Be a friend of the Cross

By Rebecca Duncan

Christ Carrying the Cross by Giorgione (photo credit: Wikipaintings)

"Three crosses stand on Calvary's height
One must be chosen, so choose aright;
Like a saint you must suffer, or a penitent thief,
Or like a reprobate, in endless grief."


A quote from St. Louis de Montford's 'Letter to the Friends of the Cross."  It is very short but I'm not done with it yet.  Despite its brevity, like all the works of this Saint, it is intense.

"To suffer much, yet badly, is to suffer like reprobates.  To suffer much, even bravely, but for a wicked cause, is to suffer as a martyr of the devil.  To suffer much or little for the sake of God is to suffer like saints."

It is hard for me to think of any specific graces I have been given apart from my conversion.  But, the ones I do remember were graces to embrace my cross.  In a way, my conversion itself was a grace to embrace the cross.  The reason I know these were huge graces is because I am a comfort-lover.  My spiritual friend said she thought she was bad about being attached to comforts but then she got to know me.  Believe me (or her), I'm the worst. 

If I think about it now my conversion was a grace given to me to embrace my cross.  I searched high and low for an answer to the meaning of life, but it was only when I admitted to myself that I could never find the answer on my own and sunk down into those depths of humility that an answer was given to me.  


Continue reading at Rebecca's blog, Otaku Catholic.