Taking Up the Cross

Take a walk with me as we journey through this last Friday before Holy Week begins. The last day before the mundane days of Lent take on the true celebration of who we are as Catholic Christians. The reason we are who we are, the reason we endeavor to walk and live this life of holiness, though it be fraught with pot holes, road blocks, greed, and selfishness. Please reflect on the words of John Shea.

Taking Up the Cross

Taking up the cross comes with the territory of discipleship. Once we begin to be as compassionate and inclusive as Jesus, we rankle other people. They make moves against us and we begin to suffer.

At this moment, we are invited to adopt an attitude toward our suffering. Here is a teenager's rendition of how Jesus suggests we should act:

Jesus was no dummy. He sees the cross coming. Look at what he was doing! He's touching qll the unclean people, eating with outcasts, breaking up the temple money game, criticizing corruption. He wants a better world, but a lot of people are doing real well in the world as it is. They are not going to give up and fade away. This is notnew.

Now Peter--there's a dummy. Jesus lays it out for yim--the cross, the resurrection, the whoe thing--and he says, "No way."

Jesus is not happy.

So Jesus says to him, "Not only for me but you too, Peter."

So now Peter is not happy.

So Jesus tells him--and here's the thing I like--Jesus tells him, "Don't let them lay the cross on you, Peter. Take it up. Don't let them lay it on you. Take it up."

Wow! You gotta love Jesus for that.

When we know the price of following Jesus and are willing to pay it, the inevitable sufferings do not make us victims. We become provocative, taking into ourselves the cost of discipleship.

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Engage the struggle for a better world;
embrace the suffering that comes with it.

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Enough said!! Have a blessed and holy Friday!

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Thanks be to GOD!!!