GOSPEL THOUGHTS
22nd Week – Sunday
Gospel – Matthew 16: 21-27
The Style of Taking up ones Cross
Take
up your Cross and Follow me
1)
The angle of Taking up ones Cross
Whenever we think about Jesus taking up his cross we get the
picture of jesus carrying Cross on the Shoulders.
The Way of the Cross is one of the best examples to get
this image.
Whenever Jesus says take up your Cross the same image comes to
our mind.
So this image has a powerful meaning and it is very important
image for our life.
2)
Shoulder: The best place to carry the Cross
Cross is made in such a way that it fits well to the
Shoulders. The place in between the two beams will fit to the shoulders. So
carrying cross becomes possible even if it is very heavy
In other words Shoulder is the proper place to carry the Cross.
3)
Giving Shoulder has a deeper meaning
One of the meanings that we get from this image is the Willingness
to carry the cross
When someone gives shoulder means it is not out of compulsion
but the person voluntarily offers his help to others or voluntarily accepts the
challenge to carry the Cross.
When something is given to carry on the head it appears as if he
is punished for something
Carrying something on the head always has different meaning than
carrying something on the Shoulder.
Jesus never carried his criss cross on the head, but always on
the Shoulder
So Jesus never considered carrying cross as a punishment but carried
cross on the Shoulder to show that he is voluntarily accepting the Cross, or he
is offering his shoulders willingly to carry the burden of the cross.
4)
Do not carry your Cross on the Head but carry on the Shoulder
Carrying cross on the head may over power your whole being
It may not allow you to come up from your challenges
Symbolically we can say when the Cross/Challenges goes over the
head, it is difficult to carry its weight and we may give up. Sometimes we
may not be able to carry the burden
Head is not the place of the Cross. So don't carry your cross on
the head.
Giving Shoulder shows that one is equally involving in the
process of carrying the Cross.
5)
No handle for the Cross to carry it in a simple way
- Bags have handles
- Suitcases have handles
- Plastics have handles
- Doors have handles
- Drawers have handles
These few above examples show us that, many of the things we use
in our day today life have handles
All those things which have handles either they are carried in
our hands by hanging or they are pulled with their hands to carry from one
place to the another
Cross
does not have a handle
Modern crosses have only hooks which are using for hanging and
not for carrying
So its meaning is very clear
Cross can't be carried like a bag, like hanging in our
hands
Cross can't be pulled like the cart. Carts have handles which
are used for pulling or for pushing
6)
All those things which have handles can be opened or moved
Bags have handles, and bags can be opened
Suitcases have handles and suitcases are opened
Drawers have handles and they are used to open
Carts have handles which are used to pull or push
In this Context Cross do not have handle.
It means it can't be open. In other words there nothing to open
in Cross. It is already open. Cross shows itself to the entire world. It is
wide open.
Cross do not have handle, so it can't be pulled and pushed,
meaning to say Cross is not meant for pushing or pulling. It is meant for
carrying on the Shoulder
7)
What is my Style of carrying the Cross?
Is it the style of Jesus? Where I carry the Cross on the
Shoulders
Is it the style of Peter, who wanted to avoid totally the cross?
Is the Style of Pharisees and Scribes, who were trying to push
the cross on somebody else?
Am I following the style of carrying the cross on the head?
Am I trying to fix some handles to the Cross and want to hang it
in my hands?
What is my Style?
Fr Maxim D’Souza
Jeppu Seminary
Mangalore
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