June 19, 2020

Whoever does not seek the cross of Christ doesn’t seek the glory of Christ. – St. John of the Cross
 
Does seeking the cross of Christ mean we go looking for it? Are we really called to seek hardships and trials and strife? With all due respect to St. John of the Cross, I don’t think that is what he means in this quote.
 
We experience the cross of Christ because we live in a fallen world. There is illness, mental illness, drug addiction, violence, hate, division, fear, death, and on and on because this isn’t heaven.
 
I think God wants us to embrace the crosses in our lives, find meaning in the suffering, and ask Him for the grace to endure the weight of whatever cross we find ourselves carrying. The truth is, there can be no resurrection without death, no glory without the cross.
 
Jesus, I trust in you.

© Mary Pribbenow