A reflection on this week’s Gospel by Sr Kym Harris osb

A reflection by Sr Kym Harris osb and downloaded from http://www.prayasyoucan.com.au

Our lives have times and seasons but no matter how charmed our life might be at any point in time, we have crosses to face. At other times, our crosses may dominate our days, leaving us with a sense of barely making it, if at all. No matter what season we are in, there is an instinctive indignation that overtakes us when a cross comes our way: ‘Why did this happen to me?’ Sometimes we really do need to ask ourselves that question in order to change our ways and ensure that it doesn’t happen again. But more often than not that ‘Why’ is really a cover for the assertion, ‘This should not be happening to me!’
But why shouldn’t it? As Christians, as human beings, we have crosses to face. Not simply is this the nature of reality. Our Saviour, our Master embraced the cross and made it the way of salvation. Since that is the case, the question we should be asking when a cross confronts us is, ‘What am I to do now?’ The ‘why’ question either sends us back into the past or entrenches us in the present. The ‘what’ questions opens us to the mystery of the moment and gives us options into how we are to act. The ‘what’ question affirms that we, as humans, can choose our future, knowing that God is with us, on our side., No matter how difficult the challenge our dignity as children of God cannot be taken from us by whatever circumstances we face. This is especially important to affirm when we are in the worst of times that can come upon us. In such situations, the only option we may have is the attitude we can take. We can embrace the cross even though we may feel that it is killing us.