"I Believe in Love" Day 22---The Cross

[Dawn Marie]

Excerpts from the book “I believe in love”.

By Father Jean C.J. d’Elbee

 

DAY 22

THE CROSS

 

YOU MUST REALIZE THAT THROUGHOUT YOUR LIFE, AT EACH STEP, YOU WILL FIND THE CROSS OF YOUR SAVIOR, YOUR KING, CRUCIFIED AND CROWNED WITH THORNS, JESUS. 

HUMILIATION IS A BITTER CROSS.  ABANDONMENT IS A REAL CRUCIFIXION WHEN IT IS RIGHTLY UNDERSTOOD.   MASS AND COMMUNION ARE INSEPARABLE FROM CALVARY.  THERE IS NO REPARATION WITHOUT PENANCE AND SACRIFICE.  IN THE APOSTOLATE THE MONEY TO BUY SOULS IS SUFFERING, ACCEPTED WITH LOVE.  SUPPRESS THE CROSS IN YOUR LIFE AND EVERYTHING CRUMBLES.  THE CROSS IS THE STRUCTURE.  AS IT BORE THE SAVIOR, IT BEARS SALVATION, AND SO IT MUST BEAR US ALSO, AND ALL OUR WORKS.

I KNOW WITHOUT ASKING YOU HAVE SUFFERED, AND YOU WILL SUFFER AGAIN.  I AM SURE I WILL BE GIVING YOU GREAT COMFORT IN SPEAKING TO YOU ABOUT THE PRICE OF THE CROSS.

HOW CAN WE BE CHRISTIANS, THE SUBJECTS OF A KING CROWNED WITH THORNS, BAPTIZED IN HIS BLOOD, ABSOLVED SO OFTEN BY HIS BLOOD, RECEIVING COMMUNION AT MASS, AT HIS SACRIFICE, AND YET RUN AWAY FROM THE CROSS?  THAT WOULD BE TO FORGET THAT THE CROSS IS A MARVELOUS INVENTION OF DIVINE MERCY WHICH GIVES US THE OCCASION TO PROVE TO JESUS THAT WE LOVE HIM.  WHAT IS LOVE THAT DOES NOT PROVE ITSELF?  LOVE IS A CHOICE.  WHAT MERIT IS THERE IN CHOOSING JESUS IF WE ONLY HAVE TO FOLLOW HIM ON A PATH OF ROSES? 

HE WANTS TO BE LOVED FOR HIMSELF, NOT FOR HIS GIFTS.  HE DOES NOT WANT THE EXPERIENCE OF THE RICH WHO LOSE THEIR FRIENDS WHEN THEY LOSE THEIR MONEY AND CAN NO LONGER GIVE PRESENTS.

 HE IS JEALOUS OF OUR TRUE LOVE.

WHEN HE GIVES US SOMETHING TO SUFFER, SAID LITTLE THERESE, IT IS BECAUSE HE WANTS A GIFTS FROM US.  WHAT GIFT?  A SMILE ON THE CROSS.  HE BEGS FOR OUR LOVE, PROVEN BY SUFFERING, IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO SAY, “IT IS YOU WHO REMAINED WITH ME IN THIS TRIAL.”  HOW SWEET IT WILL BE WHEN WE HEAR FOR ALL ETERNITY, THESE WORDS FROM THE LIPS OF JESUS, OR RATHER FROM THE DEPTHS OF HIS HEART: “AND YOU ARE THEY WHO HAVE CONTINUED WITH ME IN MY TEMPTATIONS: AND I DISPOSE TO YOU, AS MY FATHER HAS DISPOSED TO ME, A KINGDOM, THAT YOU MAY EAT AND DRINK AT MY TABLE, IN MY KINGDOM.”   AT HIS TABLE!  IN HIS KINGDOM!

ANOTHER REASON TO LOVE THE CROSS IS THAT IT WAS THE LOT OF YOUR SAVIOR, AND THEREFORE YOU CHOOSE IT AS YOUR OWN LOT.  MUST WE NOT FIND GOOD WHAT HE CHOSE FOR HIMSELF AND FOR HIS MOTHER?  CAN WE DESIRE THAT HE CHOOSE SOMETHING ELSE FOR US? 

