One week from today, this church will be filled with worshipers proclaiming their faith in the Resurrection of Jesus. That’s wonderful. But many of them—even many who are here every week—will have made the tragic error of bypassing the Cross on their journey to Easter. That’s a mistake for the simple reason that life is not one, continuous "Easter experience" (in case you haven’t already figured it out!). In fact, I dare say that on this side of the grave we face many more "Good Fridays" than "Easter Sundays." Our individual crosses are permanent realities of daily living—realities we must learn to deal with, or they will almost certainly overwhelm us. The Cross of Jesus Christ—in addition to saving us from sin and eternal death—also helps us in this way: it gives us the right perspective on our personal sufferings—and on the evil we see all around us in the world; it gives us hope in the midst of suffering; and it gives meaning and value to our earthly suffering.

In his autobiography, Bishop Fulton Sheen said that he had learned to recognize his life in the Cross of Christ. He wrote, "In the crown of thorns, I see my pride; my grasping for earthly toys in the pierced hands; my flight from shepherding care in the pierced feet, my wasted love in the wounded heart; and my prurient desires in the flesh hanging from him in purple rags."

Since Bishop Sheen made a Holy Hour every day, it’s not surprising that he made such a profound connection between the Cross of Christ and his everyday experience.

He didn’t bypass the Cross—ever! Not only during Holy Week, but each and every day he stopped, he looked and he listened (like the signs at railroad crossings tell us to do). He stopped, and broke away from his hectic schedule to spend quality time with his Lord; and during that prayer-hour he looked at the Cross of Jesus Christ with the eyes of faith, while at the same time listening for his Lord to speak to him and give him insight—insight concerning world events and his own personal life.

Will you do that during the next several days? Will you stop and make extra time for the Lord by participating the special ceremonies of Holy Week, and by spending extra time in personal prayer? And when you do pause from your hectic normal schedule, will you look intently at the Cross of Christ—meditating on what he did for you, why he did it, and what that means for you and for the world in 2002? And will you then make the effort to listen to the Lord as he speaks to you and gives you the special insights you need?

Or will you be like many others, and forget about it all until next Sunday?

During Holy Week we are supposed to encounter the Cross with our eyes on the Resurrection. Which is precisely what we’re supposed to do in life, is it not?—we are to face our individual crosses not in despair (which is how many people face them), but rather with our eyes on the day when we will fully share the victory of Jesus in the Resurrection.

Thus it should be obvious: those who do not bypass the Cross—those, in other words, who truly enter into the spirit of Holy Week—are best prepared to deal with life.