The season of Lent timely reminds us once again about penance. There echo in our ears and hearts our Lord’s words: “If any one wishes to be my disciple (…) he must take up his cross and follow me.”
These words of our Lord remind me about a well-known story –obviously not real– about Jesus distributing crosses to people from all walks of life, young and old, healthy and sick, etc.
One of them was a young witty and successful salesman. He confidently approached our Lord and expressed his desire to become his disciple.
Jesus examined him and asked, “Are you sure you really want to be my disciple?”
“Of course,” the young man replied. “Give me all you’ve got, Lord! I won’t disappoint you.”
Jesus rummaged through the catalog of crosses. Then took out a red colored card. “Ah, here it is: crosses for young enterprising salesmen.”
He gave the card to the young fellow and said, “Check out the code and ask St. Andrew to give you the corresponding model.”
“Right away, Lord!” the man excitedly rushed out to see St. Andrew.
St. Andrew read the code and entered a room and came back with a rather peculiar looking cross because its vertical beam was very very very looong!
The man gladly accepted it without any questions. Hitching the cross on his shoulders, he started his pilgrimage towards Heaven. From a distance he could see the light bursting out from Heaven pearly gates.
As he travelled, he noticed that there were also other people carrying their own crosses towards Heaven. He also noticed that like his own cross, their vertical beams were also strangely long.
With the passage of some time, he began to grow tired and weary. He prayed to our Lord, “Lord, I’m not really complaining, but I was wondering if you could cut a bit off my cross. Besides, isn’t the vertical beam a bit too long?”
Without any word, our Lord granted him his request and cut off a part of the beam.
“Now, that looks lot better,” the man satisfactorily said and resumed his journey.
After a few weeks the man again repeated his petition to God. Like the first time, God also cut off another part of the beam.
Despite this, the man continued to feel the cross weighing on his shoulder. Thus, for a third time, he asked our Lord to trim it a little bit more. Our Lord again ceded to his request.
Hoisting it on his shoulders, the salesman finally felt very comfortable. Not far away he contemplated Heaven’s gate and heard the hymn of the angels and saints praising God. He could not contain his excitement.
As he progressed a little more onwards, he was surprised to meet a huge ravine that blocked his way from continuing onwards to the gates. He pondered how he could get across when there was not a bridge in sight to cross over.
Just then another person arrived and stopped at the edge of the ravine. He lowered his cross and slowly lowered it across the ravine. With this makeshift bridge of a cross, the person crossed over, picked up his cross and resumed his joyful entry into Heaven.
The young salesman realized his big mistake. His cross was now too short to bridge over the ravine. He sat on the ground and began to cry.
Jesus came over to him and consoled him. He said, “I was confident that you would easily reach Heaven. But along the way, you gave in to your whims and comfort.”
“I’m so sorry Lord, I didn’t realize how important and personal our crosses are. Then looking at his shortened cross he asked, “How will I ever get across now, Lord?”
Jesus smiled and pointed to his pool of tears. “Look, the wood of the cross is absorbing your tears of sorrow. In no time, it will grow back to its full length. In the meantime, remain here and learn to love the cross I have entrusted to you. Then follow me.”
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In the remaining season of Lent, may we realize that the crosses that God may send us are not always the burdensome, painful and gloomy ones. Each cross is tailor-designed to every person. God knows us more than we know ourselves. Thus, he gives us a cross that will polish, purify and fortify us to bring out the best in each us.
Moreover, the cross is our Lord’s ‘brand’ that marks us as His disciples. It isn’t only something to wear outside, but reveals a mission entrusted to every disciple: that of making Christ present in every circumstance that we may find ourselves in.
Thus, the cross that we bear no longer becomes a sign of pain and suffering, but a source of Christ’s light, peace and joy in the midst of the world through his disciples.