Dear Friends,

Jesus said, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.”

The Cross would prove to be no mere metaphor for Our Lord when his mission took him to Calvary.

The Cross was agonizing and underscores the intensity of his love for us and our redemption.

As Christians we are called to take up our own cross with an eye toward “filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church” (Colossians 1:24). For here on earth the Mystical Body of Christ, the Church, continues to suffer in imitation of her Founder.

So, what is our cross?

For each of us it can be unique: a chronic illness, an alcoholic family member, a nasty boss. Or a bad habit we can’t seem to shake.

Whatever form it takes, the cross isn’t appealing. It can even grind us down, no matter how much we struggle.

Ideally, we learn during Lent to accept the notion of a cross by our voluntary sacrifices and intensified life of prayer.

This is where the grace of God can work a kind of alchemy, changing the leaden burdens of daily life into the gold of sanctification. For rarely has anyone grown in holiness who wasn’t first brought low and humbled.

As Holy Week approaches, it’s a good moment to take stock of our Lent.

Have we been faithful to our resolutions? Have we embraced and even come to appreciate small acts of abnegation?

It’s not too late to commit to living the rest of Lent with fervor. A helpful boost might be our Retreat Guide on “A Cure for Discouragement.”

And remember, the cross is a sign of Our Lord’s desire for our holiness.

In Christ,

Father Edward McIlmail, LC
Ask a Priest contributor