As part of the communion of saints, all of us are connected to the body of Christ, like the beloved disciple was connected to Mary at the foot of the cross. Both Sts. Francis and Clare of Assisi recognized the importance of what happened at the cross as a model for Christian life. They also recognized the connection that the cross has to our formation of community, friendship, and the communion of saints.
Like the two criminals on either side of Jesus, our choice is between what we want and what is needed, between the will of our own desires and the will of God. To follow Christ means a willingness to surrender all, even to the point of losing one’s life for God’s sake.
—from the book The Last Words of Jesus: A Meditation on Love and Suffering
by Daniel P. Horan, OFM
