom often leads us to forget the true value and meaning of this sign for our lives. The cross reminds us of the great sacrifice that Jesus, the Son of God, made by allowing himself to be killed in a cruel and painful way. On the cross, Jesus bore the punishment each of us deserved for our sins ... and he did it out of love.
During this Lenten season, especially on Fridays, we meditate and pray the Viacrucis, the Way of the Cross. With this prayer we ask forgiveness for our sins and we unite ourselves to the sufferings that Christ endured in order to face our own sufferings and sacrifices. It is to Christ Jesus to whom we lift our gaze seeking strength to carry the crosses that come to us in the difficulties of life. We also look at him looking for joy and happiness in our pilgrimage and looking for eternal life beyond death.
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