Dear brothers and sisters:

I would like to begin with few questions:

The first one is very simple:

Are you Jesus’s follower?

Okay, I am sure you will say yes. Very good.

Second question is: Do you have any symbol to show you as a follower of Jesus? In today’s Gospel Jesus said: whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

Like me, I have a ring with the cross on it, which I started to wear when I took my final vows. Lots of people asked me, are you married?

I said yes. For me, this is a sign of marriage with Jesus, with the Church, with the people of God.

For you too, it is good to have a sign that you are the follower of Jesus. No need to have many, but at least one I encourage you.

Of course, still many people wear a cross around their neck. But Jesus did not say, 'Wear a cross.' He said, 'Carry a cross.' A cross is not just jewelry or decoration. Many people try to have it like fashion. But the cross has more meaning.
I want you to reflect on: What is your cross today?

What is the thing that you carry every day?

Maybe it is caring for a family member who is sick. Maybe it is the responsibility and challenges of family life. Maybe it is a struggle in your heart that nobody else knows about.

Look at this picture, everyone is carrying a cross. If we exchange our cross, we might not be able to carry it. Lots of people look at others, feel others’ lives are better than mine, feel others’ shoes are more beautiful, but they don’t suit you.
Please remember this: What God gives you as the cross, is what you can carry.

Sometimes we ask God: “Why is my cross so heavy” "Why is my life so difficult?"

"Why do I have this burden?"

"Why do I have that struggle?"

But maybe today Jesus asks us a different question: The real question is:

How are you carrying the cross?

Or, are you carrying it with Jesus?

Because Jesus never said that following Him would be easy. Some people carry their cross with anger. Some carry it with bitterness.

Some carry it alone.

Even in the gospel, Jesus said: “Whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me."

To be a Christian is not simply to believe in Jesus. It is to walk with Jesus, even when life is difficult. And this is where many people misunderstand the cross.

God does not send us a cross because he enjoys seeing us suffer. He allows us to carry a cross because the cross changes us.

So, our faith grows through the crosses we carry. The cross teaches us patience when we want to give up. It teaches us forgiveness when we want revenge. It teaches us humility when we want to be first. Slowly, we begin to look more like Christ.

And when we begin to look more like Christ, we also begin to live like Christ.

That is why Jesus continues by saying, "Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it".

Jesus is teaching us that life is not about protecting ourselves or living only for our own comfort. The more we focus only on ourselves, the smaller our mind becomes. But when we are willing to give ourselves away—to love, to serve, to forgive, and to sacrifice for others—we discover the life that God has prepared for us.

That is why Jesus finishes today's Gospel by talking about welcoming others. He says, "Whoever welcomes you welcomes me".

When we carry our cross with Jesus, something begins to change inside us. We become more patient. We become more understanding. We become more compassionate because we know what it feels like to struggle.

That is the reward of carrying the cross. The cross doesn't make us bitter; it makes us better. It helps us become more like Jesus.

And when people meet us, they should be able to meet Jesus through us—not only through our symbol but also through our kindness, our forgiveness, and our love.

Image by congerdesign from Pixabay