ST. PAUL SAID, “BUT WE PREACH CHRIST CRUCIFIED.”  ST. ANDREW LOOKING AT THE CROSS TO WHICH HE WAS TO BE CRUCIFIED SAID “DEAR CROSS! WELCOME!  GOOD CROSS, WHICH IS GOING TO PERMIT ME TO DIE LIKE MY BELOVED MASTER.”  ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI WAS INFLAMED WITH LOVE OF THE CROSS TO THE POINT OF BEING COUNTED WORTHY TO CARRY IN HIS BODY THE STIGMATA OF OUR LORD.  LITTLE THERESE HID THE WOUNDS OF HER CRUCIFIX UNDER ROSES, AND HID IN THE SAME WAY, WE MIGHT SAY, HER OWN INTERIOR TRIALS UNDER THE ROSES OF HER SMILES, AND DISCOVERED “THE HIDDEN TREASURES OF THE HOLY FACE.”

MOREOVER SUFFERING HELPS US TO DETACH OURSELVES FROM EARTH, TO LOOK HIGHER, TO REMEMBER THAT EARTH IS A PLACE OF PASSAGE.  THAT IS WHY WE SO OFTEN FIND THAT THE POOR AND THE SUFFERING ARE MUCH NEARER TO OUR LORD THAN OTHERS.  SORROW LIFTS US UP; SORROW MAKES US GROW; SORROW LIBERATES.

A GREAT CROSS IS VERY OFTEN THE PRELUDE TO A GREAT GRACE.  SUFFERING RIPENS THE SOUL, SOMETIMES VERY QUICKLY.  A GREAT TRIAL CAN, WITH ONE STROKE, DETACH A SOUL FROM ALL THAT IS CREATED; IT CAN BE THE SOURCE OF TOTAL CONVERSION.

GOD HAS PROVIDED US MARVELOUS JOYS ON THIS EARTH.  IT WOULD BE UNGRATEFUL TO FORGET THEM.  SO MANY BEAUTIES, WHICH ARE REFLECTIONS OF HIS BEAUTY, ELEVATE US TOWARD HIM, WHEN THEY DO NOT DRAW US AWAY FROM HIM.  BUT HERE BELOW NOT A SINGLE BEAUTY IS PERFECT, AND THEY MUST ALWAYS MAKE US THINK OF THE HOMELAND OF UNBLEMISHED HAPPINESS.

SUFFERING IS AN EXPIATION OF SIN.  JESUS WILLED TO WASH OUR CRIMES IN HIS BLOOD, BUT, IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS SORROWFUL REDEMPTION, WE MUST ALSO KNOW HOW TO BE, AT LEAST IN PART, “A MAN OF SORROWS.” 

IT IS AN INESCAPABLE LAW; WE MUST PASS THAT WAY.  YOU SEE, WE CANNOT EXPIATE SIN, WHICH IS A GUILTY PLEASURE, EXCEPT BY SUFFERING.  PENANCE, PENANCE---THE HOLY BOOKS ARE FILLED WITH THIS WORD.  THE BLESSED VIRGIN REMINDED US OF IT AT LOURDES, AT LA SALETTE, AND AT FATIMA.

BUT---AND I INSIST ON THIS BUT---DO NOT EVER STOP AT THE ISOLATED IDEA OF EXPIATION BY THE CROSS, WITHOUT GOING FURTHER.  WHETHER OR NOT YOU ARE GIVEN THE CROSS TO EXPIATE, THE CROSS IS ALWAYS GIVEN IN LOVE.  IT IS ALWAYS PRESENTED BY JESUS IN A DESIGN OF LOVE.  THEREFORE WITH EACH OF YOUR CROSSES YOU CAN SAY, “LORD, I ACCEPT IT ESPECIALLY AS A PROOF OF YOUR LOVE FOR ME.”  THAT IS THE POINT TO WHICH YOUR FAITH MUST GO: TO SEE THE LOVE OF JESUS IN ALL YOUR CROSSES.

[bernadette szczepkowski]

"To see the love of Jesus in all your crosses". My Jesus, I ask for this grace!

[Michael]

Amen.

[Lisa Patrick]

Amen

[Cathleen]

+Amen+