[StBernard] crux spes unica

[Westley Annis]

“Ave, O Crux, Spes Unica!,” “Hail, O Cross, our Only Hope.” 

http://www.catholicpreaching.com/index.php?content=homilies&homilies=20030914

Fr. Roger J. Landry
St. Francis Xavier Church, Hyannis, MA

""We cannont remain detached bystanders.  We're here because we want to be disciples of the Lord.
Let's Get To Work !""

..4).....When we truly confront the reality of what the Cross means, we cannot remain a detached bystander....................We need to EMBRACE it as a way of life. That’s what Jesus clearly WANTS us to do and CALLS us to do. He never said to us, “I’m taking up the Cross so that you don’t have to.” Rather he said, “If you wish to be my disciple, you must deny yourself, pick up your Cross every day, and follow me” and “whoever does not pick up the Cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” We’re here because we want to be the disciples of the Lord, we want to follow him all the way to heaven. But to do this, we need to follow him to Calvary, we need to walk the Way of the Cross
 ...Jesus said, in the greatest of all commandments, “Love one another as I have loved you.” 

6) The early Christians used to say, “Ave, O Crux, Spes Unica!,” “Hail, O Cross, our Only Hope.” The cross is our only hope in two ways. First, because without Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross, we would have no hope of eternal salvation. But second, because unless we pick up our Cross every day to unite ourselves to God, we have no hope of salvation either...... And finally: model your entire life on the mystery of the Lord’s Cross. With God’s help, received through this great sacrament, let’s get to work!