“If any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” This is a very powerful statement when we think about it. It should cause us to reflect upon the crucifixion and what it means to us. The cross was an instrument of death and yet we allow the cross to adorn our home or to be placed around our neck. When we look upon the cross we should realize that what we behold is the very instrument of our liberation.
In our Gospel Christ is leading Saint Peter towards making a perfect profession of faith. In order for Saint Peter to make this profession he had to understand the value of the cross and have the desire to embrace it within his life. From the pains of the cross spring forth the joys of the Resurrection. We too in this day and age have received this invitation not to run from the cross, but to embrace it.
Saint John Vianney: “There is no doubt about it: a person who loves pleasure, who seeks comfort, who flies from anything that might spell suffering, who is overanxious, who complains, who blames and who becomes impatient at the least little thing which does not go his way—a person like that is a Christian only in name; he is only a dishonor to his religion, for Jesus Christ has said so: Anyone who wishes to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross every day of his life, and follow me.”
We live in the midst of a world which announces that if we are to be happy we must chase after the many desires in our life. That if we chase after power, possessions, prestige, or pleasure that we will come to discover the true meaning of happiness. Yet when we chase after these many desires we always realize the emptiness which is present because they cannot fulfill us. We have a longing to be loved and to be happy and we can only bring this longing to its fulfillment through Christ.
To embrace the cross shows an alternate path because it leads us away from this emptiness and pain. The cross shows us the path which leads to love because it is a total outpouring of self. The cross is a counter cultural message because it is a total rejection of what we are often told by society which will make us happy.
If we dare to deny ourself and to take up our cross daily in order to follow after Christ we will come to embrace hardship which points its way towards eternal life. We chase after so much which is passing away and which cannot fulfill us, but the way of the cross does not pass away. The way of the cross leads towards eternal life.
