HOW TO BEAR PRACTICALLY YOUR CROSS - By H.H. Pope Shenouda III

The cross is a sign of love, bestowal, sacrifice, and redemption, which you carry each time you are tired in view of the practice of these virtues.

1. Try to get tired for the rest of another 

For his deliverance and his service; and be confident that God does never forget the fatigue of charity, "and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor" (1 Cor. 3:8).... Train yourself to give: whatever you bestow and support and sacrifice..... and train yourself to give from your necessities, as the blessed widow had done (Luke 21:4)........ Get tired in your service, because it is as much as you get tired, so much your love will appear, and therefore your sacrifice.

2. The Cross is also a sign of sufferings and endurance 

The sufferings which the Lord endured for us, whether the sufferings of the body, of which He said: "They pierced My hands and My feet; I can count all My bones" (Ps. 22: 16-17) ....... or the sufferings of shame which He joyfully endured for us, that is He was rejoicing for our salvation.

Therefore the apostle said about Him: "who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame" (Heb: 12:2). How great is the endurance when it is joyfully done. That is a lesson for us. While you suffer a cross, if you endure the tribulation of the cross for the Lord, or if you encounter persecution because of your justice, or if you are hit with disease or weakness for that...... likewise if you endure the wearisome deeds of people without taking revenge for yourself, but rather you turn the other cheek, and you walk the second mile, and do not resist an evil person (Matt. 5:39), but rather you act with patience, ... and patience is a cross, ... whether your endurance is within the circle of the family, or in the field of service, or in relation to your work.

3. You will bear a cross, if you crucify the flesh with its passions  (Gal. 5:24)  

You make efforts to crucify a craving or a guilty desire, and you conquer yourself. You crucify your thoughts each time they want to make you wandering. Likewise you restrain your senses, you bridle your tongue, you constrain yourself, and forbid your body to take food, enduring hunger, keeping away from every appetising food, and from every corporal pleasure and from the love of money.

4. You bear your cross in your self-denial, by taking the last place

 

By not seeking dignity, by your giving up your rights, by not taking your reward on earth, by preferring others to yourself in everything with love that "does not seek its own" (1 Cor. 13:5), by humility and renouncement, and by keeping away from praise and dignity.

5. You bear your cross by bearing the sins of others, because our Lord the Christ has done so.

There is no objection that you would bear the guilt of another one and be punished for that instead of him; or that you bear the responsibilities of another one, and to carry them on instead of him. And as saint Paul said to Philemon about Onesimus: "But if he has wronged you or owes anything, put that on my account. I, Paul, an writing with my own hand, I will repay" (Philemon 18-19)...... As much as you can, participate in the sufferings of others, and carry them in their place. Be a cyrenian bearing the cross of another.

H.H. Pope Shenouda III

9 - YOUR SELF AND THE OFFENCES - By H.H. Pope Shenouda III

9 - YOUR SELF AND THE OFFENCES 

By H.H. Pope Shenouda III

The following is a collection of articles entitled, "The Release of the Spirit" written by HH Pope Shenouda III for the Sunday School Magazine from the year 1951 before starting his monastic life.  

These articles were published in the form of a book in the year 1957 including some of his poems which were published in the magazine as well.. 

It was his first published book and it gained the approval of many and was reprinted many times.

9 - YOUR SELF AND THE OFFENCES 

My beloved brother, unless you are released from your "self" which you worship in place of God, and which you exalt and elevate in front of people, you will never attain the eminence of the release of the spirit... 

Perhaps you sometimes like to be praised by people.. and we have discussed in a previous article what you ought to do when others praise you.. Now, in this calm meeting I'd like to ask you, 

'What do you feel and how do you behave when others offend you or mistrust you?'

Perhaps you would think that you are insulted.. and perhaps you would be much concerned about your dignity and the awe and respect due to you.. This would make you angry and furious.. You may avenge or defend yourself.. I do not deny you this right, for I am in the flesh like you and have experienced all such feelings or rather have been tempted by them... But come, let us discuss the matter together.. 

What benefit does anger avail you?.. It disturbs you, and destroys your nerves.. Moreover it deprives you of the peace of heart and of comfort.. Do you not remember the words of St. James the Apostle,

"For the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. " (James 1:20) 

Getting angry for the sake of your self is no doubt that kind of anger meant by St. James the Apostle.. I hear you saying that such anger relieves your sorrow and gives vent to the agitation suppressed within you! But why do you have such suppressed agitation which needs to come out? Of course the reason is obvious which is that you are much concerned about yourself! Be released, my beloved brother, from this self and you will have comfort.. 

