Posted by Jo Thanks for your post….I actually read it yesterday and have spent some time reflecting on your thoughts. I see that Kev has already responded to you, however, given I had already formulated my reply, I figured I may as well still post it! (So sorry if I say anything Kev has already said!) It seems to me that your whole post is summed up in your final questions: “Does being a Christian – taking up one’s cross – mean that we should be more willing than other people to embrace suffering of any kind? Or should we only embrace the sort of suffering that comes from devoting our lives to God’s kingdom, to opposing whatever dehumanizes people and causes suffering?” I agree with you, that the latter is true! My understanding of “taking up one’s cross” is that Jesus means we are to follow his way. On his path many accepted him. He was hailed as a teacher, preacher, and prophet and as the Messiah. He was also ridiculed, beaten, mocked, betrayed and killed! Taking up one's cross and following Jesus means acceptance and rejection, joy and sorrow, healing and suffering. It means exactly what you said…”opposing whatever dehumanizes people and causes suffering”. A huge task, really…sometimes it is far from easy to publicly display our faith and speak out. Many Catholics seem to presume that “taking up our cross” means accepting stoically whatever bad things may happen to us in life. I have heard people say that their arthritis or their spouse etc etc is “their cross”. This idea, (I don’t think), isn’t anywhere near what Jesus meant! After all, there are many bad things that happen to us that God doesn't want us to accept! Of course, the most wonderful thing is that in accepting our cross…it doesn’t end there. I see it as an invitation to truly be Easter people and rise from the dead too! I pray that I may have the courage to continue with “my cross” and bring life to those around me. And I pray the same for you. Have a happy Easter Cathy! Jo
on April 12, 2006, 5:26 pm, in reply to "Whose Cross are we Carrying?"
Dear Cathy,
Taking up our cross does not mean looking for some external trial to keep us from being too "comfortable." It’s an internal “ideal” that guides us towards making decisions that bring life for those around us (and ourselves!).
The “way of the Cross” is literally “Life giving” in all senses of the expression.
Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things." He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."
Mark 8:31-38
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