Sorry for another repost of someone else’s article but I stumbled upon this gem that is absolutely worth a look. (Plus, I know if I post the article on my website, I’ll always know where to find it!)
Rob Dapreau of Catholic Phoenix writes this essay on what “carrying our cross” means, and even more, how to carry it. He writes,
…Christ willingly embraces both our cross and our crucifixion. He does so freely, out of love. Why he would do this is a mystery so great that it is incomprehensible when looked at from a paradigm of justice. We can only begin to understand it when we look at it through eyes of love.
When I taught high school, I would often ask my students what should be done about a society that was officially instituted to provide for the common welfare of its members, but in practice, systematically took advantage of one of them. The exploited person was always expected to eat cold food, take cold showers, and wear old clothes, so that the others—who rarely showed appreciation and regularly showed contempt—could have the best of everything.
They would decry the injustice and suggest everything from castration to crucifixion as a remedy. Then I’d drop the bomb on them: “That’s your family, and that exploited member is your mom.”
Crickets.
The thing is, most moms, like Jesus, aren’t motivated by justice; they’re motivated by love. This means they find happiness in making their loved ones happy. A good mom is more than willing to deprive herself for her children, but even a great daycare worker will strike if you try to make a mother’s level of commitment into the standard employees are expected to meet.
Love is the only thing that can make sense of sacrifice. The only right response to sacrificial love is love. We show our love and gratitude to Jesus by keeping his commandments, including the one with which I started this post.
Here are some things to consider as we try to follow the way of the cross.
The rest of his essay is just as good. I especially like his reminder not to drag our cross, but to bear it cheerfully. I find myself dragging mine from time to time, so this was a great visualization and nudge. Read the rest here.
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