Bear the Cross

"Bearing our crosses. Nothing can bring us a more profound peace in this world than to look upon our Lord in all the afflictions that befell him from his birth to his death. In his life we see so much calumny, poverty, dependence, pain, torment, injury, and every sort of bitterness that in reflecting on them we see that we are wrong to call our little trials afflictions and pains and to think that we need more patience in order to endure them in as much as a little drop of modesty is all we really need to enable us to bear with what happens to us.

Your soul has all these movements of sadness, astonishment, and anxiety because it is not yet sufficiently grounded in the love of the cross and in resignation to God's will.

A heart that greatly respects and loves Jesus Christ crucified, loves his death, pain, torment, insults, hunger, thirst, and shame, and when some small participation in them comes such a heart rejoices and embraces it lovingly. Every day you should bring to mind the sufferings our Lord endured for our redemption, not while at prayer but at another time such as when taking a walk, and consider how good it is for you to participate in them.

Find out how to do so, that is, how to frustrate your desires and especially your most just and legitimate desires. And then, with a great love for the Passion and Cross of our Lord, cry out with St. Andrew, O blessed Cross, so beloved to my Savior, when will you receive me in your arms?"

Source: https://www.augustineinstitute.org/