What does it mean to "take up your cross"?
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Why is readiness to suffer not enough? We explore the difference between false humility and a true desire to suffer.
The first part of the material can be found here
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Indeed, how good it is for a Christian, in a good mood, to accept everything that happens to him with peace: all the events of life, the external environment, troubles from neighbors, sorrows, illnesses, and even death itself.
Often, the only and unchanging helper in such a blessed disposition is his firm reliance on the Providence of God, who equally cares for every blade of grass and for the Church of God, which has the promise that the gates of hell will not prevail against it.
Nothing in the world happens without the will of God. And the troubles allowed by Him are easily turned into blessings for the meek and humble children of God, "that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose" (Rom. 8:28).
But, so that self-love does not deceive us with the possibility of an easy victory, let us remind: the condition of this victory is taking up and carrying our cross after the Lord.
Conscious, willing, even to the determination to lay down one's life for the Faith – to which the words of the Queen of Heaven point: "I want to suffer."
Readiness or desire?
But what exactly is required of us: the desire to suffer or the readiness to suffer?
Suppose only readiness is required, and so a person humbles himself in thoughts with the agreement to suffer. But how will he behave when this humility is seriously tested?
Let us recall the young man from the Gospel, who seemed ready for anything for the Kingdom of God. "Jesus said to him: if you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor; and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me – the young man went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions" (Matt. 19:21-22).
One determination was not enough. Now, to continue living, he will either have to go to the Pharisees, who will quickly calm him, or somehow return to Christ again. But how, if Christ has already given him a commandment, and he does not want to fulfill it?
The commandment is: "deny yourself, and take up your cross, and follow Me" (Mark 8:34).
Take up the cross – in other words, accept suffering. And this cannot be done in a state of mere readiness, if one does not know how to transition to desire.
False readiness and inability to desire will compel a person to wriggle out, pushing them to seek alternatives and compromises. In our time, on the grounds of church temptations, smart people immediately invent renovationism, ecumenism, etc.
"I am going to Rome to be crucified again"
How is it that the ecclesiastical authority of the persecuted Church, caring for the preservation of church property from ruin, the Mother of God commands nothing more, but only sets Herself as an example: "I want to suffer"?
It must be assumed that in two words the Queen of Heaven said exactly what was needed. The Apostle Peter said the same thing a little more extensively: "For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. <...> For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps" (1 Pet. 2:19-21).
Let us recall the story: the holy Apostle Peter was in Rome when Nero began the persecution of Christians. The disciples persuaded him to leave Rome. Leaving the city, on the ancient Appian Way, the apostle met Jesus Christ. To the question "Where are you going, Lord?" ("Quo vadis, Domine?"), the Savior said: "I am going to Rome to be crucified again."
As we see, the Lord, in a situation similar to ours, did not say more than what the Mother of God said.
In these words is the spirit of the Gospel.
Peter did not need extra words to return to Rome and ascend the cross – Peter knew for what he was giving his life.
Salvation of shrines or salvation of the soul?
What should our activity be directed towards during persecutions: towards acquiring the Christian calling for ourselves or towards preserving church property, about which the Lord commanded nothing? Is it not because God sometimes allows it to be plundered, that we, being concerned with the external, forget about the matter of our calling?
Striving to preserve church values, one can also suffer lawfully.
Only in the main thing must one remain faithful: in the dogmas of faith and devotion to the Mother Church.
Zealous for the temples of God, we must not diverge in spirit from the prayer "Our Father." Defending the shrines must be done impartially, without irritation, not scandalizing anyone, not condemning, but wholly entrusting ourselves to the hands of the Lord, who said: "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay..." (Heb. 10:30).
If we return once more to the concepts of readiness and desire, it must be said that readiness ends at the foot of the cross, and the hands with which a Christian takes up his cross are called – the desire to suffer.
Readiness is the state of the catechumens, but from the faithful more is required – the ability to realize this readiness through desire, through the denial of one's soul with its passions and desires (cf. Gal. 5:24).
"Give blood and receive spirit" – simply and briefly expressed this spiritual law by the holy fathers.
"There are no uncrucified in paradise"
And what happens if, without knowing the path of salvation, one begins to save oneself? Did all who came to the Church remain in it? And those who remained, do they not grumble? And why do they grumble? Because the path of salvation is the cross.
However, let us not blame the Church for something not being done right in it. Saint Isaac the Syrian warns: "God bears all human weaknesses, but does not tolerate the grumbler, if He does not punish." If we admit that all troubles are allowed to us for our sins, then why not look for our own fault in the fact that we do not have the right faith, no knowledge of the meaning of life and the cross?
Saint Silouan the Athonite said: "There are no uncrucified in paradise." Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov) said the same: "The uncrucified are not Christ's." If we do not know this, then it is our fault that we did not want to know.
The Lord did not give us a guarantee that everything would be in order in His earthly Church, therefore we have no right to demand this order from Him or from the servants of the Church. The Lord has His own order – He seeks those who seek Him.
Saint John Chrysostom, addressing those who are scandalized, gives the example of Abraham: "What priests did Abraham use... what teachers?...Absolutely none, but he himself had a well-thinking soul, and that was enough." He gives the example of Noah, who was righteous when "the whole world was immersed in evil", and his son Ham, who had the best teacher in the person of his father, but was evil. He gives the example of Job, who "having nothing of the sort, with great zeal manifested all kinds of virtue."
And finally, Chrysostom speaks of Judas. Judas did not receive salvation even from Christ. He saw miracles, performed them himself, heard teachings about the Kingdom and hell, participated in the Mystical Supper, but "fell into madness and... became a traitor."
All this is said by the saint so that nothing and no one should scandalize us.
The way out is only in God
Historical events inevitably move towards an apocalyptic conclusion. But it is comforting that the Lord promised to save everyone striving for salvation: "The one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out" (John 6:37).
With disorders in the world, there will be disorders in the Church. A Christian who wishes to be saved will inevitably need to be able to accurately determine where the grace-filled Church of Christ is.
The Church must keep the Truth, and we
