(Jesus said to his disciples: “The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed and on the third day be raised.”
Then he said to all, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. What profit is there for one to gain the whole world yet lose or forfeit himself?” Luke 9: 22-25)
A daily homily given on Thursday, February 15, 2018:
Today’s Gospel reminds me of an elderly woman I once knew. An accident earlier in her life confined her to a wheelchair. I always felt so bad for her, that she had limited mobility – she couldn’t do even basic life tasks on her own.
But one day she said to me, “You know, many people look at me with pity; they see a wheelchair as a burden… But I see it as a blessing.
It helps me do everything – get around, see people, and be myself. Without my wheelchair, my life would be so dull.
***
Her positive attitude didn’t remove her paralysis, but it did free her from the heaviness of feeling bitter or sorry for herself. Self-pity simply gets us nowhere.
Think about Jesus as he carried his own cross. It was incredibly heavy, but he knew that it would lead to his resurrection. Having the right attitude was essential, even for the Son of God.
Where is the Spirit prompting me to change my attitude or perspective on life?
***
For all of us, the right mindset can make any cross easier to carry.