crosses - 18th week friday

Jesus tells us to take up our crosses and follow him.  What are the crosses that we need to take up daily?  The cross is not a difficulty.  Whether we like it or not, Christian or not, life will always be difficult.  But to take up the cross means to die to something – to be willing to put to death your plans, to put to death your desires, to set aside what you want for the sake of following Jesus.  

If you want to become a priest you better get used to dying to what you want.  As a priest formator I entered the seminary in 1997.  I stayed here until 2008.  For the meantime I was temporarily assigned in the cathedral.  I applied to become parish priest somewhere in a rural area – I really wanted to be assigned in a rural area – tak-an na ako sa ciudad.  But instead I was assigned back to the seminary.  I pleaded to the bishop pero wala – go to the seminary.  Again after 5 years I applied again.  And again he said, stay in the seminary.  That's what cross means – you want something but you have to set it aside because you are asked to do something. 

Kamo what are your crosses?  Probably you want to go home but you cannot because you have to stay in school and study.  That's a cross because you die to your desire to go home.  You want to play but then you are asked to clean the dorm.  Again you are called to die to what you want which is to play.  That is your cross.  Cross means dying to something for the sake of Jesus.