Comments on: Love and the Cross

By: Izzy

Izzy — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 02:37:41 +0000

Thank you for the comment Ross! I am still working through my personal issue…and I wonder if I should be grateful for it, so that I don’t fall into the trap you mention? I had never heard of “Christianese,” but I think I know what you mean, and I have definitely see how it can lead to self-love and self glorification…perhaps a “holier than thou” kind of thing?

By: Ross

Ross — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 02:38:41 +0000

Hey Izzy, thanks for commenting. You hit the nail on the head, as they say, with the adjectives “judgmental” and “indifferent”. And I really appreciate your differentiating here that there are times when people need help and times when they are able mostly to help themselves. And there are some who need real temporal help and unconditional love but from our ivory towers we loft over pious, know-it-all words about how to love God and carry your cross. Pretty much turns the stomach.

Well, that’s the lesson you mention. That we remember (if we make it through) what it’s like to be abused by those who are claiming to be loving. Really leaves a person empty. Sucks the life right out of them. I like your reference about remembering what it’s like to be the leper and not the disciple.

Still, I think it little wonder that so many in the world today are so eager to vilify the Church. I fell in love with the Church as an adult, about 14 years ago, and I still love Her. I know that in Her heart, she is still everything I fell in love with. Beautiful, tender, compassionate, truly humble, and life-giving. That’s like Our Lady, yes?

But what I see now in our North American parishes is, I’m sorry to say, quite sickening. I think there may be very few actual Christians on this continent. I remember several years ago reading a quote from Gandhi saying, “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” Well at the time that really kind of irked me. And now, well, I guess you know what I think now. I like coming to this site and listen and read the teachings here often. I hope they are able to avoid the “Christianese” trap. I guess we all have to watch out for it. It’s at the root of the new TOTB craze now, and is spreading like a plague through that and many other areas. EWTN is being infected with it now. It starts out looking good, and being good, but slowly descends into a dead place of self-love and self-glorification. Save us all, Jesus and Mary.

I’m sorry that you’re in that place right now, Izzy, where you’re being treated like the “leper.” I know how rough that is. I hope you’ll continue to share with me your perspective. It certainly has helped me already.

By: Izzy

Izzy — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 11:36:49 +0000

Ross, I agree that some people definitely do this… I think this meditation is meant for someone who currently has the ability to put it in place in their current state of life.
I think at different times in our life, we go from being able to accept the cross, to needing someone in our life to help us through it without being judgmental and/or indifferent.
Right now I feel as if I need help, whereas a year ago I was able to read this mediation and lift the cross squarely on my shoulders.
I apologize for the indifference you see, as I have seen it myself…I pray that my eyes may see others’ pain and that I may remember (if I get through this) how it feels to be the leper and not the disciple.

By: Ross

Ross — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 19:59:15 +0000

“It is a good day to examine more carefully how we habitually bear contradictions and the generosity – fruit of love with which we seek out voluntary mortifications in little things; or how we struggle against our selfishness, laziness or the desire to be well thought of, to be the centre of attention.”

Or…. how we refuse to be of any concrete help to those suffering in our midst, within our own parish/diocese, but prefer instead to offer them high and mighty Christianese dialogue on how they should embrace their cross. So they feel guilty about suffering and we don’t have to make any real sacrifice in order to improve their condition or truly comfort them in their pain. This unfortunately, may be the sad state of most North American regular Sunday-go-to-church parishioners. Very faithful to appearances, not so much with the true Gospel of Christ. As you do to the least of these, so you do unto Me.

Unless, of course, it’s for someone they think highly of. Then yeah, help abounds all over the parish. Read St. James, chapter two, please.