In his sermon delivered on Tuesday at a church consecration, the Bishop of Huși highlighted the contrast in attitude on Golgotha between the people mocking Jesus and Christ who remained silent and received everything with love.
Bishop Ignatie noted that “at the feet of the Cross there was so much concentrated evil that we could say that it set out to dynamite, to shake the unwavering, perfect love of the God-Man for His creatures.”
Bishop Ignatie pointed out that “we humans, in our madness, thought we could kill Him; we gave Him the nothingness of hatred, ungratefulness, and wickedness,” while Christ shared with us “the most wonderful humility, the most authentic love for us.”
“He did not defend Himself in any way. On the Cross, He performed no miracles, even though some, mocking Him, contemptuously asked Him to come down, He who had done so many miracles: ‹You, the One on the Cross, do a miracle with Yourself, come down!’ Christ listens to these contemptuous words, without defending Himself, without justifying His love that led Him to sacrifice.”
He could have given a lesson to those who were at the foot of the Cross, talking to them about how much sacrifice and what immense love He showed towards them at that moment, Bishop Ignatie added.
“Christ remained silent, he did not defend Himself against the injustices of man – who believed that he could kill God, the existential life.”
“Christ remained silent on the Cross in that rain of mockery, because His sacrifice spoke, His perfect love for us humans.”
“The cross shows us God as He is to us, for eternity: only love for man – even when he mocks Him and shows much ungratefulness and ingratitude.”
“We, even when we are guilty, when we deserve to be told that we are not on the right path, that we did not do well, we get angry and defend ourselves, because our pride is offended,” said the Bishop of Huși.
On Tuesday, remembering the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Bishop Ignatie consecrated the church of Vinețești village in Vaslui County, following the rehabilitation of the place of worship.
Foto credit: Episcopia Hușilor
