Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Our daily invitation

“I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself” (Jn 12:32).



In these remaining days of Lent it is appropriate for us to sharpen our focus and meditate on the Cross – the instrument of our salvation. It is not easy to do that and for some, it is distasteful and even “morbid."



But the Cross is the greatest sign of Love. When we are questioning ourselves, our life, the best place to look is at the Cross in order to know how much we are loved. It the first sign that the Church traces on the forehead of the newborn infant and it is the last sign with which she comforts and blesses the dying person. “We are not dealing with a symbolic gesture but with a great reality: Christian life is born of the cross; we are brought to life by the Lord crucified and can be saved only by attaching ourselves to this cross and by placing our trust in the merits of his passion.” (Divine Intimacy, Volume II, page 94, Ignatius Press).



Jesus tells us that each day we must take up OUR cross in order to follow him. We groan when we hear those words because we imagine God will ask us to carry the BIG crosses, like cancer or death. But, our daily crosses are not usually that big. For example, for the diabetic, it is the daily injections of insulin. For the parent, it is the concern for a child who is living outside the Faith. For an elderly person it’s those stiff joints and weakness that come with old age. Or it is the difficult relationship at work or at home. Jesus wants us to carry those crosses and join them to His, to offer them for some special intention, because by doing so we too express our love – for Him and for others.

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