Saint Louis-Marie de Montfort offered 14 rules in taking up our cross daily in a letter he wrote to the Friends of the Cross community that has since been published as a little booklet entitled Friends of the Cross. He exhorted the community to suffer and bear their crosses in the footsteps of Jesus, that is, to live in a Christ-like fashion. Here are the 14 rules which Brother Dominic shared with all Friends of the Cross retreatants that I feel bear repeating:
1. Do not deliberately cause crosses by one's own fault. Watch how you behave lest you create crosses for yourself inadvertently.
2. Be aware of one's neighbour's good. Consider how your actions may scandalize others so out of love for them, refrain from any action that may cause a negative reaction.
3. Admire the sublime virtue of the saints without pretending to attain it. Be humble and see yourself as just a beginner (fledglings and cubs) in carrying your crosses.
4. Ask God for the wisdom of the Cross. Desire, seek and relish the cross. Ask for the wisdom of the cross with hard toil, profound humiliation and fervent prayer.
5. Humble oneself for one's faults, without worrying. Should you blunder into a cross, humble yourself interiorly under the mighty hand of God, but do not worry at it, trying to right the wrong by covering it up.
6. God humbles us to purify us. God leads His saints to humility and holiness. Remember the thorn in the flesh of Saint Paul's, that God did not remove to keep him from getting too proud - which was a good thing.
7. Avoid the trap of pride in one's crosses. Beware of spiritual pride. Always purify your motive in carrying your cross. Be aware of subtle resistances and look out for 'endless inventive excuses'.
8. Profit by little sufferings rather than great ones. Take advantage of your sufferings, more so of the small ones than of the great. God considers not so much what we suffer as how we suffer. To suffer much or little for the sake of God is to suffer like saints.
9. Love crosses, not with an emotional love, but with rational and supernatural love. The love you have for the Cross is not sensible love, for this would be impossible for human nature.
10. Suffer all sorts of crosses, without exception, and without choice. Be resolved to suffer every kind of cross without exception. Be ready to be forsaken by men and angels and, seemingly, by God Himself.
11. Four considerations for suffering well:-
a) The eye of God. Ask yourself what does God look out for and try to look at things through His eyes?
b) The hand of God. Allow God's hands to fashion us. Be open.
c) The wounds and sufferings of Christ crucified. Keep our eyes fixed on Jesus crucified.
d) Heaven above, hell below. Lift up your eyes, behold the crown that awaits you in Heaven if you carry your cross as you should.
12. Never complain against creatures. Never murmur or deliberately complain about any created thing that God may use to afflict you. There are three kinds of complaints: natural and involuntary, rational, and sinful.
13. Accept the cross only with gratitude. Whenever you are given a cross, be sure to embrace it with humility and gratitude.
14. Take up some voluntary crosses. If you wish to be worthy of the best crosses, those that are not of your choice, then, with the help of a prudent director, take on some that are voluntary.
If you are truly Friends of the Cross, then, without your knowing it, love, which is ever ingenious, will discover thousands of little crosses to enrich you.
What Montfort said so many years ago still holds true today. And I give thanks for my thousands of little crosses for they have enriched me and made my life so much more meaningful. As I continue to follow Jesus, I am happy to carry my own cross for I know He is with me every step of the way, and that is grace sufficient.
1. Do not deliberately cause crosses by one's own fault. Watch how you behave lest you create crosses for yourself inadvertently.
2. Be aware of one's neighbour's good. Consider how your actions may scandalize others so out of love for them, refrain from any action that may cause a negative reaction.
3. Admire the sublime virtue of the saints without pretending to attain it. Be humble and see yourself as just a beginner (fledglings and cubs) in carrying your crosses.
4. Ask God for the wisdom of the Cross. Desire, seek and relish the cross. Ask for the wisdom of the cross with hard toil, profound humiliation and fervent prayer.
5. Humble oneself for one's faults, without worrying. Should you blunder into a cross, humble yourself interiorly under the mighty hand of God, but do not worry at it, trying to right the wrong by covering it up.
6. God humbles us to purify us. God leads His saints to humility and holiness. Remember the thorn in the flesh of Saint Paul's, that God did not remove to keep him from getting too proud - which was a good thing.
7. Avoid the trap of pride in one's crosses. Beware of spiritual pride. Always purify your motive in carrying your cross. Be aware of subtle resistances and look out for 'endless inventive excuses'.
8. Profit by little sufferings rather than great ones. Take advantage of your sufferings, more so of the small ones than of the great. God considers not so much what we suffer as how we suffer. To suffer much or little for the sake of God is to suffer like saints.
9. Love crosses, not with an emotional love, but with rational and supernatural love. The love you have for the Cross is not sensible love, for this would be impossible for human nature.
10. Suffer all sorts of crosses, without exception, and without choice. Be resolved to suffer every kind of cross without exception. Be ready to be forsaken by men and angels and, seemingly, by God Himself.
11. Four considerations for suffering well:-
a) The eye of God. Ask yourself what does God look out for and try to look at things through His eyes?
b) The hand of God. Allow God's hands to fashion us. Be open.
c) The wounds and sufferings of Christ crucified. Keep our eyes fixed on Jesus crucified.
d) Heaven above, hell below. Lift up your eyes, behold the crown that awaits you in Heaven if you carry your cross as you should.
12. Never complain against creatures. Never murmur or deliberately complain about any created thing that God may use to afflict you. There are three kinds of complaints: natural and involuntary, rational, and sinful.
13. Accept the cross only with gratitude. Whenever you are given a cross, be sure to embrace it with humility and gratitude.
14. Take up some voluntary crosses. If you wish to be worthy of the best crosses, those that are not of your choice, then, with the help of a prudent director, take on some that are voluntary.
If you are truly Friends of the Cross, then, without your knowing it, love, which is ever ingenious, will discover thousands of little crosses to enrich you.
What Montfort said so many years ago still holds true today. And I give thanks for my thousands of little crosses for they have enriched me and made my life so much more meaningful. As I continue to follow Jesus, I am happy to carry my own cross for I know He is with me every step of the way, and that is grace sufficient.
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