Carrying Our Cross
by Fr.Gus Carter
8/28/05

In the act of creation God has written in our hearts how we should act. It is not surprising, then, that we can learn from other religions. Religions that are widely appealing have some element that reflects God's desire for us. These very desires, though, can be abused by those who seek to manipulate others for their own benefit. The structure and discipline of the Catholic Church intends to prevent persons from leading others astray through their self-seeking.

One of the main teachings of the Buddhist religion insists that in order to become enlightened, we must be compassionate. To the Buddhists that means relieving the sufferings of one's fellow humans. This reflects Jesus' message in the Gospel of Luke: "Be compassionate as your heavenly Father is compassionate. " An enlightened person knows how to live fruitfully and fully. They act according to this knowledge, and they draw satisfaction from living in this manner.

What the Gospel calls "worldly wisdom" proclaims that the way to be happy is to accumulate riches, power and pleasure. You do this by seeking these goods by any means possible. In more recent times we have heard of what is called 'the survival of the fittest:" Do whatever it takes to get what you want. " Those who acquire wealth, power and riches are admired and envied in our society. Among many they are thought to be the smartest and wisest in the world.

What the Buddhists discovered was that when you hurt others, you diminish your own personality. Our present society glorifies "individualism:" "Do whatever you feel like doing. " However, selfish individuals do not take others into consideration in their actions. It makes a person insensitive to the essential needs of human nature, including their own. Their insensitivity causes them to basically ignore family and friends. It is the classic story of persons who tried so hard to get ahead that they reached their success goals and found they really did not share it with anyone. Loss of sensitivity takes away their sense of shared struggle in living. For many there is a terrible loneliness "at the top. " Such persons become monsters. Their lives are destructive of others and also of themselves. For example, lust breaks down human trust.

People are used and discarded. It breaks some persons' hearts and turns others into predators. Greed promotes cheating and a lack of care for the consequences of one's actions. Pride makes some workplaces into a kind of hell.

We humans are weak and ignorant. We do things we know that we should not. We do not take into account how devastating our actions can be. Carrying our cross means subordinating our appetites and desires so that we may do the will of God as made know to us through Jesus Christ. We humans are made by God so that the greatest way of living, one might say, the only way really to live, is to be a loving person. By being truly loving a person lives a satisfying and productive life. The loving person gives life to others. The loving person heals and helps others to find forgiveness.

According to the way of the world, to be loving makes one a "sucker," someone of whom others take advantage. Being honest means you are a fool. Carrying our cross at times means bearing ridicule and hostility by those whose thinking reflects the world and not God. We must even be prepared to be rejected as our Master was rejected. Jesus promised, "My yoke is easy and my burden is light. " Because God has made us in the image of Jesus, we must act like Jesus to have fullness of life. The good people around us prove the truth of this by their day to day actions.

Jesus reminds us in today's Gospel that following him is not easy. He promises, however, that if we seek his help, he will never fail us. Reading the Gospel prayerfully not only seeks the Lord's help, it is a way of letting God's power and energy enter our lives. St. Teresa of Avila was sure that those who continued to pray to Jesus would never be lost. For those who seek his help, Jesus promised "a hundredfold in this life and life everlasting. "