The Cross is the personification of mercy, for Christ’s death upon it is the sacrifice through which humanity is reconciled to God the Father. It stands at the meeting place of justice and love, where sin is not ignored, but redeemed, and where the brokenness of man is met by the boundless compassion of God. As Scripture says, “while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son” (Romans 5:10). [USCCB][1]

The weight of that Cross was not felt merely in the heft of its beams on the road to Calvary, but in the forgiveness shown by the suffering borne by the spotless Lamb who was slain and nailed upon it. For as we take up the command to carry our own cross, let us remember the words of Christ: “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23). [USCCB][2]

Each and every one of us deals with our own trials. We all have a cross that the Lord has called us to bear. In each of our lives, that cross is unique, though at times it may resemble that of another. Some crosses are visible, and others are hidden deep within the heart. Some are carried in sickness, some in grief, some in loneliness, some in temptation, and some in the quiet endurance of daily sacrifice. Yet no cross, when united to Christ, is meaningless. What feels heavy in our hands may become holy when surrendered to His.

As the Church, we are not meant to walk this road alone. We are called to help our brother and sister carry their cross, to love the person to our right and to our left, and to bear one another’s burdens with tenderness, patience, and truth. In doing so, we reflect the love of Christ Himself, who never abandons His people in their suffering. We are to bring others closer to Christ, encourage one another in faith, and remind each other that suffering offered in love becomes a road to sanctity.

Let us therefore lift up whatever we must bear and offer it unto Christ. It is significantly more difficult to pursue holiness, to make good decisions, and to live them out faithfully than it is to waste one’s life. To be holy requires discipline, surrender, humility, and perseverance. It requires dying to oneself again and again, even when no one sees it, and choosing the good when the easier road would be selfishness, indifference, or despair. Yet this is the road of the Christian. It is narrow, but it leads to life.

As Venerable Arch Bishop Fulton J. Sheen said, “For there to be a resurrection, there must be a cross. And after every cross lifted up to God, there is a resurrection.” [Venerable Arch Bishop Fulton J. Sheen][4] Rightly, too, does Scripture say, “Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials” (James 1:2). [USCCB][5]

As Saint Francis of Assisi said, “There is one thing of which we can all boast; we can boast of our humiliations and in taking up daily the holy cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” [Franciscan Media][3] There is a strange and sacred beauty in the life of one who suffers with Christ and remains faithful. The soul that carries its cross with trust becomes refined, purified, and drawn more deeply into the heart of God. So let us carry our cross with courage, humility, and perseverance, trusting that whatever is suffered in union with Christ will never be wasted. For the Cross is not only the place where Christ willingly died, but the place where the depth of his love was proven, mercy was poured out, and the hope of eternal life was opened to the world.

References

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. (n.d.). Romans, chapter 5. USCCB. (bible.usccb.org)

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. (n.d.). Luke, chapter 9. USCCB. (bible.usccb.org)

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. (n.d.). James, chapter 1. USCCB. (bible.usccb.org)

Franciscan Media. (2018, May 4). Quotes from St. Francis of Assisi. Franciscan Media. (franciscanmedia.org)

Venerable Arch Bishop Fulton J. Sheen. (n.d.). The Crucifixion and the Meaning of the Resurrection. Bishop Sheen. (bishopsheentoday.com)