Wednesday of the Thirty-First Week in Ordinary Time(Click here for readings)
Great crowds were traveling with Jesus, and he turned and addressed them, "...Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple."
The Lord demands two things from us: carry our cross and come after him.
Carry your cross. Your cross can be just about anything - someone or something. For most of us, it is not something but someone. St. Paul writes, "Carry each others burdens and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ" (Gal 6:2). What is Christ's law? "Brothers and sisters: owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law...Hence, love is the fulfillment of the law" (Rm 13:8-10).
If you noticed, the person you are carrying could easily be carrying you!
My cousin and I used to be the best of friends. We hung out together all the time. If I went to a party, he did too. If he played soccer, I did too. We hardly did anything apart. Outside of my family, he was, most likely, the first kid I ever met. We were tight. He knew me better than anyone else. But it was a love/hate relationship. I loved him just as much as I hated him! We fought often, and for the stupidest of reasons. Months would pass without speaking to one another. Eventually, one of us would call and we would get back together, only to fight once again, of course. But during our college years we grew apart. Finally, I went off to the seminary and he got married. Months turned to years.
A while back, during a family visit, I called him up and we finally got back together. One day, while we were heading towards a movie theatre, I spotted an old friend. It looked exactly like a mutual friend of ours. I told my cousin it was our good friend James. He told me, "No. That's not him." I told him, "I'm sure it is." He said, "No, your mistaken." So, you know what I did? I drove the car alongside this person. I was right. It was our good friend James. I rolled down the window and we talked for a while. I looked at my cousin and he said absolutely nothing. Unfortunately, we missed the beginning part of the movie.
While I was driving away it finally dawned on me. The reason why we fought so often was because my cousin hated to be corrected. That was it! I finally understood him. But then I realized something else: I always had to prove to him (and to others) that I was always right! I finally understood myself.
My sin was causing him to sin!
From that moment on, we became the best of friends.
"Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."
First thing I thought as I meditated on this scripture is how my burdens affect personal relationships. I tend to show more empathy and understanding toward others dealing with similar issues. I feel an immediate "connection" with them. I feel as if God brought these people into my life as either a learning tool or as a teaching tool.
ReplyDeleteHere's another original poem from my wacky brain. Not much of a poet but for some reason the Holy Spirit is inspiring me. :)
I Carry My Cross (An Original Poem)
I carry my cross for you, Oh Lord;
As the disciple you call me to be;
I don't know if I can take this burden;
Life seems rough, wish I was free.
Free to do whatever I choose;
Without guilt, conscience or shame.
Greed, lust, jealousy, and gluttony;
With a desire for fortune and fame;
Our culture promises fun without Christ;
Why take up a cross? Why does it matter?
Earthly pleasures can fix everything;
No need to believe in religious chatter.
Fight the temptations that lure us away;
The Devil likes to play a mind game;
Making us think our cross too heavy;
Our lives wretched, our families to blame.
Don't believe the lies of deceit;
But believe in the words of encouragement;
Our Lord's infinite love and mercy;
Can lighten our cross with spiritual nourishment.
I carry my cross for you, Oh Lord!
Blessings,
-Jennifer
Thank you Jennifer for sharing your poems. It takes a lot of time, effort and courage.
DeleteThank you Father. I relate the picture with the parable of the lost son. The father joyfully welcomed, hugged and moreover carried him on his shoulders.(carrying someone). The son was consoled in this; similarly when we leave ourselves in the hands of God to be carried by Him we feel consoled/all is well.Your homily directly hits on this; we having concern on everyone i.e. the poor, disabled and all our neighbors.
ReplyDeleteFather it is as though you mean loving until it hurts or doing what Jesus teaches regardless the perception by others that we are crazy.
Oh! may be craziness in love of others for God's sake is what God wants from us.Anyway perseverance is the point.
I know all of us carry our crosses. What do you say to someone whose just more than a little tired of carrying their same cross day after day? I have a blessed life, but my life doesn't leave a lot of room to pursue anything new or fresh. So I carry my cross and struggle just to fulfill the same daily duties over and over again. I know God is with me every day and my cross is truly not a heavy one in comparison to others. Is monotony and solitude really what God wants me to carry? I shouldn't complain but I guess I still do....
ReplyDeleteI am The Way, The Truth and The Life.
ReplyDeleteI still think our most valuable virtue to live out is honesty. If you weren’t honest with yourself in realizing that you were part of the ‘reason’ that your cousin ‘always had to be right’, then you would not know how to help him. It was your honesty….with yourself! That experience gave you the humility that you needed to live a more Christian life. You did not have to seek humility. God gave you that epiphany (grace) because you were seeking The Truth. The experience humbled you! As the saying goes, The Truth hurts. But in the end, I realize it’s the only Way to a happy and fulfilled Life. The Truth will set you free! If we could only accept our own faults, which we all have, we would be able to be a more authentic Christian. This is what attracts people to our Catholic faith!
This is how I think judgment day will be. God does not condemn us. He will only reveal what is True in our hearts. What are my intentions in that very moment when I breathe my last breath? Was I even trying to get out of sin? Did I have any animosity toward anyone? Did I do my best in living out my vocation even if I’m struggling? All the answers will be in my heart and with that I cannot argue.
Father, because of your honesty with us, we can see how to live a more holy life! Thank you for your honesty.