Email on The Cross

[Theologian in Training]

Does anyone remember or happen to have the email that was circulating around a while ago, about a man who rebelled against his own cross, was given the choice to pick any cross from the room, only to pick his own cross again?

If you have it or know where I can get it, I would much appreciate it. I am thinking of incorporating it in my homily, and I am in my 11th hour.

Thanks

God Bless

[ReinnieR]

i remember that e-mail but i'm sorry i don't have it

[iggy]

I looked, but I don't have it anymore... just tell it as you remember it

[Theologian in Training]

No problem. I am at such a loss right now though. I have been trying to write this sermon almost all day, and feel as though I have made no progress whatsoever.

Please pray..cause this is starting to get really frustrating

God Bless

[iggy]

do you want me to come up with the best of it i can remember

[Carnanc]

I have heard this story before, I will look for it online.

[philothea]

Praying. I know you can do it! :cheer:

[Thy Geekdom Come]

A young man was at the end of his rope, seeing no way out, he dropped to his knees in prayer.
"Lord, I can't go on," he said. "I have too heavy a cross to bear."

The Lord replied, "My son, if you can't bear its weight, just place your cross inside this room.
Then, open that other door and pick out any cross you wish."

The man was filled with relief and said, "Thank you Lord," and he did as he was told.

Upon entering the other room, he saw many crosses; some so large the tops were not visible. Then, he spotted a tiny cross leaning against a far wall.

"I'd like that one, Lord," he whispered. The Lord replied, "My son, that is the cross you just brought in."

[iggy]

nice job, raph

[Carnanc]

that is awesome, thanks for posting it.

[Theologian in Training]

After hours of agonizing over what I was going to say and how I was going to say it, I finally have my sermon done. I am reluctant to post it, because if you guys give me any critiques, not that they are welcome, I might have to rework some parts.

With that said, I will take the chance. Understand that this is my first sermon after my grandmother's.

Thanks

God Bless

Today Jesus makes a request of us, no simple request, to be sure: deny everything for me, and after doing so, come, take up your cross and follow me.

I often wonder if we really know what this means? I wonder if we truly understand what He is asking of us? Calling us to walk with Him on the road to Calvary, carrying with us our burdens, our pains, our hurts, and our desolations, and, treading this path of suffering to go there and die, not physically, of course, but die to our very selves. And that’s even worse, that scares us even more because even though death itself is scary how much more when we are asked to renounce our very being, the power we think we have; to be utterly vulnerable and at our most weakest, naked before the cross so that Christ can fully dwell within us?

Yet, this is the way Christ has shown for us, to die each and every day, by taking up our cross each and every day.

A while ago there was an email circulating about a man and his cross, I would like to share that now:

A young man was at the end of his rope, and seeing no way out, dropped to his knees in prayer. He said:
"Lord, I can't go on, I have too heavy a cross to bear."

The Lord replied, "My son, if you can't bear its weight, just place your cross inside this room.
Then, open that other door and pick out any cross you wish."

The man was filled with relief and joy and said, "Thank you Lord," and did as he was told.

Upon entering the other room, he saw many crosses; some so large the tops were not visible. Then, he spotted a tiny cross leaning against a far wall.

"I'd like that one, Lord," he whispered. The Lord replied, "My son, that is the cross you just brought in."

Our cross makes us unique, because our suffering is unlike anyone else’s and the only person who truly knows the depth of our suffering is Christ Himself. For our cross is His, and His is what makes ours that much lighter, and yet, He still has us carry our own, out of love for us.

I know that sounds strange, giving us a cross so that we can learn love, but it is only at the foot of the cross where we learn the meaning of true love.

In fact, I remember, a couple of summers ago I was in a program for priestly formation, and a deacon there said something I will never forget. He said sometimes the cross can get so hard to handle that we scream out saying “God Your killing me,” to which God responds, “I know.”

While it is true that God does not give us more than we can handle He also does not want to give us too little, otherwise we would could never understand the mystery and depth of Christ’s love if we cannot unite our own sufferings to His.

How incredibly hard this is to bear, because we don’t want to die, we don’t want to accept the fact that we "are dust and to dust we shall return." That we are no more than a speck in this vast existence, smaller than Christ, an ant in comparison to the Cross.

Yet this death occurs daily by our frequent prayer and the reception of the life, death, and Resurrection of Christ in the Eucharist. In fact, it is in the Mass that this is bought to fruition. The Mass reminds us of this death, and the death we must live ourselves. In fact, every time we receive the Eucharist we die more and more to ourselves because we become more and more like Christ in that reception and it is His life that dwells within us. St. Pio, in one of his letters to his spiritual director said that there is no reason to imitate Christ if in imitating Him we don't appear "arisen" or "changed." In other words, when we deny ourselves, through our daily cross, Christ shines through us and we become "renewed" or "resurrected" in Him.

This is true death, the death of self, brought to fulfillment by living in direct communion with the Will of God, regardless of the consequences or actions it entails. True death of self then is true love of Christ, and true love of Christ is in imitating Him, and after all, isn't imitation the best form of flattery?

Therefore, how better to imitate Our Creator than to seek to imitate Him to the point of fully losing our very selves so that we can say, as St. Paul says, "It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives within me.”

Edited June 26, 2005 by Theologian in Training

[philothea]

:wub:

It's fabulous.

[Theologian in Training]

[quote name='philothea' date='Jun 26 2005, 12:47 AM'] :wub:

It's fabulous.
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You really think so? I hope the congregations think that as well.

Thank you though

God Bless

[philothea]

I would be politely offline if I thought otherwise.

How long does it take to say? I read pretty fast, so it's kind of a different impression.

[Theologian in Training]

[quote name='philothea' date='Jun 26 2005, 12:56 AM']I would be politely offline if I thought otherwise.

How long does it take to say?  I read pretty fast, so it's kind of a different impression.
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I timed it just now, and it is about 51/2 minutes at a "reflective" pace.

Thank you though, that gives me a little bit of confidence for tomorrow.

God Bless

Edited June 26, 2005 by Theologian in Training