If anyone insults you, do not think of yourself being insulted, but of the person who insulted you.. He is your brother.. and you-being a spiritual person full of love ought to think what can you do for that brother who sinned against you..

Of course, you do not want his precious soul to descend into hell, or that your insult stand in the way of his salvation.. Therefore you have to ask God not to count that sin on his behalf or punish him for it.. You have to pray that God may deliver him of such sin so as not to commit it again against you or others.. 

When you think of the brother who insulted you, try to find out the reason which led him to do so.. Perhaps he was ill, or nervous, his mind agitated or his strength exhausted or overloaded with social, scholastic or financial problems.. Consider what you can do for him.. Perhaps you can arrange for him a nice journey or a picnic or try to provide him with some means of amusement or entertainment.. If you find yourself unable to do anything for him, at least show compassion for him and ask God to give him special help..

People, my dear brother, are not wicked by nature, because when God made man, "God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good". As for evil, it comes to people from without; it is alien to them...

There may be other reasons which led that person to insult you.. He might have misunderstood you.. In such a case you can argue with him to convince him gently and lovingly..

However, there may be some persons who insult others merely because they like to do so, depending on their tolerance, to make of them a subject of their jokes and fun.

Avoid dealing with such persons, or address them, in a severe and firm but polite way to show them their faults and warn them against falling in such faults again..

This, you have to do not with purpose to avenge yourself or to retain a personal dignity but out of love for the person at fault. This would give him no chance to repeat the fault or fall again and destroy himself... 

There is a great difference between blaming a sinner with a desire to take vengeance in such a way as to arouse his wrath against you, and blaming him out of love in a firm but calm way so that he may feel that you love him...

This concerns your attitude towards the person whom you feel has insulted you.. but let me go a little deeper into your self to argue concerning your inner feeling..

1. Why do you consider the words of the others an insult or an abuse?  Why do you not consider such an insult - as you take it to be - a plain word useful to reform yourself 

If you get annoyed due to this, that is because you like to be praised and want all people to speak well of you.. You ought to rejoice, my brother, when people criticise and rebuke you.., because this is for your good. It purifies and benefits you in your coming life.. 

When someone criticises you, you thank him, for perhaps his voice is the voice of God..

I mean that God who loves you may have sent such a person to you to guide you and reveal to you your wrongdoing so that you may stop doing it.

2. Perhaps God is punishing you with such insults for other sins which you have committed in the far or near past..  When David the Prophet heard an insult, he said humbly, "Let him curse, because the Lord has said to him: 'Curse David?"  
(2 Sam. 16:10)

My beloved brother, when someone insults you, remember your past sins and know that you are not perfectly pure so as to be beyond reproach...

3. Sometimes, God performs a successful act through you, but you take such success as a weapon to vaunt and right yourself with, feeling self-righteousness. So, God fearing that you may fall through pride, permits someone to insult you.. This may make some equilibrium within your feelings and eliminate your pride a little. Many of the persons who are insulted by others are proud.. while the Bible teaches us that the meek are raised by God from the dunghill and seated with the princes of their people (Ps. 113:8)

4. Perhaps your conduct has offended others though you are not aware, and so they insulted you... Therefore it is good to know the point of view of the person who insulted you for he may be right..

5. Such an insult may be a lesson for you to teach you love and long-suffering.. One of the spiritual fathers said about some monk who lived in seclusion not mixing with the brethren, 'Being with the brethren in the assembly is necessary for a monk, because if he cannot endure the quarrels of the brethren, how can he endure the wars of the devils in his solitude as St. Isaac says!!'

6. What harm is caused to you if someone judges you wrongly or thinks you are at fault? Would this hinder you from attaining God's Kingdom or would God judge you according to what the people say!

7. Or do you like to be praised and favoured by human beings who are created of dust like you?  My friend, remember that your Master, ".. was oppressed and was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth." and, "He was numbered with the transgressors." (Is. 53:7,12).. He accepted that cross..

8. Lastly, my beloved brother, when you are insulted and when you feel annoyed and resent the insult though you are a sinner like myself, remember then how we insult God and how He endures patiently, loves us and accepts us! How great our compassionate God is! He has no likeness among gods...

   The Release of The Spirit

 By H.H. Pope Shenouda III

Your Cross

For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, 

that whoever believes in Him shall not 

perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16

Pick up your cross no matter how difficult it may seem.  Rely on God to help you so that you do not try to carry your cross alone. Each time you ask for assistance, believe that God hears your prayers. Believe that God is with you and that you never have to carry your cross alone. Believe and turn to Him and trust in His love and mercy. Ask for guidance in everything that you do. Ask and I promise you, peace and joy will be given, given to you.

