What cross are your carrying today?
Lent calls on us to not only accept our crosses in a special way, but to see them differently - really, to see them as they are. Monday begins a new work week but, we may not be looking forward to it. Maybe our job is our cross. Or maybe we're happy to be in the office because our spouse or some other aspect of home life is a cross.
Our Faith doesn't ask us to just accept the bad no matter what. If we can get a new job, or if we can work at our marriage to make it better, then we should. But it's not always possible - at least not at this very moment. The crosses we bear are there for a reason. And if a job or a marriage is at this moment a cross, then that's the cross we're called on to bear.
It's not an easy thing to accept, these sorts of crosses. We convince ourselves we'd accept any other cross but THIS one. But we're kidding ourselves. We're just being foolish as we imagine being happy with some other job, or spouse, or friends, or co-workers. The grass isn't greener on the other side.
Look, if Lent has been passing you by this year, you've still got a little less than half of Lent left. At least take a look at those crosses you've been given and bear them like a man. Instead of complaining, or wishing things were different, face them and embrace them. Think of how Our Lord literally embraced His Cross - and did it out of love for you. Then embrace your cross out of love for Him.
This isn't easy, but it's not rocket science either. Carry your cross. Think of Jesus carrying His. It's all part of being a good Catholic, part of living your faith authentically.
Our Faith doesn't ask us to just accept the bad no matter what. If we can get a new job, or if we can work at our marriage to make it better, then we should. But it's not always possible - at least not at this very moment. The crosses we bear are there for a reason. And if a job or a marriage is at this moment a cross, then that's the cross we're called on to bear.
It's not an easy thing to accept, these sorts of crosses. We convince ourselves we'd accept any other cross but THIS one. But we're kidding ourselves. We're just being foolish as we imagine being happy with some other job, or spouse, or friends, or co-workers. The grass isn't greener on the other side.
Look, if Lent has been passing you by this year, you've still got a little less than half of Lent left. At least take a look at those crosses you've been given and bear them like a man. Instead of complaining, or wishing things were different, face them and embrace them. Think of how Our Lord literally embraced His Cross - and did it out of love for you. Then embrace your cross out of love for Him.
This isn't easy, but it's not rocket science either. Carry your cross. Think of Jesus carrying His. It's all part of being a good Catholic, part of living your faith authentically.
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