We may have any number of crosses throughout our lives. Some may be small, some may be big. Some may be heavy, some may be light. Some may be temporary, some may be long lasting. As Christians, we are called to bear those burdens, not begrudgingly but joyfully. Sometimes that seems downright impossible. How can I have joy in my life when every moment is filled with pain (whether that be physical or emotional)?
The answer is, it is not possible without a profound relationship with our Lord, which includes constant surrender to His will. In His great love for us, He often allows things to happen that we don’t understand but are for our good or for the good of others. After all, the goal for each of us is eternal salvation, not earthly comfort.
But whether we suffer rejection, loneliness, illness, pain, hunger, cold, or even torture and death, we know that He has experienced it all and knows exactly how it feels. We can ask Him to walk with us each step of the way and be our strength when our own fails.
We may get to the point where we are able to rejoice in our sufferings like St. Paul, or endure them without complaint, or remember to offer them up. But above all, may our crosses be a constant reminder to us of today’s powerful Gospel passage: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life” (John 3:16).
Tami Urcia, Diocesan Publications