The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1900-04-07
INVITATIONS OF CHRIST.
Book 2, Chapter 12.
Of the ROYAL Road Of the Holy Cross.


Of the Royal Road of the Holy Cross
To many this eeemeth a hard saying:
Deny myself, take up thy cross and
follow Jesus" But it will be much
harder to heareth at last word: DE
part from me, We cursed, into everlast-
| ing fire" for they who now love to hear
and Follow the word of the cross shall
not then fear the sentence of eternal
condemnation.
This sign of the cross shall be in
heaven when the Lord shall come to
judge.
Then all the servants of the cross,
who in their lifetime have conformed
themselves to Him that was crucified
shall come to Christ, their judge, with
great confidence.
,. Why, then, art thou afraid to take
up thy cross, which leadeth to the
kingdom?
In the cross is salvation; in the cross
is life; in the cross is protection from
enemies.
In the cross is infusion of heavenly
sweetness; in the cross is strength of
mind; in the cross is joy of spirit. In
the cross is height of virtue; in the
cross is perfection of sanctity. There
is no health of soul, nor hope of eternal
life but in the cross.
Take up. therefore, thy cross and
follow Jesus, and thou shalt go into
life everlasting. He is gone before
thee, carrying His cross, and He died
for thee upon the cross, that thou
mayest also bear thy cross and love to
die on the cross.
Because if thou die with Him, thou
shalt also live with Him; and if thou
art His companion in suffering, thou
shalt also be His companion in glory.
g. Behold in the cross all doth con-
sist, and all lieth in our dying; and
there is no other way to life and to
true interior peace but the way of the
Only cross, and of daily modification.
Go where thou wilt, seek what thou
wilt, and thou shalt not find higher
way above, nor a safer way below,
than the way of the holy cross.
Dispose and order all things accord
ing as thou wilt and as seems best to
thee, and thou wilt still find something
to suffer, either willingly or unwilling
ly, and so thou shalt always find the
cross.
Foor either thou shalt feel pain in the
body or sustain in thy soul tribulatioU
of spirit.
4. Sometimes thou shalt be deserted
by God; at other times thou shalt be
afflicted by thy neighbor; and what is
more, thou shalt often be a trouble to
thyself.
Neither canst thou be delivered or
eased by any remedy or comfort, but
as long as it shall please God thou
must bear it.
For God willeth that thou learn to
suffer tribulatiOn with comfort, and
wholly submit myself to Him, and be-
come more humble by tribulation.
No man hath so heartfelt a sense of
the passion of Christ as he whose lot
it hath been to suffer like things.
The cross, therefore. is always ready,
and everywhere awaiteth thee.
Thou canst not escape it Witherso-
ever thou FUNNIEST; for wheresoever
thou goest thou earliest thyself with
thee, and shalt always find thyself.
Turn thyself upwards or turn myself
turn myself inward or
turn myself outward; everywhere
thou shalt find the cross.
And everywhere thou must of neces-
sity hold fast patience. if thou desirest
inward peace, and wouldst merit an
eternal crown.
5. If thou carry the cross willingly it
will carry thee and bring thee to thy
desired end, namely, to that peace
where there will be an end of suffering,
though here there will be no end. If
thou carry it unwillingly, thou makest