Taking up your cross daily

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Those words have haunted me . Does it indicate a kind of dark pessimistic view of life? As if those who choose an optimistic, cheerful, fun-loving, extroverted way of life are on the wrong track.
Part of me of course accepts that we have a responsibility to take the bad with the good in life. But our attitude may become like a “self-sacrificing saint”. I don’t think God wants us to go around looking sad all the time.
Today is a gorgeous day here. Beautiful weather. It’s good to be alive. Hopefully I wont need my cross today. (???) sorry if that might sound disrespectful)
 
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I think that people can be accepting of their cross daily and still be cheerful. I am not saying I am always capable of smiling, but I can still accept my cross, such as it is. I think that is the point for us, that God wants us to continue with our life despite our cross.
 
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It’s the age old tension between what it means to have a good life.
An enviable life or an admirable life.
Obviously a pure form of one or the other is not a good life. Some balance needs to be there. The question is where is that balance?
 
goodcatholic, maybe it all depends on what your interpretation of “taking up your cross daily” means.
 
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Irishmom2 said:
maybe it all depends on Your interpretation of what “taking up your cross daily” means.
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Ok. I’ll attempt one.
Putting Jesus Christ front and centre. A prayer like this. “I’m yours. What do you want me to do today?”
So instead of looking for fun, and ways of satisfying our own needs, we are constantly looking for ways to address others’ needs and society’s.
Also as we picture Jesus carrying his cross, He is not smiling. Out of respect, nor should we.
 
Taking up your cross means bearin wrongs patiently as Jesus did.
 
IMO, you have the right idea. In a way, you die to this world and its ways to follow Jesus and get the ultimate prize of eternal life.
 
Everyone has a cross to bear in life. For some it is their family, their health, or their situation. Jesus says to pick up that cross and follow him. He will share the yoke with us and make the cross light. He is there with us to share our burdens if we follow his example.

That’s what it means to me, and why we can still smile, because we are never carrying our cross alone.
 
Irishmom2 said:
Everyone has a cross to bear in life. For some it is their family, their health, or their situation.
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My cross is smaller than most. I have become less employable and less able to provide for my family. (wife and dog). More guilt than anything.
 
No, some would say your cross is not smaller, you are less able to provide. But you should not despair, you should smile and trust God. Trust that Jesus shares your burden and makes it lighter.
 
The Way of the Cross

34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it 36 For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? 37 Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? 38 Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

Mark 8:34-38

Jesus talks about death to self and the willingness to sacrifice worldly things. Crucify the ego,
 
We are always on the way of the Cross in this world. Everyday the world rejects us like Our Lord, it is only though suffering and penance that we can become Christ like.

To take up your cross is to accept loneiless, illness, and loss with a deep joy that doesn’t always have to be expressed with a smile but with peace that Christ can only give.
 
Ultimately, we do not understand what we experience as life. That is a truth we must accept - we may always think we do. Suffering is the theme. Existence itself is pure misery. We are doomed to experience feelings and emotion. However, we are not doomed to experience misery alone. Only in our earthly life do we. Only confined to the prison of flesh and blood must we experience pain and strife.

God also suffered like us. He assumed flesh and blood. Yet He is eternal and all-knowing. He defeated our weakness: death. He created us and defeated our downfall. Thus we are not doomed to damnation itself. Trust in God alone, and He will direct your footsteps. This is why we were left with a Bible, and this is why we were left with the Church who alone can interpret the Bible’s words. Life is a test - live it or die within it. Then we can be purely happy, after success and faithfulness. This is why God is pure love. He created us out of love. There is more to life than Earth.
 
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goodcatholic said:
Those words have haunted me . Does it indicate a kind of dark pessimistic view of life? As if those who choose an optimistic, cheerful, fun-loving, extroverted way of life are on the wrong track.
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I can see your point , of course. I think it is valid to say that it could reinforce a pessimistic view of life. A person took up their cross had no future, no life ahead. Such a one was a “dead man walking”. But I think these two world views are not mutually exclusive. Jesus says that we can fast without presenting deadness and suffering to the world:

6 “Beware of practicing your piety before men in order to be seen by them; for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

2 “Thus, when you give alms, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by men. Truly, I say to you, they have their reward. 3 But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you…16 “And when you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have their reward. 17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 that your fasting may not be seen by men but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you." Matt. 6

I think that Jesus is teaching us that we can live in two worlds at once, inwardly embracing suffering and the cross, while outwardly not demonstrating our suffering before others.

I think the “optimistic, cheerful, and funloving” side is only problematic if it prevents us from embracing the cross and the price of discipleship.
goodcatholic said:
I don’t think God wants us to go around looking sad all the time.
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I think the words of Jesus confirm that your thinking is right!
goodcatholic said:
I wont need my cross today.
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The two are not mutually exclusive. We need to take up our cross daily. We are approaching Palm Sunday, a great day of rejoicing and triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. Surely He knew that those who acclaimed Him would, only a few days later, call for His demise? We live in this “both/and”, where we are citizens of heaven, living on earth in a vale of tears. Both things are true at the same time.
 
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I never see Jesus smiling like the optimistic extrovert. Those are the images painted of him anyway. Maybe he actually smiled a lot more than we think.
 
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