Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it (Mark 8:35).
This Sunday’s Gospel reading is the heart of discipleship: deny yourself and lift up your crosses every single day in imitation of Jesus. To follow Jesus—to truly be His disciples, day-in and day-out—we must bear the crosses that come to us: sickness, failure, persecution, pain, and grief, to name only a few. We can seek to imitate how Our Lord carried His cross to help give us strength to carry our own.
Jesus did not lift his cross reluctantly. He did not drag it on the ground. He did not look around to see who He could blame for His Passion. He did not sulk or complain or become angry. He did not procrastinate. Christ Jesus lifted His cross with triumphant purpose because He knew its promise held our redemption. He lifted that terrible yet wonderful cross with the full physical strength of His humanity and the full spiritual strength of his divinity.
Our daily crosses can be redemptive, as well. We can strive to imitate His redemptive love each time we patiently accept and endure the trials that come our way and offer them back to Christ. We can have peace in our sufferings when we lift our crosses triumphantly because we know that our victorious Christ is with us: “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
Jesus, help me when I am reluctant, when I blame others for the crosses I must bear, when I complain or am bitter, when I procrastinate, and when I am lonely in my suffering. Give me the strength to imitate You. Help me find hope and joy in lifting my crosses for Your sake.