The following is a reflection from Paulist Founder and Servant of God, Father Isaac Hecker.

Take up your cross

Jesus Christ enjoined us to sell all we have and give it to the poor, if we would be his disciples. He also said, “Take up your cross and follow me.” Everyone is supposed to have a cross. Jesus does not ask us to get rid of it, but to take it up and follow him.

Our Savior fell oftentimes under the excessive weight of his cross in order to show us that he has not called us to enjoy success but to support us in our adversity; to show us that as long as our cross does not exceed our strength, selfishness will always find room in us to conceal itself and live. For it is in the death of our selfishness that gives rise to divine love in our hearts. As St. John of Avila one said, “for it is selfishness that has given death to the love of God.”

 This is neither a momentary work nor child’s play, to take up your cross, the weight of which surpasses our strength; to bear it and fall under it and bear it again. This is what you ask us Lord. You invite us to follow you. It requires greater courage to follow Jesus Christ to the conquest of heaven than to follow Caesar to the conquest of the universe.

A response from Father Paul Robichaud, CSP

Servant of God Isaac Hecker addresses the mystery of the cross. As Christians we are not to try and rid ourselves of our cross but “to take it up.” Jesus overcame the world by carrying his Cross, and as Christians we follow him by taking up our cross as well.

Father Hecker makes an interesting point. The weight of the cross we bear is greater than our strength. The weight of the cross means that we have to depend on God’s strength and not our own. Twelve step programs start with the teaching, “Let go, let God.” For the crushing weight of the cross is what does away with our selfishness. If our strength is greater than the cross we bear, then our selfishness remains. When the weight of the cross is greater, we learn to rely on Jesus who carries our cross with us. The more we come to trust in the strength of God, the more we can let go of our illusion that we can make it by ourselves.

Jesus who fell under his own cross as he walked to Calvary knows what it is like to feel the weight of our cross. We find our peace with God as Christians in the knowledge that when we go through the difficult moments of our lives, Jesus walks with us. God is present and supports us when we face crisis and difficulty. If we have faith, no matter how hard our life may be, God is there.

About this series

Father Paul Robichaud, CSP, is historian of the Paulist Fathers and postulator of the Cause of Father Hecker. Publishing and disseminating the writing of Servant of God Isaac Hecker is the work of the Office for Hecker’s Cause. If you have asked Father Hecker to pray for you or another person who is ill, and you believe something miraculous has happened, please phone Father Robichaud at 202-269-2538 or [email protected]

If you would like to contribute to Father Hecker’s cause for canonization, please click here.