Cling to His Promise

I recently heard a reflection on the significance of Christ’s pierced hands on the Cross. How the nails bound them to the wood, palms open – preventing Him from grasping onto anything of this world. On the Cross, the only thing Our Crucified Lord was able to cling to was His Father’s love. He could hold onto nothing but the promise of the Resurrection.

Throughout my faith journey, I have often found myself at the foot of the Cross.

The Cross has been a place of refuge for me, knowing that nothing I endure could amount to the agony Our Lord endured for us on that wretched tree. Because of this I have been faithful to unite my suffering to the Lord, trusting that He bears it with a love I cannot describe. But for a long time, my trust was paralyzed there. I had little hope that there was more to life than the Cross, and this lie kept me on my knees unable to get up and walk with the Lord to His empty tomb.

In many ways, my own suffering caused me to have a tainted view of the Cross. I could relate to the agony, but I often forgot about the promise which lies beyond such suffering. Without the Cross there is no Resurrection. They are not independent from one another; if anything, the one is necessary for the other. And in a beautiful, tangible way the Lord has brought light to this darkness through our mission– a paradigm of sorts which presents moments of hardship quickly followed by moments of joy.

Just last week Jack and I were checking in with one of our friends who has been having consistent troubles. After an hour of hearing him lament, we felt bound – having nothing to cling to and nothing to give other than the compassion of Christ. There, at the foot of the Cross, we remained faithful, embraced his suffering, and united it to the Father. But still, we walked away feeling empty from that sorrowful encounter. 

Then, just moments later, we were gifted with the presence of one of our dear friends. A man who in many ways appears to have nothing, but possesses riches through his faith. Hope returned to our hearts.This encounter was more than just a consolation to us in our ministry, it was a testament to the work of the Kingdom. At the time we met this man, he was already living out of the reality of the Resurrection, but from the stories he has told us I can see that he was once stuck at the foot of the Cross too. I had hope that our other friend would soon be able to rise from his knees and walk to the empty tomb, as well. 

Often in our encounters the Lord allows us to experience the Cross only to reward us with the splendor of the Resurrection. We see this in the grace he gives to Mary Magdalene; because of her faithfulness to remain at the foot of the Cross, the Lord blesses her by revealing himself to her first, following his Resurrection. In other words, He acknowledges our faithfulness at the Cross and thus reveals His faithfulness at the empty tomb. 

When the Lord’s hands were pierced to the Cross, He could cling to nothing but the hope of the Resurrection. Christ shows us how to remain steadfast in the loving care of the Father. God gives us the grace to bear the Cross – so that we can rejoice with His Son outside the empty tomb. 

Maria Goitiandia