Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Bearing Our Crosses With Joy

	We may have any number of crosses throughout our lives. Some may be small, some may be big. Some may be heavy, some may be light. Some may be temporary, some may be long lasting. A number of examples come to mind: a time of financial burden, a chronic illness, chronic pain, a particularly difficult season of parenting, the seemingly endless busyness of everyday life… the list could go on and on. 
	As Christians, we are called to bear those burdens, not begrudgingly but joyfully. Sometimes that seems downright impossible. How am I supposed to keep a smile on my face when my teenager contradicts every word I say? How can I be happy about the fact that my paycheck is never enough? How can I have joy in my life when every moment is filled with pain (whether that be physical or emotional)? 
The answer is, it is not possible without a profound relationship with our Lord, that includes constant surrender to His will. In His great love for us, He often allows things to happen that we don’t understand, but are for our good or for the good of others. Afterall, the goal for each of us is eternal salvation, not earthly comfort. 
The one idea that can bring peace to all of our hearts is the fact that He understands us. Whether we suffer rejection, loneliness, illness, pain, hunger, cold, or even torture and death, we know that He has experienced it all and knows exactly how it feels. We can draw real comfort from that, from His compassion, empathy and understanding. We can ask Him to walk with us each step of the way and be our strength when our own fails. 
Who knows, we may get to the point where we are able to rejoice in our sufferings like St. Paul, or we may realize we can finally endure them without complaint. We may remember more and more to offer them up for our own soul or for our children’s salvation, or for the poor souls in purgatory. But above all, may our crosses be a constant reminder to us of today’s powerful Gospel passage: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life” (John 3:16).
Tami Urcia

Short Version

We may have any number of crosses throughout our lives. Some may be small, some may be big. Some may be heavy, some may be light. Some may be temporary, some may be long lasting. As Christians, we are called to bear those burdens, not begrudgingly but joyfully. Sometimes that seems downright impossible. How can I have joy in my life when every moment is filled with pain (whether that be physical or emotional)? 
The answer is, it is not possible without a profound relationship with our Lord, that includes constant surrender to His will. In His great love for us, He often allows things to happen that we don’t understand, but are for our good or for the good of others. Afterall, the goal for each of us is eternal salvation, not earthly comfort. 
But whether we suffer rejection, loneliness, illness, pain, hunger, cold, or even torture and death, we know that He has experienced it all and knows exactly how it feels. We can ask Him to walk with us each step of the way and be our strength when our own fails. 
We may get to the point where we are able to rejoice in our sufferings like St. Paul, or endure them without complaint or remember to offer them up. But above all, may our crosses be a constant reminder to us of today’s powerful Gospel passage: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life” (John 3:16).
Tami Urcia