My cross and my life

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Consideration for the XXIII Sunday in Ordinary Time, year C2

One of my favorite films is “Edi” – the story of the holy alcoholic in my opinion. When Edi gets up one day, pushes the scrap cart to liquefy it for any alcohol and treat yesterday’s hangover, his friend in a similar state asks: “What is this life we have?” Edi wonders and replies: “Don’t tell yes, this is your life, and you are the only one in the world! ” It’s your life! Embrace them, be glad you’re alive!

Words similar to those spoken by the hungover alcoholic and scrap collector “on the water” are addressed to you and me by Christ: “This is your life! Embrace them! Take them in your hands! ”

But we, masters of reworking the Gospel for our own use, have distorted the Gospel by making it an evangelical-like product. It is also digestible, but why…

Christ says: “Let him take up his cross and follow me”. Yours and me. And the evangelical product proposes a different version: take the cross of the world, the cross of Jesus, the cross of a drunkard man, a neurotic wife, a vile parish priest and suffer, soul, because this is the way to heaven. And I, poor suffering, go through my life so depressed, sad, cherishing my own and others’ poverty – they died during their lifetime.

You can live like this, but do not convince yourself, and God forbid others, that you should, that Jesus invites us to this, such a Jesus tormentor and seeker of souls who want to suffer for Him forever and ever. Amen.

Jesus is neither a masochist nor a sadist. He is also not a sweetener for all the pains of existence, or a seller of cheesy promotions, who deceptively set traps and legal hooks, written in small print or a tenth star … Jesus is a realist, we do not mislead us with promotions and sweet incentives to follow Him, to have an idyllic and palace life . The Gospel is the way to go, the way up the hill, but the way to finally see and understand everything. And the road is also pain and suffering, but above all, the road is the goal achieved.

Let him take his cross … Note: his cross, not the cross of Jesus (Jesus dealt with it alone) and not the cross of the whole world. Not the cross of a sick mother, a drunkard husband or a child of a drug addict. It’s about me, my way! Do you know your cross? Did you give it a name and meaning? Do you know his name? Take the road, take courage, go, because this is Christianity. Not a religion of sufferers and warm noodles, but of courageous heroes who go after all, looking not at themselves and their poverty, but at the One in whom there is victory! If you do not yet know what your cross is called, here are aids to discern what I am carrying or why for Whom.

The cross of being misunderstood or rejected. Very well, such a cross was also made by Christ, He is closer to you than you can imagine! Nobody understands you? Do you feel rejected and depressed? Perfect, so go on your way looking for the way and the destination, not the cross and yourself. Courage, set off today!

The cross of loving yourself above everything and everyone. Why do you want to be in the center of the world and its surroundings? Place Christ at the center and see through Him and through His eyes. This is how pride will come off of you and all this artificial inflation. Because what have you got that you wouldn’t get?

A cross of such attachment to the ground that it is impossible to fly anymore. Everything is more important than Christ and clinging to Him. Everything, even what is good and beautiful, if it does not lead to Him, is just straw and rubbish, an unnecessary burden that makes us no longer have the strength to fly. And you are an eagle, not a hen. The eagle to fly towards Heaven, towards Him!

The cross of seeing everything in black and sniffing the enemy everywhere. Because not knowing how Christ sees, but how … Reality is beautiful and positive, because Christ is present in it. Stop being a sorcerer and a malcontent because life is a grace. Does the Lord only give us what is black? By looking in black, you are disregarding God, the creator of colors! Look at the target, look at Him!

A cross, when they underestimate me and do not see me, and this is what I do and mean … Then keep putting yourself in the center, good luck. Christianity is not about you and your well-being, but about Him. The more I look at Him, the less pain I have because of my scrambled eggs: I… I… me. And it is enough to change the person: You … You … You …

A cross carried for years of sin despite promises at every confession, and then another and another disappointment … Christianity is not a fight for sinlessness and a sterile laboratory, but a fight for being with Christ. Or maybe think of recurring sins as a way to heaven? You have suffered so much, you have struggled, you cried that purgatory has already been done … Just take it easy, trust and start over, looking at Him!

Look at your cross today, but do not focus on it, because we are to follow Christ, not admire or cherish our cross! Look positively, looking for Him everywhere! And so to the end! Take courage!