FEATURES

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Excerpts from "Letters to the Friends of the Cross"
- by St. Louis Marie de Montfort (1673-1716)

Friends of the Cross, you are like crusaders united to fight against the world....like brave and valiant warriors on the battlefield, who refuse to retreat or even yield an inch. Be brave and fight courageously....combine your efforts to acquire the eternal treasures hidden in the Cross. Pleasure-seekers unite to enjoy themselves; you must be united to suffer....

A Friend of the Cross is one chosen by God, from among thousands who live only according to their reason and senses, to be wholly divine, raised above mere reason and completely opposed to material things, living in the light of pure faith, and inspired by a deep love of the Cross.

A Friend of the Cross is an all-powerful king, a champion who triumphs over the devil, the world, and the flesh in their three-fold concupiscence. He crushes the pride of Satan by his love of humiliations; he overcomes the greed of the world by his love of poverty; he restrains the sensuality of the flesh by his love of suffering.

A Friend of the Cross is one who is holy and set apart from the things that are visible, for his heart is raised about all that is transient and perishable, and his homeland is in heaven (cf. Phil. 3:20); he travels through this world like a visitor and a pilgrim (cf. 1 Pet. 2:11), and, far from setting his heart on it, he looks on it with indifference and tramples it underfoot with contempt.

A Friend of the Cross is a glorious trophy gained by the crucified Christ on Calvary, in union with his holy Mother. He is a Benoni or Benjamin, a child of sorrow and of the right hand (cf. Gen. 35:18), conceived in the suffering heart of Jesus, born from his pierced side, and baptized in his blood (cf. Jn.19:34). True to his origin, his life embraces the cross, and death to the world, the flesh, and sin (cf. Rom. 6:2; 8, 11; 1 Pet. 2:24), so as to live here below a life hidden with Christ in God (cf. Col. 3:3).

In short, a perfect Friend of the Cross is a true Christ-bearer, or rather another Christ, so that he can truly say, "I live now not with my own life but with the life of Christ who lives in me." (Gal. 2:20)

My dear Friends of the Cross, do you live in accordance with the noble title you bear? Or at least, have you a real desire and a sincere determination to do so with the help of God’s grace, under the shelter of Christ’s Cross and of our Lady of Sorrows? Are you taking the means necessary for this? Are you walking along the true way of life (cf. Jer. 21:8), which is the narrow and stony way of Calvary?

....Do you listen to the voice of God, our heavenly Father...the Father who stretches out his arms to you in loving appeal, "Come out, my chosen people," (cf. Is. 52:11), dear friends of my Son’s Cross.... Listen only to the voice of my beloved Son and follow only him, whom I have given you to be your way, your truth, your life (cf. Jn. 14:6), and your model. "Listen to him." (Mt. 17:5; Lk. 9:35)

Do you listen to the voice of Jesus who, burdened with his Cross, calls out to you, "Come after me (cf. Mt. 4:19; Mk. 1:17); anyone who follows me will not be walking in the dark (cf. Jn. 8:12); be brave, I have conquered the world (cf. Jn. 16:33)."

My dear brothers and sisters, there are two companies (cf. Mt. 6:24; Lk. 16:13) that appear before you each day: the followers of Christ and the followers of the world....

....remember that our loving Savior has his eyes on you at this moment, and he says to each one of you individually, "See how almost everyone deserts me on the royal road of the Cross....’Will you also go away?’ (cf. Jn. 6:68) Will you also desert me by running away from my Cross....?"

At this loving appeal of Jesus, let us rise above our human nature; let us not be seduced by our senses, as Eve was (cf. Gen. 3:6); but keep our eyes fixed on Jesus crucified, who leads us in our faith and brings it to perfection (Heb. 12:2). Let us keep ourselves apart from the evil practices of the world (cf. 2 Pet. 1:4); let us show our love for Jesus in the best way, that is, through all kinds of crosses. Reflect well on these remarkable words of our Savior, "If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself, and take up his cross and follow me" (Mt. 16:24; Lk. 8:23)

† YOUR CROSS †

Whatever your cross, whatever your pain,
There will always be sunshine after the rain.
Perhaps you may stumble, perhaps even fall,
But God’s always ready to answer your call.
He knows every heartache, sees every tear,
A word from His lips can calm Every fear.
Your sorrows may linger throughout the night,
But suddenly vanish at dawn’s early light.
The Savior is waiting somewhere above,
To give you His grace and send you His love.
Whatever your cross, whatever your pain,
God always sends rainbows after the rain.

"Lord, I can’t go on," he said, "I have too heavy a cross to bear.
The young man was at the end of his rope. Seeing no way out, he dropped to his knees in prayer. "Lord, I can’t go on," he said. "I have too heavy a cross to bear." The Lord replied, "My son, if you can’t bear its weight, just place your cross inside this room. Then, open that other door and pick out any cross you wish." The man was filled with relief. "Thank you, Lord," he sighed, and he did as he was told. Upon entering the other door, he saw many crosses, some so large the tops were not visible. Then, he spotted a tiny cross leaning against a far wall. "I’d like that one, Lord," he whispered. And the Lord replied, "My son, that is the cross you just broughtin." When life’s problems seem overwhelming, it helps to look around and see what other people are coping with. You may consider yourself far more fortunate than you imagined.

TRIUMPH OF THE CROSS IN SCRIPTURE From the letter of Paul to the Philippians 2: 5-11:

"… Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."