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What does it mean to "Carry your cross"?
Hi,
Can someone explain this verse to me? Christ asked us to "carry our crosses ... and follow Him".
How?
Please answer the following points:
a) what exactly is your cross?
b) How exactly do you carry your cross (please give 3 examples)?
c) How do you not carry your cross (give 3 examples),
d) How do you avoid carrying your cross (2 examples)?
e) 1) I thought Christ carried our cross on our behalf (true or false?)? (please explain)
e) 2) What then is left for us to carry??
f) What are the consequences of not carrying your cross?
g) 1) How can you "lighten" the cross you are carrying?
g) 2) What are the consequences of doing so?
h) Can you carry someone else's cross?
i) Can you help someone to carry their cross??
Please keep your answers structured, clear and concise, and no more than 400 words per section.
You may use references where possible.
No long essays.
Thank you.
Can someone explain this verse to me? Christ asked us to "carry our crosses ... and follow Him".
How?
Please answer the following points:
a) what exactly is your cross?
b) How exactly do you carry your cross (please give 3 examples)?
c) How do you not carry your cross (give 3 examples),
d) How do you avoid carrying your cross (2 examples)?
e) 1) I thought Christ carried our cross on our behalf (true or false?)? (please explain)
e) 2) What then is left for us to carry??
f) What are the consequences of not carrying your cross?
g) 1) How can you "lighten" the cross you are carrying?
g) 2) What are the consequences of doing so?
h) Can you carry someone else's cross?
i) Can you help someone to carry their cross??
Please keep your answers structured, clear and concise, and no more than 400 words per section.
You may use references where possible.
No long essays.
Thank you.
Comments
This isn't a trick question. I just don't know what the official answer is of the Church.
Please could someone (anyone!) answer this?
Thanks
Lol, if you are looking for help on an assignment, you are better off making your questions more...subtle
Easy there,
I just felt it would be beneficial if people could asked questions in a structured/organized manner otherwise the responses just get disorganized.
I'm not doing a degree in theology - I just need to know for personal, bible study type reasons.
This is really weired that no one responds to such questions. I mean, its not as if I'm asking something unOrthodox, or ridiculous. Its to do with our faith.
What on earth is this?
Why not do some research on our behalf and find out what the Fathers say on this passage and post the info here, then others would know what our Church teaches. There are lots of places online to find the teachings of the Fathers on various passages.
God bless
Father Peter
I was hoping if anyone here knew the answers could post them quickly.
I'm sure there's loads of references/explanations on the internet, but I would be concerned if they were protestant or not. Some sites do not specify.
I will try and find the answers, but in the meantime, if you or anyone does have the time, please feel free to post them.
www.archive.org
www.earlychristianwritings.com
www.tertullian.org/fathers
http://www.google.co.uk/search?tbs=bks:1&tbo=1&q=ancient+christian+commentary+on+scripture&oq=ancient+christian
Start with these and see what you can find.
Father Peter
There are brilliant sites. I doubt I'd have found them had you not posted them.
Unfortunately, I have to also pay for a mortgage as well, so I was hoping someone who had no mortgage to pay could kindly just answer the questions?
Thanks
Thanks Fr. Peter,
There are brilliant sites. I doubt I'd have found them had you not posted them.
Unfortunately, I have to also pay for a mortgage as well, so I was hoping someone who had no mortgage to pay could kindly just answer the questions?
Thanks
oh come on Zoxasi.....if you have that much time to post on the forum. why not use this time to do this research and help all of us?!
[quote author=Zoxsasi link=topic=9900.msg121275#msg121275 date=1288021861]
Thanks Fr. Peter,
There are brilliant sites. I doubt I'd have found them had you not posted them.
Unfortunately, I have to also pay for a mortgage as well, so I was hoping someone who had no mortgage to pay could kindly just answer the questions?
Thanks
oh come on Zoxasi.....if you have that much time to post on the forum. why not use this time to do this research and help all of us?!
Dear Mister Mina,
Many thanks for your last post.
