By the Grace of God We Carry Our Cross

I was talking to a good priest once who said people will do anything to not suffer. When they come to him with their troubles and he tells them to frequent Mass and the sacraments they are not satisfied with that advice. But if he told them a list of things to do like magic or superstition they would do it: no questions asked. (not that he would do that, it was an observation from hearing of people going to palm readers and psychics. Just think of how many people blindly follow their horoscope without question. Yet they question the use of going to Mass or other Sacraments.) Isn’t that weird? I know it’s true for me. I have a problem and I’ll read any book and try any techniques to help ( I don’t why there is a link with the word “help”! It’s weird) with it but going to daily mass, daily prayer, or confession seem like such a burden. Yet that is where the Grace of God is. And that is the only thing that will get us through this life and on to the next. Only the Grace of God. There is no way around it. We only exist because of His Grace. It’s mind-blowing and yet even though I know it I still find ways to avoid going the one place where I can receive it: Mass. We don’t want Grace we want magic.

Magic is not from God. Magic comes from the evil one tempting us into believing there is a way to heaven without the suffering. I read a great quote somewhere that said that the sure sign of the devil is the hatred of the cross.

When crosses come into our life do we run, look for ways to bypass the cross and onto happiness or do we cling to it?

I want to say I cling to it, but that would be a lie. When a cross comes into my life I lay in bed and watch cable while stuffing my mouth with cookies.

The only way to be able to cling to the cross is by frequenting the Sacraments to get the Graces we need to do it. That is how Christ did it; with the grace of God the Father. It’s the only way we can do it too.

God does not cause our suffering but its only by the Grace of God that we are able to suffer and it mean something. He turns suffering into a good. Because he is God and he IS good. He took the suffering on the Cross of Jesus and turned it into the good that saved us. And he takes our suffering and does the same. If this makes no sense to you then I suggest you read some papal documents in the subject of suffering.

It is a beautiful thing.