The Way of the Cross

Christ Carrying the Cross (1578) by El Greco

THE WAY OF THE CROSS

Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24)

Suffering is built into the very nature of all sentient animals. Therefore, we have to be careful to distinguish between this kind of suffering, which is purely natural, and suffering which is joined to the cross of Christ, united with his charity and his infinite merits. The latter kind of human suffering is possible only through grace.

Three solid doctrinal reasons for sharing in the cross of Christ:

- Growth in personal holiness

- Join through grace in the infinite merits of Jesus Christ and in their application

- Satisfaction or remission of temporal punishment, ours and those of others

From CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH:

Growth in Personal Holiness

begin 2015 The way of perfection passes by way of the Cross. There is no holiness without renunciation and spiritual battle. [Cf. 2 Tim 4] Spiritual progress entails the ascesis and mortification that gradually lead to living in the peace and joy of the Beatitudes:

“He who climbs never stops going from beginning to beginning, through beginnings that have no end. He never stops desiring what he already knows.” [St. Gregory of Nyssa, Hom. in Cant. 8:PG 44,941C] end

Participation in Infinite Merits of Jesus Christ

begin 2008 The merit of man before God in the Christian life arises from the fact that God has freely chosen to associate man with the work of his grace. The fatherly action of God is first on his own initiative, and then follows man’s free acting through his collaboration, so that the merit of good works is to be attributed in the first place to the grace of God, then to the faithful. Man’s merit, moreover, itself is due to God, for his good actions proceed in Christ, from the predispositions and assistance given by the Holy Spirit.

2011 The charity of Christ is the source in us of all our merits before God. Grace, by uniting us to Christ in active love, ensures the supernatural quality of our acts and consequently their merit before God and before men. The saints have always had a lively awareness that their merits were pure grace.

“After earth’s exile, I hope to go and enjoy you in the fatherland, but I do not want to lay up merits for heaven. I want to work for your love alone. . . . In the evening of this life, I shall appear before you with empty hands, for I do not ask you, Lord, to count my works. All our justice is blemished in your eyes. I wish, then, to be clothed in your own justice and to receive from your love the eternal possession of yourself.” [St. Thérèse of Lisieux, “Act of Offering” in Story of a Soul, tr. John Clarke (Washington DC: ICS, 1981), 277] end

Satisfaction or Remission of Temporal Punishment

begin 1473 The forgiveness of sin and restoration of communion with God entail the remission of the eternal punishment of sin, but temporal punishment of sin remains. While patiently bearing sufferings and trials of all kinds and, when the day comes, serenely facing death, the Christian must strive to accept this temporal punishment of sin as a grace.

1475 In the communion of saints, “a perennial link of charity exists between the faithful who have already reached their heavenly home, those who are expiating their sins in purgatory and those who are still pilgrims on earth. between them there is, too, an abundant exchange of all good things.” [Indulgentiarum doctrina, 5] In this wonderful exchange, the holiness of one profits others, well beyond the harm that the sin of one could cause others. Thus recourse to the communion of saints lets the contrite sinner be more promptly and efficaciously purified of the punishments for sin. end