As we Roman Catholics see it, taking up one's cross is not a bad thing. Let's be brutally honest, life sucks. It does. There are many bad things that happen to good people while the bad people seem to prosper. This has been a thorn in the side of Christians and Jews since Biblical times, when the psalmist bitterly complained about the same thing to God.
We are going to suffer. That is life. But, when we take our suffering, take up our cross as it were, we are uniting with Jesus Christ, the Son of God, as He makes His way to Calvary. Here is God, marching along a dusty road in great pain, carrying a heavy wooden beam on His way to execution. God suffered. Think about that, the Creator of the Universe, the Almighty God, knows what it is like to suffer since He, in the act of carrying His cross, united with us, the beings He created.
The thought of God intimately understanding my suffering gives me great strength and great hope. Although I must walk this lonesome valley by myself, God is above me, sheltering me in His wings, His Holy Spirit giving me resolve.
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