Jesus Off the Cross (Photo credit: Thomas Hawk)

Devotion of the Day

²⁴  Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you want to come with me, you must forget yourself, carry your cross, and follow me.    Matthew 16:24 (TEV) 

 ²  Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from beginning to end. He did not give up because of the cross! On the contrary, because of the joy that was waiting for him, he thought nothing of the disgrace of dying on the cross, and he is now seated at the right side of God’s throne.   Hebrews 12:2 (TEV)

The Cross marked his life. He took as his daily motto, “Nulla dies sine cruce: no day without the cross.” A touchstone whose truth had been proved by experience. But he brightened it up by adding two words in front: in laetitia, in joy, which denoted a disposition, a grace, for his way of living. His personal aspiration was thus “In joy, no day without the cross.” If ever a day passed without some note of adversity, Monsignor Escrivá would go to the tabernacle and ask, “What’s up between us, Lord? Don’t you love me anymore?” Not that he liked pain. But he was convinced that the cross was the royal seal of the works of God. “To me, a day without the cross is like a day without God,” he used to say;8 he did not want there to be a single day without it as a stamp of authenticity. (1)

The last two days were some of the hardest days I have encountered in my ministry.  7 top level tragedies and traumas, a 400 mile drive, a long day at work.  A facebook thread that made me wonder why some go into ministry….for the wrath and venom poured out was unlike any I have seen.

It was a day where I was drained by noon, as much emotionally as physically, but physically suffering from “drive-lag”.

Yet, as I look upon it this morning, I understand that there is no way those days can happen, unless God is with me.   To deal with broken hearts, very borken lives, some dealing with it, some running from it, some doing both at the same time.  (that is called running in circles )

At the end of the day, no, really before that, I was wiped out, finished, broken myself.   Too tired to think straight, to tired to enjoy life.

But when I went to sleep – I slept – knowing that God was present, not just in my life, but in the lives of everyone I know enduring trauma.  Somehow, despite my anxieties, and fears and all the crap that is going on in this world… God stripped me of it, took the burdens into His hands.  Otherwise? I would have been up half the night.

I suppose on of the reasons I love St Josemaria Escriva’s works, is because of such honesty.  Because he is an example of trusting in God, in knowing God’s presence, that taking up such a cross is doen without thinking, its done without complaint, its done – knowing that we are simply here to bear the burdens that others can know Christ’s peace, and love, and mercy.  But we can’t bear those burdens long – they will chew us up and spit us out, exhausted, overwhelmed, maybe even bitter and disgusted with life.

But we follow Him, to the cross, to His death, to that point where every sin was paid for, every point of brokenness removed… and then we find ourselves alive!

For we bear our cross to His cross.  For His cross takes it all…. and brings healing and joy – and rest – but we have to see ourselves there.. at the foot of the cross, seeing His brokeness, seeing His blood spilled on the ground, seeing His eyes… looking down upon his, with a joy that knows by that very pain He is enduring… that He is freeing us from our burdens, our pains, our crosses.  We can’t deal with our burdens, our brokeness, we can’t have faith and trust in Him, unless we recognize those things we bear… and realize they are to be nailed to Him, to His cross.

“In joy, no day without the cross“…. because our crosses require us to be with Him, to let Him ultimately bear them.  For joy is there, awaiting us, for He is there awaiting us.

Lord, have mercy!

Yesterday was a rough day,  One of those days you realize is a cross to bear. 

(1)   Urbano, Pilar (2011-05-10). The Man of Villa Tevere (Kindle Locations 1552-1559). Scepter Publishers. Kindle Edition.

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