Article #3 - Fourth Series - May 1st, 2023 by Fr. Ben Daghir

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One Thing, Jesus Christ - Article #3 - Fourth Series - May 1st, 2023 by Fr. Ben Daghir

Article:

The Cross on Mount Zion Road in Weedville, PA is a powerful place. I have had the honor of being there many times. 

Without the cross, it would be just another lookout. Yet, it is something completely different as a result of it. One looks out toward the beautiful Elk County hills and one is also challenged to look within. The cross depicted in Christianity demands that we consider what is of utmost value in life. It demands that we consider the Christian story.

In a beautiful way the cross, which 2,000 years ago was a cruel and brutal instrument of torture used by the Romans, seems to fit on the Mount Zion Road as it does in so many places throughout the world. What once instilled fear into millions by the hand of Caesar, now gives us hope and comfort. This is very interesting and we shouldn’t take it for granted. 

We owe a tremendous amount to those early Christians who were bold. They held the cross high almost as a taunt to the Romans. Many of these Christians were martyred and some were thrown to the lions in the Colosseum. It’s very easy to forget how many have suffered for the sake of the Gospel in order for us to be Christians today, in order for the cross to stand on the Mount Zion hillside and in places all over the globe.

Yet, Christians have consistently clung to the cross of Jesus Christ because something remarkable happened on it. Jesus took on all the weight of fear, sin, and death. He took on all evil’s dysfunction, betrayal, hatred, chaos, disorder, and pain. His blood then poured into all of the effects of sin, all the way to its cause - pride. As Adam grasped in dysfunction, Jesus poured Himself in love. As Adam elevated himself to be like God, Jesus humbled Himself taking the cross as His throne. Incredible. Beautiful. Powerful. 

The Carthusian order has this motto “The Cross is steady while the world turns.” I’ve thought about this quote while visiting the Mount Zion Cross. I’ve seen the world turn from that cross as the leaves change colors in the fall, as snow blankets the landscape in the winter, as springtime emerges, and as summer becomes green. I’ve been to that cross with people who are now deceased. I’ve seen my hopes and dreams change each time I visit the cross over the years. Yet, the cross is steady. It remains. 

In other words, the Carthusians, like those earliest Christians, are right - the cross is steady while the world turns. We have all seen the world turn, change, and shake its fleeting head at us. The cross, on the other hand, remains secure. It tells us there’s something more, something far greater than this world has to offer. 
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Fr. Ben Daghir is a priest for the Diocese of Erie. He is a graduate of Elk County Catholic High School in Saint Marys, Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, and St. Mary's Seminary & University in Baltimore, Maryland. He considers writing one of his favorite hobbies.