Embracing the Cross of Our Lives
Reflection 
When we look at the cross, what do we see? What is the meaning of the cross in our lives as Christians? What is its significance in our everyday life? How does it impact our lives?
Let me float this idea: The cross of our Lord Jesus is the expression of God’s love for all humanity.
Sometimes, we miss this because all we see with our worldy eyes is Jesus' sacrifice and suffering on the cross. And what’s our usual reaction when we see Jesus on the cross?
“Oh, the pain, poor Jesus, how awful!”
We might even wonder, “God, why did you let your Son suffer like this?” We cry out in such a dramatic fashion, teary-eyed, sometimes.
When my nephew was about 6 or 7 years old, my father showed him a crucifix and he broke down crying, overwhelmed by the suffering of Jesus. He deeply felt the pain of being nailed to the cross.
We also love to scare ourselves when we do something sinful, thinking, “Lord, I’ve added nails to Your heart with my sins. I’ve hurt You so much by choosing to be a sinner. I’m so bad. Sorry, Lord. I don’t deserve Your sacrifice.”
But then we realize, without that sacrifice, we would not be saved and may just suffer eternal damnation when we die. So, we think, “Alright, Lord, thank you for taking up Your cross for my salvation.”
Is it better for Jesus to suffer rather than for us to endure pain? Is that the deal?
The cross is painful—being nailed to it is excruciating. But is that all there is to the cross – suffering, pain, and sacrifice?
As Christians, as followers of Christ, we have embraced the mark of Jesus.
This means that all of us believers have been marked and it is in our hearts, placed there by God. We have been marked with the cross of Jesus. God etched it into us when we were baptized. This mark indicates that we belong to God as his sons and daughters, His adoptive children. Sometimes, though, the weight and pain of this mark make us want to remove it.
There’s a noteworthy Carmelite saint, Edith Stein or St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross. She was a Jewish philosopher who found what she was seeking on the cross of Jesus. She saw it as a mystery.
St. Teresa Benedicta was an accomplished scholar, a significant achievement during her time, especially for a woman. She was a Jewish seeker of truth, and she once said, “Anyone who seeks truth is seeking God.”
And then she came across a book by St. Teresa of Ávila and she declared, “I have found it.”
She converted to Catholicism after that and then strove to enter a Carmelite monastery. Unfortunately, because she was Jewish, she was arrested and sent to Auschwitz with her sister Rosa, who was also a nun. They were killed by the Nazis because of the truth they carried.
Pope John Paul II remarked that St. Teresa Benedicta’s life teaches us that love for Christ comes with suffering. He noted, “Anyone who truly loves does not stop loving just because of suffering; they accept the suffering as part of their union with the beloved.”
The cross is a profound mystery that’s hard to grasp with worldly eyes. But when our eyes are cleared by our love for God, we can understand, even if only a little, and accept it. Even St. Teresa Benedicta, despite her great intellect, grasped just a bit and said, “This is the truth.”
“The true message of suffering is a lesson of love. Love makes suffering fruitful and suffering deepens love,” said St. John Paul II.
Let’s clarify what the cross means in the context of our faith as followers of Christ.
Jesus said in Luke 9:23-27 (NABRE):
These is the criteria to become Christ’s disciple. First, deny yourself, then take up your cross daily, and follow Christ.
What kind of cross are we talking about here?
Is it the everyday problems and burdens we carry? Perhaps, but it’s not everything we bear in life. Obviously, it doesn’t include our debt from gambling or vices. It also doesn’t include being caught for theft or being the neighborhood gossip.
The cross Jesus refers to is the burden and suffering we experience because of our desire to follow in His footsteps.
It’s about being different from the world and facing hardship because you choose to live by the teachings of Jesus.
For example, if you refuse to falsify receipts to cover up millions stolen by your boss, and as a result, your boss demotes you and makes your work life miserable, that’s your cross. It’s the hardship you face because you refuse to partake in his wrongdoing. Carry this cross daily, trusting in God’s love for you. Because God loves you, He will be with you in bearing this cross.
Jesus says in Matthew 11:28-30 (NABRE):
His yoke is easy, and His burden is light.
