MARY, OUR MOTHER

 

SCRIPTURE COMMENTARY #564

And bearing his own cross, he went forth to the place which is called Calvary, but in Hebrew Golgotha. (John 19:17)

THE REASON WHY OUR LORD CHOSE THE DEATH OF THE CROSS: 

1.  Because He thereby offered the most complete satisfaction for our sins. Man had offended God by a disobedience which sprang from pride, when he desired to "be like unto God." The Divine Redeemer atoned for this pride by choosing the most painful and ignominious of deaths. Under the Old Law, the body of an executed criminal was hung upon a cross as a token that such a man was cursed of God and rejected by the people; and yet Jesus suffered Himself to be hung on the Cross when alive! For this reason St. Paul writes thus (Gal. 3:13): "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law (i. e. from sin), being made a curse for us: for it is written (Deut. 21:23): 'Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree'." By thus dying on the Cross, our Divine Savior abased Himself as far as He could, so as to offer satisfaction for our pride. In like manner He atoned for our disobedience, for He became "obedient unto death, even to the death of the Cross" (Phil. 2:8). 

2. Our Lord chose to die on the Cross to show His unbounded love for us in a way which we could not mistake, and to move our hearts to love Him in return. When on the Cross, our Blessed Lord suffered the severest torments of Soul and Body, pouring out His Blood for our sakes, slowly, and drop by drop. "He hath loved us," writes St. John, "and washed us from our sins in His Blood" (Apoc. I:5). "See," says St. Augustine, "see the wounds of the Crucified, the Blood of the dying, the ransom paid by the Redeemer; His Head is bowed down to kiss us; His Heart is opened to love us; His Arms are spread to embrace us; His whole Body is given to save us!"

[From 'A Practical Commentary on Holy Scripture' by Bishop Knecht, D.D.]

(1899 Douay-Rheims Bible)