Embrace Your True Self!
Jesus shows us the essential nature of carrying one’s cross. He did that by modeling this process with His own life. He tells us directly:
“If anyone comes after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.”
Matthew 16:24
Jesus had to deny Himself as the world would see it, that is, to compromise with the world for self preservation, and embrace His true self by defying the world and all of it’s temporary pleasures. The cross is often difficult and painful, but it is embracing who we truly are and here we find peace.
The message of Jesus, the message of Divine Love, was a threat to those in authority in the culture that Jesus lived in. These individuals had compromised themselves to be comfortable. Jesus’ words and how He lived, contradicted their approach life. To Jesus everyone must be treated with love. This meant loving oneself and loving others as if we were loving ourselves! This message is key to Jesus’ Jewish tradition and He would not compromise it even if this meant dying for His true self!
Embracing one’s cross may lead to one’s Crucifixion!
To follow Jesus means for us to embrace the cross of following Him. Usually it means living a good Christian life, a life where Divine Love reigns, however, it also means being willing to die to be faithful to our true selves as Jesus’ disciples. No compromising Love of oneself and one another!
The saints, the holy ones, did this. St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta’ Feast is approaching in a few days. Mother Teresa had an inner call that called her out of the comfort of her convent school environment to the streets of India, not to convert those who she encountered, rather, she loved herself so much that she had to become Jesus to the poor of the street!
We all have our call! Wherever we are, let us embrace our cross as true disciples of Jesus and be Jesuslike wherever our mission is!
Pax.
Hermitage of Peace 