Yesterday God’s love was revealed to us in remembering how Jesus placed himself under our feet in loving service. He is at our service today through the ordained priesthood and the Eucharist.

Today God’s love is revealed to us as we gather at the foot of the cross, this time placing ourselves under his feet, remembering how he suffered and died for us.

As Christians our understanding of suffering makes us unique. We believe that suffering is a result of the condition of sin that has been part of our human existence. We believe that the great mystery of God’s response to suffering was to enter our human experience of suffering in order to overcome it, not by eradicating suffering from the world, but by entering directly into it. Suffering is conquered through suffering.

We believe that happens on the cross, where the worst suffering imaginable is inflicted upon the most innocent human being. Where the world would have responded with anger, vengeance, avoidance, hatred, calling upon divine punishment, Jesus responds with divine love, inviting us to do the same. In doing so, we put an end, not to suffering, but to the hatred that comes from it when we resist it. Be willing to suffer, and the power of God’s love will save you. 

You will never hear this in our culture, it doesn’t make sense, we hate suffering in any form, we avoid it at any cost. The pharmaceutical industry makes $17.7 billion in pain medication every year. According to phyciatry.org, 12% of people treated with opioids become addicted to them. Globally the anti-aging products industry makes $47 billion as people seek to keep their youthful look and prolong aging as much as possible because with aging comes, well, suffering.

We’ve found many ways to entertain ourselves, to keep busy with things to do so as to avoid those moments of loneliness and the frustrations of life. At the same time, we are strangely fascinated with suffering. Some of the most watched videos on social media are of accidents, crimes and fights. There is a morbid enjoyment in seeing people suffer, we even slow down to catch a glimpse of it on the road.

But no matter what we do, suffering in some way will be inevitable, and trying to escape it only causes more harm. That is why Jesus says: don’t ignore it, don’t avoid it, don’t fight against it, embrace it with me and I will transform it into a source of love.

We do that in two ways. The first way to follow Jesus into suffering is not to sin when we are sinned against. The prophet Isaiah speaks of the way that Christ suffered in the most chilling way: though he was treated harshly, he submitted and opened not his mouth; like a lamb led to the slaughter or a sheep silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. He was given a grave among the wicked, through he had done no wrong, nor deceit found in his mouth. It was the Lord’s will to crush him with pain, but because of his affliction he shall see light in the fullness of days.

Jesus does not return violence for violence, not even by speaking violent words to the people involved in killing him. He is showing us how to break the vicious cycles of violence and sin in our world. We pray this every time we pray the Lord’s prayer; forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.

Is someone trying to hurt you out of anger? Don’t hurt them back. Is someone trying to put you down? Don’t put them down in return. Is your life difficult because of the sins and injustice that exist in the world? Don’t let it make you bitter about life. Follow Jesus in the way of the cross.

The second way to follow Jesus into suffering is to accompany others in their suffering. This means being present to them, to listen to them, to give them encouragement and support. Sometimes our spirituality is an excuse to not be present with people who suffer. It is easy and tempting to tell someone “I am so sorry to hear that, I will pray for you” and by it mean “get back to me when things get better” and then we do what we can to avoid that person.

The gospel of John shows us that the church is born through accompanying others in their suffering. We see Mary as that model. She is with Jesus at the foot of the cross in the midst of his suffering. Mary herself is suffering, losing her only son, soon to be left alone in the world without family. What does Jesus do? Seeing his mother there with the disciple whom he loved, he says ““woman there is your son.” And in turn he said to the disciple “there is your mother.” And from that hour onward the disciple took her into his care.” The church is born when those who accompany Jesus on the cross also accompany one another in suffering, no health and wealth gospel here, you cannot have easter without good Friday.

Tonight, Jesus opens the way of the cross for us to follow, in fact he says that is the only way: take up your cross and follow me. As you come to venerate the cross, make it a spiritual exercise, approach the cross with your own suffering, be it physical, emotional, spiritual, and unite under his feet. If you have been trying to avoid suffering, stop turning to other things. Do not return one sin for another. Do not let the sins of other people cause you to sin or cause you to lose your own dignity. Bring all of that to the cross.

 Just as there is a real manifestation of God’s loving power in the gesture of Jesus placing himself under your feet to wash them, there too is a real manifestation of God’s loving power in this act of venerating the cross, as we place ourselves under his feet.