Search Web Site
Featured Photos
Click photos to enlarge
Click here for information on the Knights of Columbus Charity Golf Tournament held on Saturday, June 15, 2024.
“Who can know God’s counsel, or who can conceive what the Lord intends? Deliberations of mortals are timid, and unsure are our plans.” That first reading from the Book of Wisdom really lays out the problem. What’s it all about, our life, our journey? How are we mere mortals supposed to know what to do? In the Gospel Jesus tells us what we are called to do: we are called to be disciples and follow Him on a journey to the Father. And He tells us there is a cost to being a disciple. The Gospel says that “Great crowds were traveling with Jesus” yet at his crucifixion there was only 4 or 5 people present. What happened to the great crowds? What happens to us on our journey through life?
Part of the answer might be found in today’s Gospel, “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.” We probably all have an idea of what He means by that. Life is tough, and then we die and hope it was all worthwhile. But there is more to it than that. Carrying a cross seems so unnatural to us. Our life is built around pleasure, fun, enjoyment. Getting rid of crosses, burdens. That’s how we sell products: they will make our life easier, more enjoyable. Crosses are unnatural and unwanted. But every parable Jesus told, every story He conveyed to his disciples, was meant to show them how “unnatural” our God is. Our God is not like us. Our God is crazy, crazy in love with us. Think about some of the parables: Leave 99 sheep to look for 1 lost one - crazy; welcome back a son who took your money and threw it away - crazy; search for one worthless coin and spend a fortune celebrating when you find it - crazy; love your enemies - crazy; forgive 7 times 70 - crazy. Crazy in love. That kind of love is sacrificial love, putting the other first. Acting like that will never get you ahead in the world; you are only leaving yourself open for heartache. And crosses. And here is the worst part - that is what he wants his disciples to do! No wonder there were only 4 or 5 left at the cross!
Bearing crosses means accepting that suffering is a part of life. At some point we have to make peace with the reality that frustration, disappointment, pain, misfortune, illness, unfairness, sadness and death are a part of our lives and they must ultimately be accepted without bitterness. As long as we nurse the notion that pain in our lives is something we don’t need to accept, we will always find ourselves bitter - bitter for not having carried our cross.
No one knew more about sacrificial love and bearing crosses than Mother Theresa of Calcutta whom Pope Francis canonized as a saint today. She faced the same questions of how to follow Jesus that we face. She struggled daily to carry her cross, the same way we struggle. So what can we learn from her on how to be a disciple of Christ?
This is one of my favorite quotes and it sums up our call.
“People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway.
If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway.
For you see, in the end, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.”
May Almighty God bless you, keep you in his care and make your cross light today!
Part of the answer might be found in today’s Gospel, “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.” We probably all have an idea of what He means by that. Life is tough, and then we die and hope it was all worthwhile. But there is more to it than that. Carrying a cross seems so unnatural to us. Our life is built around pleasure, fun, enjoyment. Getting rid of crosses, burdens. That’s how we sell products: they will make our life easier, more enjoyable. Crosses are unnatural and unwanted. But every parable Jesus told, every story He conveyed to his disciples, was meant to show them how “unnatural” our God is. Our God is not like us. Our God is crazy, crazy in love with us. Think about some of the parables: Leave 99 sheep to look for 1 lost one - crazy; welcome back a son who took your money and threw it away - crazy; search for one worthless coin and spend a fortune celebrating when you find it - crazy; love your enemies - crazy; forgive 7 times 70 - crazy. Crazy in love. That kind of love is sacrificial love, putting the other first. Acting like that will never get you ahead in the world; you are only leaving yourself open for heartache. And crosses. And here is the worst part - that is what he wants his disciples to do! No wonder there were only 4 or 5 left at the cross!
Bearing crosses means accepting that suffering is a part of life. At some point we have to make peace with the reality that frustration, disappointment, pain, misfortune, illness, unfairness, sadness and death are a part of our lives and they must ultimately be accepted without bitterness. As long as we nurse the notion that pain in our lives is something we don’t need to accept, we will always find ourselves bitter - bitter for not having carried our cross.
No one knew more about sacrificial love and bearing crosses than Mother Theresa of Calcutta whom Pope Francis canonized as a saint today. She faced the same questions of how to follow Jesus that we face. She struggled daily to carry her cross, the same way we struggle. So what can we learn from her on how to be a disciple of Christ?
This is one of my favorite quotes and it sums up our call.
“People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway.
If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway.
For you see, in the end, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.”
May Almighty God bless you, keep you in his care and make your cross light today!