Taking up the Cross

We hear this admonishment often in our spiritual and religious lives. It seems that this is a common theme to preach; we must take up our cross. We like to think that if we "do things," then we will move forward into heaven. The misunderstanding that comes about here is that we move into a point system mentality in which we are barely conscious of counting the cost, in order o gain God's favor. It becomes sort of like, 'I shared a cookie with a coworker, smiled at the nasty woman at the front desk, and waved someone in front of me in traffic - 248 points.'

Martin Luther would suggest that we look not so much at what we do, but what God did for us. God has resolved our salvation problem through the Incarnation. Jesus Christ comes into our lives very much like us; except the Sin. In that marvelous Philippians hymn, Paul states that Jesus emptied himself of heavenly glory to take on our human nature.

'Doing' charitable works is important to be sure. Such actions might lead us to discover where we need to become emptied. The real hard work of the cross is to rid ourselves of pride, anger, jealousy, self-importance, and the like. These vices are more difficult than the garden variety of sinfulness that can often plague us. Jesus embraces his human nature and brings it to the cross. We want to make sure that our religious life is not a pretense or a front in hopes of finding favor with God and others.

There is that phrase from the sixties or seventies, "I am number three." God is first, others are second, and I am number three." It is harder than it looks. Back in Fulton we had an ecumenical stations of the cross on Good Friday. The Methodist pastor carried the cross one year. This was two 4x4s, about five and one half feet tall, and four feet across. At the end of the service he commented that it is harder than it looks. How true that is for all of us.

We begin each Mass by praying, "I Confess to Almighty God ..." This is a good daily prayer to recognize our masks or attitudes that distract us from our Holy enterprise. May what God has begun in us be brought to completion.