This passage addresses the heavy burdens imposed by the Pharisees and scribes through countless rules and interpretations of scripture, forcing the Jews to follow. They threatened, “You’ll go to hell if you don’t comply!” Many of our elders had similar experiences and viewed God as a punishing, hateful, vengeful god. We need to change this perspective because our God is a God of love. You are deeply loved by God, and when you experience this love, like St. Teresa Benedicta, your burdens become lighter, and you become willing to give your life for the greater good, for others who are in need.
There’s another Carmelite saint who carried his cross for truth and love of God: St. Titus Brandsma. A priest and journalist, he’s the patron saint of press freedom.
Due to his refusal to cooperate with the Nazis and his continued criticism of their inhumane system, he was arrested and sent to Dachau concentration camp. His cross was his stand for truth against an unjust system. He criticized it through his lectures, writings, and speeches, even trying to convince the Dutch newspapers to reject Nazi propaganda.
Despite his suffering, he continued to demonstrate God’s love to the prison guards and his fellow prisoners, becoming an inspiration and light for the hopeless, and ultimately, a martyr for freedom and truth.
Because of his refusal to align with the Nazis and his criticism of their inhumane policies, he was imprisoned and eventually martyred. But his dedication to truth and love for Christ was profound. That’s the kind of cross we are talking about. If you are committed to Christ and face hardship for it, you are bearing your cross.
The cross is a profound mystery. It’s not only about physical pain but about being true to our commitment to Jesus, even when it’s tough. So remember, carry your cross with faith and love, and you will find true joy and fulfillment.
When we experience suffering due to our decision to be faithful to Jesus, our cross is our commitment to Him. It’s an opportunity to experience His love in a new way and to offer love to others.
Let us pray:
"Lord, let us embrace our cross as a symbol of our faith in Your love. May we carry it with grace, offering our burdens to You and finding strength in Your eternal presence. Through our suffering, may we become instruments of Your love to others. Amen."
May God bless us all as we embrace the cross in our lives, finding strength in His love and grace.
*Note: This article is based on the author’s talk shared in Radyo Veritas DZRV846 during its Kapanalig Day on August 3, 2024. Photo by Stefie Zawa on Unsplash.
When we look at the cross, what do we see? What is the meaning of the cross in our lives as Christians? What is its significance in our everyday life? How does it impact our lives?
Let me float this idea: The cross of our Lord Jesus is the expression of God’s love for all humanity.
Sometimes, we miss this because all we see with our worldy eyes is Jesus' sacrifice and suffering on the cross. And what’s our usual reaction when we see Jesus on the cross?
“Oh, the pain, poor Jesus, how awful!”
We might even wonder, “God, why did you let your Son suffer like this?” We cry out in such a dramatic fashion, teary-eyed, sometimes.
When my nephew was about 6 or 7 years old, my father showed him a crucifix and he broke down crying, overwhelmed by the suffering of Jesus. He deeply felt the pain of being nailed to the cross.
We also love to scare ourselves when we do something sinful, thinking, “Lord, I’ve added nails to Your heart with my sins. I’ve hurt You so much by choosing to be a sinner. I’m so bad. Sorry, Lord. I don’t deserve Your sacrifice.”
But then we realize, without that sacrifice, we would not be saved and may just suffer eternal damnation when we die. So, we think, “Alright, Lord, thank you for taking up Your cross for my salvation.”
Is it better for Jesus to suffer rather than for us to endure pain? Is that the deal?
The cross is painful—being nailed to it is excruciating. But is that all there is to the cross – suffering, pain, and sacrifice?
As Christians, as followers of Christ, we have embraced the mark of Jesus.
This means that all of us believers have been marked and it is in our hearts, placed there by God. We have been marked with the cross of Jesus. God etched it into us when we were baptized. This mark indicates that we belong to God as his sons and daughters, His adoptive children. Sometimes, though, the weight and pain of this mark make us want to remove it.
There’s a noteworthy Carmelite saint, Edith Stein or St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross. She was a Jewish philosopher who found what she was seeking on the cross of Jesus. She saw it as a mystery.
St. Teresa Benedicta was an accomplished scholar, a significant achievement during her time, especially for a woman. She was a Jewish seeker of truth, and she once said, “Anyone who seeks truth is seeking God.”
