Summary of a Fr. Gerry Creedon homily from April 06, 2007
"Yet it was our infirmities that he bore, our sufferings that he endured" Isaiah 53:4
The cross is a strange mystery.
The cross of Christ does not justify the unnecessary suffering of our world. In fact, the chorus our congregation reechoed tonight was, "We do not have the right to execute anyone." Yet yesterday in Virginia our legislators decided, over the recommendation of our Governor and our bishops, to expand the grounds for the use of the death penalty. Jesus said to Peter, "Put the sword back in its scabbard."
This afternoon I celebrated with the Latino Community and many others, the Stations of the Cross. Earlier on this First Friday I had the opportunity to visit 14 home bound parishioners. They were equally an encounter with the redemption.
I told a woman that she looked better. She smiled, "My rosy cheeks are the good blood they give me through this dialysis machine!" I wondered if I would have been so resilient. There is a necessary suffering in the life of each of us. Let us associate our hurts and our rejections with the cross of Christ.
Let us bring the torture, the death, the violence of our world to Calvary.
Let us bring the suffering and the death of our loved ones to him as well.
May the mystery of his dying bring hope and redemption to all who are in pain.