February 23, 2012

Read It:
Jesus said to his disciples:
"The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected
by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed and on the third day be raised."

Then he said to all,
"If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself
and take up his cross daily and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.
What profit is there for one to gain the whole world
yet lose or forfeit himself?"

Reflect on It: Often as Christians, we hear that we must take up our Cross and follow Christ. The apostles were quick to do just that. They LEFT their entire lives behind to follow him. They left family and friends and jobs and trusted Jesus. Each of us carries a different cross. This summer while the pilgrims from the Diocese of Arlington, walked the Camino de Santiago (the way of St. James) while in Madrid, Spain for World Youth Day, we were asked to focus on our crosses. Each one of us carries a cross that is specifically fashioned for us. While others might believe it to be too heavy or too light, it is the cross that is fashioned for us. As I walked along my 9 mile route, I walked with a friend of mine. As we walked we talked about our crosses. I was astonished by hers and the fact that she carried it with great dignity and poise. I would have never guessed that that was what she struggled with. And likewise, in turn, she was surprised by my cross. We laughed and we cried and we processed and for a while, she was my Simon, helping me to carry the heavy burden. While the Lord is good enough to give us Simons, at the end of the day, the cross was mine and mine alone to carry. What crosses are you being asked to carry? Are you carrying them with great joy? I think that if we really stopped and looked at the fact that each one of us is carrying a cross, we'd be a lot kinder to each other.


Pray about It: Father, you made your son's cross heavy, but our burden is light. Help us to pick up our cross and carry it with joy and while giving you the glory! Amen.

Live It! Challenge: Put a rosary in your pocket today and whenever you reach your hand in your pocket and are reminded of your cross, thank the Lord his love and strength to carry yours.