And then she came across a book by St. Teresa of Ávila and she declared, “I have found it.”
She converted to Catholicism after that and then strove to enter a Carmelite monastery. Unfortunately, because she was Jewish, she was arrested and sent to Auschwitz with her sister Rosa, who was also a nun. They were killed by the Nazis because of the truth they carried.
Pope John Paul II remarked that St. Teresa Benedicta’s life teaches us that love for Christ comes with suffering. He noted, “Anyone who truly loves does not stop loving just because of suffering; they accept the suffering as part of their union with the beloved.”
The cross is a profound mystery that’s hard to grasp with worldly eyes. But when our eyes are cleared by our love for God, we can understand, even if only a little, and accept it. Even St. Teresa Benedicta, despite her great intellect, grasped just a bit and said, “This is the truth.”
“The true message of suffering is a lesson of love. Love makes suffering fruitful and suffering deepens love,” said St. John Paul II.
Let’s clarify what the cross means in the context of our faith as followers of Christ.
Jesus said in Luke 9:23-27 (NABRE):
“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? Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. Truly I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.”
These is the criteria to become Christ’s disciple. First, deny yourself, then take up your cross daily, and follow Christ.
What kind of cross are we talking about here?
Is it the everyday problems and burdens we carry? Perhaps, but it’s not everything we bear in life. Obviously, it doesn’t include our debt from gambling or vices. It also doesn’t include being caught for theft or being the neighborhood gossip.
The cross Jesus refers to is the burden and suffering we experience because of our desire to follow in His footsteps.
It’s about being different from the world and facing hardship because you choose to live by the teachings of Jesus.
For example, if you refuse to falsify receipts to cover up millions stolen by your boss, and as a result, your boss demotes you and makes your work life miserable, that’s your cross. It’s the hardship you face because you refuse to partake in his wrongdoing. Carry this cross daily, trusting in God’s love for you. Because God loves you, He will be with you in bearing this cross.
Jesus says in Matthew 11:28-30 (NABRE):
Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.
His yoke is easy, and His burden is light.
This passage addresses the heavy burdens imposed by the Pharisees and scribes through countless rules and interpretations of scripture, forcing the Jews to follow. They threatened, “You’ll go to hell if you don’t comply!” Many of our elders had similar experiences and viewed God as a punishing, hateful, vengeful god. We need to change this perspective because our God is a God of love. You are deeply loved by God, and when you experience this love, like St. Teresa Benedicta, your burdens become lighter, and you become willing to give your life for the greater good, for others who are in need.
There’s another Carmelite saint who carried his cross for truth and love of God: St. Titus Brandsma. A priest and journalist, he’s the patron saint of press freedom.
Due to his refusal to cooperate with the Nazis and his continued criticism of their inhumane system, he was arrested and sent to Dachau concentration camp. His cross was his stand for truth against an unjust system. He criticized it through his lectures, writings, and speeches, even trying to convince the Dutch newspapers to reject Nazi propaganda.
Despite his suffering, he continued to demonstrate God’s love to the prison guards and his fellow prisoners, becoming an inspiration and light for the hopeless, and ultimately, a martyr for freedom and truth.
Because of his refusal to align with the Nazis and his criticism of their inhumane policies, he was imprisoned and eventually martyred. But his dedication to truth and love for Christ was profound. That’s the kind of cross we are talking about. If you are committed to Christ and face hardship for it, you are bearing your cross.
The cross is a profound mystery. It’s not only about physical pain but about being true to our commitment to Jesus, even when it’s tough. So remember, carry your cross with faith and love, and you will find true joy and fulfillment.
When we experience suffering due to our decision to be faithful to Jesus, our cross is our commitment to Him. It’s an opportunity to experience His love in a new way and to offer love to others.
Let us pray:
"Lord, let us embrace our cross as a symbol of our faith in Your love. May we carry it with grace, offering our burdens to You and finding strength in Your eternal presence. Through our suffering, may we become instruments of Your love to others. Amen."
May God bless us all as we embrace the cross in our lives, finding strength in His love and grace.
*Note: This article is based on the author’s talk shared in Radyo Veritas DZRV846 during its Kapanalig Day on August 3, 2024. Photo by Stefie Zawa on Unsplash.
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