In life, we are all given a cross or crosses to bear with the courage and fortitude of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Carrying this cross is the only true path we must take in this life. Sometimes, the crosses we are chosen to bear are illnesses of mind, body, or spirit. Other times, they can be financial. Or sometimes, in what seems to be the worst cases, we can even feel loneliness in the heart. This kind of sadness can strike us when we lose loved ones or have faced rejection from others. Some of us have more crosses to bear than others, and some crosses are a lot heavier than others. But we need to remember that Christ makes the back for the burden, and He really does all the heavy lifting.
As in Sacred Scripture, Christ bears the whole weight of sin in the world on His shoulders while Simon of Cyrene helped pull the “smaller” weight of the wooden beams of the physical cross.
“As they were going out, they met a Cyrenian named Simon; this man they pressed into service to carry his cross.” Matthew 27:32
I think worth mentioning, too, is a reflection I once heard that Simon of Cyrene was chosen to accept a cross he did not understand at the time but which was spiritually beneficial and an example to us in the present. This proves that more often than not, God makes us go through trials we will never understand here in this life but will make sense in time and eternity. All we must simply do is trust in His Divine Providence and realize that greater things are to come.
As Sacred Scripture tells us: “What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and what has not entered the human heart, what God has prepared for those who love him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9
Furthermore, when pondering the weight of the crosses we are chosen to bear, I think we sometimes get focused on the reality and harshness of the cross. We forget that suffering can be a path of sanctity and a life of virtue that will one day make saints out of us. Like Saint Padre Pio said, “Blessed is the crisis that made you grow, the fall that made you look to heaven, and the problem that made you look for God.” Embracing our crosses and offering them up for ourselves and others can reap spiritual fruit and heavenly treasures. Not to mention, every cross strengthens us and makes the rewards and blessings, when they come, even greater.
Saint John Vianney summed up these quotes nicely through his words about the Cross. When he said, “You must accept your cross; if you bear it courageously it will carry you to heaven,” St John Vianney meant that no matter what pains you go through in this life, they will lead you to God’s heavenly kingdom if you accept them with a grateful heart and offer them up to Jesus. “The sign of the cross is the most terrible weapon against the Devil. Thus the Church wishes not only that we should have it continually in front of our minds to recall to us just what are souls are worth and cost Jesus Christ, but also that we should make it at every juncture ourselves: when we go to bed, when we awaken during the night, when we get up, when we begin any action, and above all, when we are tempted.” When making the Sign of the Cross, we should realize its true importance and the necessity of accepting everything that comes our way. We must keep God in our minds throughout the day and every day at that.
If you were to take a final message from my written article, please do not despair when God gives you a cross or crosses to bear in this life. Think of a cross as a heavenly privilege. After all, God specifically chose you to bear your cross for the spiritual benefit of your soul and of the souls of others. God loves you and wants you to become His strong soldier, His resilient saint, side by side in His Heavenly kingdom.
Now, since we are in the Easter season, we must rejoice! Even if we still experience pain and hardship in some capacity as we go about our daily lives, hope, peace, love, and joy are found in God and in God alone. God is with us always, especially in the renewal of Calvary with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. God trusts you with this cross He gave you and wants to bring you closer into His Passion for you to one day experience the glories of His Resurrection.
