Friday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time
In today’s Gospel, we hear the call to take up our cross and follow Christ. He calls us not only to carry the weight of the cross patiently but also to carry it boldly in our day. Every day, we bear a cross that the Lord wants to use not only to teach us but also to glorify Him when we bear it with love and patience. This daily surrender of carrying our cross helps us to die to ourselves and learn to lean on Christ for strength when it becomes heavy to bear. And when we offer each day to God, we don’t need to try and fix it up and make it look better for the Lord, but rather, we should offer what our day actually is and all that it brings. There is no need to inflate or dress up how our day has gone, for that only masks the hurt, worry, stress, joy, peace, and love that we have experienced our day. These and many other situations are where God wants to encounter us and why He gave us the cross to bear in the first place. So when our days get difficult or stressful, we know who to turn to for the support and love that strengthens our resolve to live and strive for Him each day. As we share in the sufferings of Christ, we also share in His consolation. The path to Him is through the cross, not around it.
Reflection by Brett, seminarian
Posted in Articles for Ordinary Time, Daily Reflections