A blessed Feast day of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross to you. The cross is a part of life for all of us. Jesus talking about His cross said, “it is for this reason that I came into the world.” Jesus chose His cross and He carried it for every living soul. Not all are saved, but all have been redeemed by the cross of Christ. The Scripture reading today at Mass began with: Numbers 21:4-9
If anyone was bitten by a serpent, he could look up at the bronze serpent and he would live
On the way through the wilderness the people lost patience. They spoke against God and against Moses, ‘Why did you bring us out of Egypt to die in this wilderness? For there is neither bread nor water here; we are sick of this unsatisfying food.’
At this God sent fiery serpents among the people; their bite brought death to many in Israel. The people came and said to Moses, ‘We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you. Intercede for us with the Lord to save us from these serpents.’ Moses interceded for the people, and the Lord answered him, ‘Make a fiery serpent and put it on a standard. If anyone is bitten and looks at it, he shall live.’ So Moses fashioned a bronze serpent which he put on a standard, and if anyone was bitten by a serpent, he looked at the bronze serpent and lived.
This was a foreshadow of the Cross. We are all bitten by the serpent of sin, but those who look up to the Cross of Christ will be saved.
Jesus also tells us in Luke 9:23, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” What is it to take up our cross daily? It is a fact that everyone in this world has a cross, some carry a large one, others seem to carry smaller ones, but we all have that weight on our shoulders. Your cross is whatever burdens you in life. It can be your illness, your poverty, your family burdens etc. How do we carry our cross?
There is a secret to carrying your cross. Jesus said: “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Mat 11:29) “Learn from Me” Jesus tells us. What do we know about Jesus? He carried His cross out of love for the Father and the good of souls. This is what we must do; if we carry our cross with resentment it will be very heavy, but if we carry it for the love of God and for the good of souls (including our own), we shall grow in love, and like Jesus, we shall not only carry our cross, but we shall learn to love it. We will not love the suffering it brings, but we shall love the fruits that it produces. How is this achieved? Only through GRACE.
So whatever your cross is, offer it to the Lord and pray for the grace to carry it daily.
