I could not find the name of the Author of this article and yet I found it a very interesting and worth meditative information. Although I am happy to reproduce it here with some of my own addition but I am not the original source.
When Jesus said “Take up your cross and follow me” what he meant according to many theologians was willing to die in order to follow him.
Although let us not debate on this phrase in the above context, we can, and we do however interpret “cross” as some burden we must carry in our daily lives; like a strained relationship, a thankless job, a physical illness, financial restrains etc. With self-pitying pride, we say, “That’s my cross I have to carry”
A man who was always dissatisfied with himself and others kept grumbling to God and saying: “But who said that everyone has to carry his own cross? Is it not possible that there are no means to avoid it? I am really fed up with my daily burdens!”
The Good Lord answered him with a dream. He saw that the life of men on earth was an endless parade. Each one walked with his cross on his shoulders. Slowly, but surely, one step after the other. He too was in the endless procession, and he struggled forward with his personal cross. After a while he realized that his cross was too long and that was why he was struggling to make progress. “It would be enough if I shortened it a little, I would struggle a lot less,” he said to himself. With one decisive cut he shortened his cross by a good chunk.
When he started off again, he realized that he could now walk much more quickly and without much effort. Without much struggle he reached what seemed to be the destination of the procession. It was a ravine: a wide gash in the ground, beyond which, however, the “land of eternal happiness” began. It was an enchanting sight to be seen on the other side of the ravine. But there were no bridges, or no footbridges to cross over. Yet people passed over with ease. Each one took the cross off his shoulders, placed it on the edge of the ravine and then walked over it. The crosses seemed tailor-made: they fitted exactly over the two edges of the precipice with accuracy. They all passed, but not him: he had shortened his cross and now it was too short and did not reach the other side of the chasm. He began to cry and despair: “Ah, if I had only known…”
He heard a voice. “My son that is the cross you just brought in. 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.”
As you face today’s life experiences, remember the promise of the Lord to not allow you to encounter a cross or situation that you cannot handle. The Lord never promised that we could select and pick our cross, but he promised to be there to help us bear it.
The Lord is always faithful!
With Spiritual salutation.
Agnelo A.S. Fernandes
Ward 12