Do not wait until your cross becomes too heavy, turn to Jesus now. Rely on God each new day so you have joy no matter what you must go through. God will be by your side if you trust in His love for you

God said, do not try to carry your burdens alone. Have hope and place all your trust and confidence in my Son, Jesus. Surrender your lives completely to Him. Surrender all you have with your heart, to His Will, in prayer. Through prayer and complete trust in God, your lives will surely change.

Those who trust will be able to accept whatever cross God allows. They will have peace in their hearts through all trials and tribulation. They will know how to survive when their material possessions are taken away.

God will not abandon those who trust. God will comfort and console those children who have complete trust in Him.

God will carry your cross however heavy it is.

God have sacrificed His only son on the cross to save you from your sins because He loves you. God has promised those who trust and believe in Him to be saved and will be granted eternal life.

Try Not To Cry

She jumped up as soon as she saw the surgeon come out of the operating room.

She said: "How is my little boy? Is he all right? When can I see him?"

The surgeon said, "I'm sorry.

We did all we could, but your boy didn't make it."

Sally said, "Why do little children get cancer?

Doesn't God care any more?

Where were you, God, when my son needed you?"

The surgeon asked, "Would you like some time alone with your son?

One of the nurses will be out in a few minutes, before he's transported to the university."

Sally asked the nurse to stay with her while she said good bye to her son. She ran her fingers lovingly through his thick red curly hair.

"Would you like a lock of his hair?" the nurse asked. Sally nodded yes. The nurse cut a lock of the boy's hair, put it in a plastic bag and handed it to Sally.

The mother said, "it was Jimmy's idea to donate his body to the University for Study. He said it might help somebody else.

"I said no at first, but Jimmy said, 'Mom, I won't be using it after I die. Maybe it will help some other little boy spend one more day with his Mom."

She went on, "My Jimmy had a heart of gold. Always thinking of someone else. Always wanting to help others if he could."

Sally walked out of Children's Mercy Hospital for the last time, after spending most of the last six months there.

She put the bag with Jimmy's belongings on the seat beside her in the car.

The drive home was difficult. It was even harder to enter the empty house.

She carried Jimmy's belongings, and the plastic bag with the lock of his hair to her son's room.

She started placing the model cars and other personal things back in his room exactly where he had always kept them.

She laid down across his bed and, hugging his pillow, cried herself to sleep.

It was around midnight when Sally awoke. Laying beside her on the bed was a folded letter.

The letter said:

"Dear Mom,

I know you're going to miss me; but don't think that I will ever forget you, or stop loving you, just 'cause I'm not around to say

"I Love You".

I will always love you, Mom, even more with each day. Someday we will see each other again. Until then, if you want to adopt a little boy so you won't be so lonely, that's okay with me.

He can have my room and old stuff to play with.

But, if you decide to get a girl instead she probably would't like the same things us boys do.

You'll have to buy her dolls and stuff girls like, you know. Don't be sad thinking about me, try not to cry, this really is a neat place. Grandma and grandpa met me as soon as I got here and showed me around some, but it will take a long time to see everything.

The angels are so cool. I love to watch them fly. And, you know what? Jesus doesn't look like any of his pictures. Yet, when I saw Him, I knew it was Him. Jesus himself took me to see GOD! And guess what Mom? I got to sit on God's knee and talk to Him, like I was somebody important.

That's when I told Him that I wanted to write you a letter, to tell you good bye and everything. But I already knew that wasn't allowed. Well, you know what Mom? God handed me some paper and His own personal pen to write you this letter.

I think Gabriel is the name of the angel who is going to drop this letter off to you. God said for me to give you the answer to one of the questions you asked Him 'Where was He when I needed him?'

"God said He was in the same place with me, as when His son Jesus was on the cross.

He was right there, as He always is with all His children. Oh, by the way Mom, no one else can see what I've written except you. To everyone else this is just a blank piece of paper. Isn't that cool? I have to give God His pen back now.

He needs it to write some more names in the Book of Life. Tonight I got to sit at the table with Jesus for supper. I'm sure the food will be great.

Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. I don't hurt anymore. The cancer is all gone. I'm glad because I couldn't stand the pain anymore and God couldn't stand to see me hurt so much, either.

That's when He sent The Angel of Mercy to come get me. The Angel said I was a Special Delivery!

How about that?

Signed with Love from God, Jesus & Me.