“If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” (Mark 8:34)
Following Christ means bringing God’s plan to life in one’s own life. This plan comes from the heart of a loving Father. Perhaps such words immediately bring to mind ideas of renouncing life and no longer having the freedom to choose what one thinks is necessary for a fulfilled life. However, this is based on a false image of God.
Could God have planned something for us that is not the best for us? Doesn’t God know us better than we know ourselves? Does He not know where He wants to lead us, through everything that life may bring? Has He not prepared eternal glory for us?
We know from Jesus the beautiful words that we are to have life in abundance (John 10:10b).
A life in abundance means spending life in God’s grace, a life in which our hearts are increasingly united with God’s love. The self-denial that Jesus speaks of must therefore involve leaving behind whatever limits true life or robs us of it. Indeed, if we are too attached to transitory things, we will not be able to recognize the beauty of a life in God.
Taking up the cross also has profound meaning. It would be wrong to imagine the most severe suffering that could be imposed on us and that we feel unable to bear.
We simply entrust ourselves to Jesus and, with Him and out of love for Him, bear all the difficulties and sufferings that come our way. God will always grant us the grace to do so and will not ask more of us than we can bear.
Here is the video featuring the words of Jesus that we meditated on today: