The Imitation of Christ

Recently, I discovered Thomas a Kempis' The Imitation of Christ, which is certainly among the all-time great Catholic works. It is a timeless work and one that can be read over and over, bit by bit, each time producing great fruit.

Today, in Book 2, Chapter 11, paragraphs 1-3, I came across the following passage, which truly spoke to me:

Jesus today has many who love his heavenly kingdom, but few who carry his cross; many who yearn for comfort, few who long for distress. Plenty of people he finds to share his banquet, few to share his fast. Everyone desires to take part in his rejoicing, but few are willing to suffer anything for his sake. There are many that follow Jesus as far as the breaking of the bread, few as far as drinking the cup of suffering; many that revere his miracles, few that follow him in the indignity of his cross; many that love Jesus as long as nothing runs counter to them; many that praise and bless him, as long as they receive some comfort from him; but should Jesus hide from them and leave them for a while, they fall to complaining or become deeply depressed.

One reason that this passage resonated with me today was the recent shift in the liturgical calendar from the Easter season to Ordinary time. I have been thinking about how we Catholics often refer to ourselves as an "Easter people," but often neglect to consider that we are also a "Good Friday people."

In this regard, we must always remember that Our Lord's invitation to discipleship explicitly contains the cross. Suffering, in one form or another, is part and parcel of being a Christian. For example, in Mark 8:34-35, Jesus said:

Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it.

Too often, it seems, we Christians forget that part of the equation. We forget (perhaps all too conveniently) that there is no Easter Sunday, no glorious Resurrection morn, without the dreadful cruelty and suffering of Good Friday.

In short, to follow Christ-- to "imitate" him -- is to make our own march to Calvary. I humbly pray that God grant will grant us all the strength, courage and wisdom to embrace the cross in our lives and to follow Him in all things.

Praise God!!