12th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME C

RECEIVE  YOUR CROSS

A man who got involved in all sorts of vices finally realized he was in need of change. He must start living right again.  But at that point so many troubles started to happen. The family had huge debts. His brother was in a critical condition in the hospital. He asked:  After I decided to reform my life, why all these trials?

Who is exempted from the experience of the cross?  All of us, young and old, guilty or innocent, have our crosses, big or small. I’m sure as you come to worship this Sunday, a major part of your reflection has something to do with the crosses in your life.

The Gospel today is stock knowledge in our consciousness. Jesus says: Whoever wants to follow me, take up his cross and follow me (Lk 9:23).  These words come from someone who truly knows what he is saying, someone who carried a heavier and more difficult load than all of us.

Two things may happen when we look at the crosses we carry in our spirits and in our bodies.  First, we may begin to hate the cross.  We learn to grumble and complain. We stop to pray and grow resentful.  We seek the easy way out and resent why we ever have to go through these experiences.

 A man, given his problems, grew more depressed each day until he locked himself in his room for over a year - no sunlight, no talking to his children, no shower!  He hated himself and the world. He was angry with God.  But he remained troubled, without peace.  His sadness affected his own family.

Second, when we look at our cross, we may begin to love the cross.  Sure it is hard to go through suffering.  But people of faith try to understand the situation they experience, however negative it is.  They search for its meaning and they search for God in the midst of the trial.

Eds was my good friend for many years. Two years ago, he learned he had liver cancer.  That’s terrible, given the fast mortality rate of this type of cancer.  But Eds tried to see what God was telling him.  He realized Jesus was asking him to trust him even more.  He prayed hard. He spent quality time with his loved ones. Skipping conventional medicines, he tried natural medication. And realizing that he needed to surrender everything to the Lord, he struggled and succeeded to be cheerful and confident. Last week, I was among those who prayed around Eds’ bedside while he prepared to enter heaven with joy in his heart.

Now, think about your own cross.  How do you react to it?  Do you fight with it?  Or do you, as Jesus encourages us, carry it and offer it to God as his disciple?  Like Eds, may we find true life by embracing and carrying the cross with the Lord who always shows us how to do it best!