St. Anthony the Abbot Catholic Church

            There is a pithy old Latin phrase that expresses this truth: "per crucem ad lucem". Translated, it means: "through the cross into the light." That was Christ's path: from Good Friday to Easter Sunday. It has also been the Church's path throughout history: from persecution to prosperity. Another ancient phrase expresses the same truth by saying that "the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church." When Christians follow closely in Christ's footsteps, being faithful to God even when it means suffering, then He is able to pour His grace into us and through us into the world around us.

            The famous dome of St Peter's Basilica in Rome, designed by Michelangelo, is a symbol of this truth.    Decorating the inside of the huge dome, which towers 492 feet high, are gorgeous mosaics of the angels and saints in heaven. The massive structure is supported by four huge pillars, erected at the intersection of the nave and the transept.    Each pillar is decorated with a monumental statue of a saint: St Helen, St Veronica, St Andrew, and St Longinus. The saints were chosen carefully for their connection to Christ's passion, to the cross.

            St Veronica's veil was used to wipe Christ's face during His walk to Calvary, and carried His image on its cloth ever afterwards. St Longinus was the centurion who pierced Christ's heart with a spear as He hung on the cross. St Helen, the Emperor Constantine's mother, traveled to the Holy Land and recovered the true Cross, upon which Jesus had been crucified. St Andrew, one of the Twelve Apostles, had died by being martyred on a Cross, just like Jesus. The pillars support the dome, just as suffering with Christ leads to salvation. The building itself embodies "per crucem ad lucem" - through the cross, into the light.

            It is easy for us to think about the value of suffering and the cross in the abstract, from a distance. But when the cross comes into our lives and makes us suffer, it is not so easy. Many Christians become discouraged or angry with God when they experience betrayal, failure, or personal or family illness. Like the Apostles on Good Friday, sometimes the cross inspires fear and drives us away from Christ. But if we abandon Christ, we don't suddenly find a life without crosses - suffering doesn't just go away. Rather, it becomes worse, because it loses meaning and purpose - and that produces deep frustration and even despair.

           To avoid that path, we need to prepare ourselves for suffering. We need to think about the message of the cross and contemplate Christ on the cross during times of peace and prosperity, so that times of difficulty don't take us by surprise. This is why every Catholic Church has a crucifix near the altar all year round, even in the most joyful seasons.    So that we never forget that salvation comes through suffering. And this is why every Catholic household should have crucifixes somewhere on its walls - after all, every Catholic family is a miniature church.

           Keeping a crucifix on our desk at the office, or on the dashboard of the car, or in our locker at school - these are things we can do to remind ourselves that suffering and self-sacrifice are a necessary and meaningful part of every Christian's life. And if we keep that in mind, we will never be surprised by life's crosses, and we will also grow in the wisdom and strength we need to help our neighbors carry their crosses.