Take up his cross daily and follow me

THURSDAY 27 FEBRUARY (Lk 9,22-25)

The cross that the Christian is called to carry, if he wants to be a disciple of Jesus, is obedience to every Word of God brought to completion by him. Saint Paul wants every disciple to always have before his eyes his Master’s obedience until death on the cross. We look at Christ Jesus, we imitate Christ Jesus and we carry the cross: “Who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. So then, my beloved, obedient as you have always been, not only when I am present but all the more now when I am absent, work out your salvation with fear and trembling. For God is the one who, for his good purpose, works in you both to desire and to work. Do everything without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine like lights in the world, as you hold on to the word of life, so that my boast for the day of Christ may be that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. But, even if I am poured out as a libation upon the sacrificial service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with all of you” (Phil 2,6-17). The Christian is called to free himself from every cross that is born of his personal obedience to sin, in the transgression of the Law of the Lord and to take upon himself the cross which is the fruit of his obedience to the Gospel. These two crosses must never be confused. The former is a cross that leads to eternal death to live an endless cross in hell. Instead the latter is the cross of life, which lasts only until the moment of death. Then it will be transformed into glory and eternal light.

Even the Apostle Peter invites Christians to endure all suffering that comes from their obedience to the Gospel. They must atone for the pain due to their sins. Instead Jesus did not commit any sin. He lived his cross for us: “For whenever anyone bears the pain of unjust suffering because of consciousness of God, that is a grace. But what credit is there if you are patient when beaten for doing wrong? But if you are patient when you suffer for doing what is good, this is a grace before God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in his footsteps. “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” When he was insulted, he returned no insult; when he suffered, he did not threaten; instead, he handed himself over to the one who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body upon the cross, so that, free from sin, we might live for righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you had gone astray like sheep, but you have now returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls” (1Pt 2,19-25). He enters the glory of Heaven who leaves the cross of obedience to sin and takes upon himself the cross of obedience to the Gospel. The cross must be carried every day.

He said, “The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.” Then he said to all, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. What profit is there for one to gain the whole world yet lose or forfeit himself?

The temptation leads so that we leave the cross of obedience to the Gospel, convincing believers that in this way the cross might be eliminated. Instead the cross that is born of sin is infinitely heavier than the yoke of Christ the Lord that is light and meek. We overcome temptation only if we follow a serious and demanding journey of asceticism. Without journey from faith to faith, we fall into temptation and go into death.

Mother of God, Angels and Saints, help us to always walk moved by the Holy Spirit.