Francis, Clare and the Holy Cross

Yesterday was the feast of St. Francis, when we celebrate Francis, and remember his transitus from this life to the next.
A few weeks agao I preached in the Bronx on Holy Cross day. I had no idea what that was about. I found out it was when tradition St. Helena (Roman Emperor Constantines mum) found the true cross in Jerusalem, on the site of what is now Holy Sepulchre.

In my sermon I talked about how John saw the cross as the point of Jesus glorification, not the ressurection or ascension. I then used Francis and Clare to explore what that might mean. I was amazed at how much of my conversations with Masud informed that.
Any way, here are soem jotted thoughts from my notes:

Francis and Clare faced their own absolute poverty in the absolute poverty Christ on cross:
Only in realising own poverty were able receive great gift of love from God
If we do not face own poverty we end up constantly trying do things in our own strength
Trying to prove to selves and others deserving we are
Don’t we do that
Working to show what good Christians we are
Parents/ husbands wives. Sons daughters
Good workers we are
How deserving we are of peoples attention,
Peoples love and care
God’s love and care
Constantly trying to prove my own value and importance
And it is such a huge burden.
I meet so many people who try to earn love and respect
Trying to build self esteem on gifts and abilities and how people see them and relate to us, -
AND IT DOESN'T WORK
it wears them down
and they miss simple truth
That we are profoundly and deeply loved by God, who gave all away for us, so that we might give all away for God:
That is what the cross is about
We cannot earn this
We do not need to strive or try to earn this
We just need to live in that love, knowing that outside this love we are nothing, inside we are everything.

The cross says let go. Rest in God’s love

The cross says you are no more important than anyone else, so stop trying to be

The cross says you are no less important that anyone else, so let go

The cross says you are deeply loved by God. Live only in that love.

Not about you and me, but about us

On Cross Christ declared in most profound way Gods deep in infinite love for all humanity, for all creation, including you and me
There is no greater glory than that.
In death Christ loved and so was glorified