Mission and the Cross ll

St. Comboni knew that to place oneself in God's service for the mission meant to encounter opposition, misunderstandings, discouragement and obstacles. We could put St. Comobni's reasoning like this: if to work for the mission in Africa, I must walk through the valley of darkness, if for the sake of the mission I have to bear a thousand crosses... I will welcome any kind of cross. What matters to me is the mission, crosses don't scare me provided these are the only means to carry out the work God has inspired me to do. A month before his death he wrote, "I am afflicted by great tribulations, for thus it pleases the Lord Jesus... What a cross for a Missionary Bishop! Nevertheless, if we could understand why God acts in this way, we would praise and bless Him".

The great temptation it seems today in the Church is to look for a comfortable Christ ~ a Christ who is less demanding, less covered in blood ~ almost a faith that wishes to bypass Calvery. Jesus teaches, however that we are not to make his message sweeter, "If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself, take up his cross and follow me" (Mt. 16:24).

It is impossible to believe and live our faith without the courage to point at the cross and at the crucifix as the pillars of our Christian life and the companions in our missionary work/journey.