08/30/2026
“If anyone wants to follow me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” Mt 16:24
To sacrifice anything for the sake of God and for the good of the community is to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow God’s will. Each of us has a cross. It may be a difficult relationship, sickness, disappointment, financial hardship, loneliness, responsibility, or the daily struggle to forgive and love others. Sometimes, the cross is simply the sacrifice required to live faithfully according to the Gospel values, which include love, compassion, forgiveness, respect for the dignity of every person, justice, peace, humility, honesty and integrity, hope, faithfulness and stewardship.
The question is not whether we have a cross. The question is: What do we do with our cross? We can choose to run away from it; we can complain about it; we can become bitter because of it. Instead, united with Christ, we carry it with faith and allow God to transform our suffering into an offering of love. Let us not give up when life becomes difficult. Carry our cross with faith, hope, patience, and trust in God.
May the Lord give us the courage of Jeremiah, the humility to learn from Peter, and, above all, the heart of Jesus, a heart willing to love, sacrifice, and remain faithful to the Father. May our discipleship become a living testimony that the cross is not the end. Beyond the cross is resurrection; beyond sacrifice is life; and beyond our faithful discipleship is the joy of being with Christ forever. Amen.
-Fr. Edward Lupaka, SDS