“Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.” These words of Jesus, from the Gospel today, remind us of the sacrifices that will need to be made in order to be His disciple. When Jesus pronounced those very words, feelings of shock, fear, and anxiety must have filled the hearts of those who heard them. The disciples of Jesus knew that once the cross was carried, it was only put down so that one can be hung on it. They knew, in other words, that this meant pain, suffering, humiliation, and death. Yet, through His own acceptance of the Cross, Jesus showed that the cross is not the end but only the beginning. The Cross became not a sign of defeat, but victory; the Cross became not a means of pain, but a vehicle of joy; the Cross became not the reality of death, but the certainty of newness of life! So what Jesus was asking His earlier followers and us today is straightforward. He wants us to reach for victory, hold on to joy, and embrace life. This is the Cross we bear. Yes, victory demands sacrifices, joy is mixed with challenges, and life is not always going to be easy. But in the midst of it, Carry your Cross, I guarantee that the outcome is in your favor.
Faithfully Yours in Christ,
Fr. Wayne
This is not a commercial, yet as an aside, a young man in our parish has developed a clothing line called Carry Your Cross. Check out his website at: https://carryyourcross.com