The Cross: The Teaching of Discipleship

"If you want to be My disciple, you must take up your cross and follow Me."

Part two of my pre-thesis or practice-thesis; this part of the Cross is very imp
ortant to our way of life as Christians. We can not be a Christian; without carr
ying our cross every day. Some days it seems lighter than other days but those d
ays you are sick and hurt; it feels like the cross was made out of rail-road tie
s; which are heavy and thick pieces of wood.

Why do some 'Christians' think we don't have to carry the Cross to be followers
of Christ?

This is something that has started to split Catholics up and Protestants even mo
re; it also started when the so called 'reformation' took place and Luther and t
hose other people left the Church founded by Christ to found their own; with the
ir own rules.

This is where the Doctrine of discipleship went south; because each Protestant c
hurch has their own rules and they keep changing the rules; to make sure everyon
e feels welcome and doesn't hurt anyone's feelings; which means they have no rul
es.

That is why when suffering comes into their families; they are uncertain on how
to handle it and that is why they get depressed and some Catholics get depressed
; because they start living a very weak and watered down faith; where there is n
o rules hardly and they do not listen to the Church's Teaching on what to do.

I think why so many Christians do not follow this doctrine taught by Christ; bec
ause of the lack of true Catechism Teachers who do not teach the fullness of the
faith.
Now, the Sunday School Teachers must teach the fullness of the Christian faith a
nd not hatred toward other sects of the Protestant churches and also to the One
True Church; plus the Orthodox Church.

With the lack of actual teachers teaching the fullness of Christ Teachings; this
is why so many do not follow Christ's Doctrine on being His disciple.

Why is this doctrine given by Christ so important to the Christian Faith?

The first reason is very easy and should be the only reason; because Christ said
so; but there are those so called 'christians' who want more reasons and won't
accept it straight from Christ.
The second reason is a little harder to explain: If so called 'christians' do no
t accept the teaching straight from Christ; then these people are not Christians
. To be a Christian; one must follow Christ; which is where we get the name Chri
stian.
That is why so called cults who try to use the name Christian with their group;
but they do not follow Christ; which means they are and can not be Christians; u
ntil they convert to the Church.
To accept this teaching on the cross that if we want to be Jesus' disciple; we m
ust take up and carry our cross daily. Means we are to carry Jesus' cross; as Ar
chbishop Fulton J. Sheen once said. To accept it; means we are to give our suffe
rings to Jesus; all our problems of each day is the cross we must carry; but we
shouldn't look sad; but have a sense of joy on our face.
When we carry our cross with the sense of joy in our life; we teach a good examp
le on how to carry the cross for others. Christ gave the perfect example.
But, how can we get those who deny Christ's teaching on carrying the cross; to c
arry the cross?
We should always pray for them; but then never give up on them and as Mother Ang
elica says, "be a thorn in someone's side." Not nag them but remind them; that t
hey can't be Jesus' disciple without carrying our cross daily.
After a while they will get the hint and finally start understanding that they m
ust carry their cross; even teaching them by telling them to offer up their suff
erings to Jesus on the Cross; so they or anyone can experience the loving power
of the Cross; by being sanctified.
To be a faithful Christian; we are to carry our cross as Mary carried her cross
for her entire life. A faithful Christian carries all the sufferings without com
plaining and we have given all our sufferings up to Christ; everything is a pray
er to us.

Finally what is our cross: It depends on the day that we wake up; each day the c
ross is different. Our cross comes from God; which is the illness of that day or
week or month; even year. All those injuries. Out of work. Can't find a job and
can't get hired. All those sufferings which come each and every day.

God bless

The Cross: On the Teaching Discipleship:II

"If you want to be My disciple; you must take up your cross daily and follow Me.
"
I have started this talk on why it is important to carry our cross daily; but le
t us continue on this topic for my pre-thesis.
I know people complain; I think we all do; we can't help it; because we are weak
but the Spirit is Willing as Christ said in the garden; the time when He woke u
p Peter and the other Apostles.

Why does God give us the cross to carry?

I know people are like little children in their terrible two's; always asking wh
y and never really listening to the answer; until the parent or person explainin
g gives a answer they like; but in the Faith we do not give a answer that everyo
ne likes; we give the answer which is truth or leads to the truth of the Faith.

God gave us the cross to carry; because the Son of God was to suffer and did suf
fer the Passion and death on the Cross; Jesus carried the cross to redeem us and
so we carry the Cross to follow Jesus in His footsteps as Christians.
The quote to start part two of the pre-thesis; is His words to the Apostles and
the other seventy-two people.

Yes, it is a hard life; dragging a heavy cross to the end; which we do not know
when the end is; but we must keep our focus on God; without Him; we can do nothi
ng and we would of literally died or gave up on the cross; to go a different way
; which some have and are living a immoral life; even those who stay in the Chur
ch; but do not live the life of a Christian.

God gave us the cross; so we have a way to reach eternal life; which is the only
way; because Jesus is the Way and His Sacred Heart is the Gate of Heaven.

Will we be Crucified like Jesus?

Yes we will be crucified like Jesus; either spiritually or if we are called to g

ive our life in a Red Martyrdom; then we will be crucified; not on a cross but s
ome type of death or it could be on a cross.
Any Red Martyrdom is a type of crucifixion and when our faith is attacked; eithe
r personally or the entire Church; we go through a White Martyrdom or a spiritua
l crucifixion.
In our life we could be crucified thousands of times; from defending the faith a
nd when we are attacked on the teachings of the Church. We are not to worry abou
t it; but accept it; because we were told by Jesus this will happen; because the
y hated Him first, beat Him first and killed Him first. It will happen to us and
that is part of carrying the cross faithfully and being a faithful follower of
Christ.
Each Christian is to carry the cross truthfully and faithfully; which means that
split should not effect anything. If the spilt between the different theologies
effect the carrying of the cross faithfully and truthfully; then carrying the c
ross isn't the focus anymore.
Do you know the saying, "There is no salvation outside of the Church."? That is
true; if the Protestants who do not have any relationship with the Church; then
there is no salvation. To have relations with the Church; well the carrying of t
he Cross is part of the Catholic way of life; it is part of our Spirituality giv
en by Christ.
How to wrap up the final part of the thesis on The Cross?
The Cross is part of our Spirituality as Catholics; but the center of Our Spirit
uality is the Eucharist.
Cross means love; because the Cross is the tool of our salvation and Jesus redee
med us with the Cross and that is why we carry the Cross; so we may share in the
salvation plan.
If we do not carry the Cross; how can we enter into Heaven? We can't; because we
do not follow the path started by Christ. If we do not follow the path started
by Christ; we won't make it to heaven; but go on the easy path of sin; which loo
ks good until the end and we won't even know that we entered into hell; but afte
r it's too late. Carry the Cross faithfully; ask God to help us; ask the Saints
in heaven to intercede; especially Our Blessed Mother.
The Cross is the way to Heaven and the way to eternal happiness.
God bless