Luke 14:25-33
Anyone who does not carry his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.
I used to think that the cross stood for the most painful thing that was ever done to you. And at other times the cross was what I chose to give up for lent. Certainly the cross can be all that and more.
These days the cross stands for two things. First the cross has begun to mean something that is so embarrassing about my truth or my life that I work extra hard to bury it but from the shadows it controls everything. A dark secret so to say that is hidden so well but its smell creeps out and affects me. Remember while it is true that the cross was painful, it is even more true that it was simply embarrassing. The early church had to live with this stigma. St Paul says he is not ashamed to preach Christ crucified. Well, why say it then St Paul? We find crosses everywhere today but this Roman instrument of torture was not always a holy thing. It sent shivers and embarrassment to the early church. Unless you learn to deal with shame and embarrassment of your own life and see it as part of your sacred biography, you cannot be a mature disciple.
Secondly the cross represents things that are difficult that have wiggled their way into my life. Think of someone who has to deal with cancer or divorce. It has tainted their life and now they live with it. Learning how to be happy and content again is a constant struggle.
Today pray for those who struggle with the cross.
Fr Chibundi
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