From the Friars: Follow the Leader
Alexander the Great was a bold warrior who, unlike most generals, literally led the charge into battle. His courage and skill inspired great loyalty in his followers. Once his army was slow to take a well defended enemy fortress. So he personally grabbed a ladder and climbed up and stood by himself on the wall, completely vulnerable to arrows and spears. His men urged him to get down but instead he jumped off the wall toward the inside, right into the middle of all the defenders. Rather than abandon their commander, who seemed to have lost his mind, the other Greeks jumped over the wall after him and fought furiously to save their leader and take the fortress.
Peter before the Sanhedrin.
When Jesus told the Apostles that He was to die on the Cross they could not understand how that could be and they were afraid to question Him. Indeed, St Paul would write of the foolishness of the Cross, but also that “the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” (1Cor1: 25) Our Lord conquered not a mere passing human kingdom but death itself by offering Himself as a sacrifice of love in a most horrible death. He boldly embraced death in order to destroy it.
Today we hear from the Acts of the Apostles that The Twelve were arrested and gave courageous testimony of the truth about Jesus before the Sanhedrin. Many Jewish leaders wanted to kill them but they settled for whipping them and then they let them go. “So they left the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been found worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name.” (Acts 5:41) Now they understood the wisdom of the Cross and knew that Jesus had called them to follow Him, to embrace their own crosses in order to help bring about the final victory of the Kingdom of God.
To suffer for the Holy Name of Jesus became their greatest honor and joy. Let us not fear to jump over the wall, to embrace the Cross.
It is the Truth that sets us free. Pax et bonum.
–Fr. Peter