There will be darkness, doubt, abandonment, pain, grief, and death in our life. How do we not only cope but grow from these experiences? Through Jesus and, the cross I FIND NEW LIFE. By meditating on the cross there can be spiritual growth. Many of us are familiar with the story of the man or woman walking along the beach with Jesus both leaving footprints in the sand. All of a sudden, the footprints of Jesus vanish, and the person feels he or she is walking all alone carrying heavy burdens. This person asks Jesus in prayer, “Why was I left alone at this crucial time in my life?” Jesus answers, “It was then that I was carrying you.” We need to hear this story over and over again until it becomes real for us, especially in times of darkness.
Father Moreau had a wisdom about the cross. He said the cross is a sign of hope. Following the footsteps of Jesus, we have the hope that the darkness will eventually be turned into light. Darkness and the light that follows will be the means for us to experience new life, new vision. We will have a renewed purpose for the calling that God has meant for us, expanding our vision of what our life will become in this new phase. Through the cross we will experience this new hope.
- What cross are you experiencing now?
- How are you dealing with it?
- How would praying with Jesus’s promise of light after darkness bring you hope?
O God, help me see you acting through the crosses in my life.