Concerning the questions of "What does it mean to 'Carry your cross'"?, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that asking a question is not the same as answering it.
My spiritual level is probably the lowest here on this forum. A lot of you here are theologians and brilliant ones at that too. Why should I answer it?
There's a saying in Arabic here that I would like to quote:
"Eddie ill khobz leh khobazooo, 7atta lawe akkal nossoooo" (Give the dough to the baker, even if he eats half of it).
I could DIY this answer, but like all "DIY" work, its not guaranteed to be correct.
Is it??
By the sheer amount of expertise, intelligence, knowledge and spiritual apptitude that I've seen from people in this forum, I humble myself to say "What on earth do I know to answer this question?"
Also, I have a typing speed of 120 wpm so I can type fast, but the content may not be meaningful.
There's a saying in Arabic here that I would like to quote:
"Eddie ill khobz leh khobazooo, 7atta lawe akkal nossoooo" (Give the dough to the baker, even if he eats half of it).
wow....you have an arabic accent. hahaha.
the phrase is "eddi el-'eesh le-khbazo hata law kal nosoh" (same meaning in english) well, in other posts why on earth do you ask a question and keep talking and talking and never give others the chance to answer your question?! it's like you want a specific answer that you'll keep hijacking posts until your wanted answer is gotten.
I think if you can write that much posts and spend that much time here, you can search and help yourself a little. oh you don't have to tell us about that.....but than why post?!
Also, that doesn't justify you not searching for the answer yourself.
a) I think your personal cross is all that you will personally and generally be enduring during your life as a true Christian for Christ's sake to be personally responsible of in front of Him at the end.
...
g) Our cross is like a bridge helping you to cross over to His side of the mountain. If you lighten or shorten your cross it may not be enough to reach Him.
...
h) & i) no cheating they can be put as 1 question.
We have Christ's command that it's our responsibility to help each other as much as we possibly can, which is to love each other as He loved us and we know His love is unlimited. You should be able to, this starts by praying for each other then it should much improve every day.
GBU
Is this your opinion, or is this what you heard from a sermon?
I am just trying to help by starting the answers cascade to roll.
I have no immediate references to point to right now.
And you're welcome.
GBU
I agree with John's answers. I wouldn't be able to pinpoint a specific source for my answers, but it's stuff I've learned from my parents and Church.
I think of my cross as my life, the circumstances that God gives me to live in, whether good or bad. Sometimes we think of our cross as a burden we have to bear for Christ. I don't think our cross ever disappears, we have to live with it.
For example, His Holiness Pope Shenouda III is carrying his cross right now in the problems he is facing. He always has and always will. What makes it a cross is he is carrying on by God's strength and all his trust is in Him.
Jesus said, "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me." (Mark 8:34). All Christians have a cross. We all have different problems or situations we go through. What makes it worthwhile is that we do it through our Lord.
Christ carried His own cross, we will never have to carry that. God gives each of us ONLY what each of us can handle. No two people carry the same cross.
Hope that helps :)
I got the right answer.
Thanks John.. you're a star.
Someone asked me this, and I didnt know the answer. Now I know exactly what this means...
Yes.. John gave the clues to the correct answer.
If you just continue on his trail of thought, you'll see exactly why to be His Disciple you need to carry your cross.
Also, that doesn't justify you not searching for the answer yourself.
As I said, I was concerned that if I read something from the internet it could be from a protestant perspective.
Furthermore, why re-invent the wheel. Its good to ask. I had no idea of the links that Fr. Peter posted. They are superb.
I was asked this question in a meeting, and no one really knew the answer.
I hope that's OK with you.
Hi,
Can someone explain this verse to me? Christ asked us to "carry our crosses ... and follow Him".
How?
Please answer the following points:
a) what exactly is your cross?
b) How exactly do you carry your cross (please give 3 examples)?
c) How do you not carry your cross (give 3 examples),
d) How do you avoid carrying your cross (2 examples)?
e) 1) I thought Christ carried our cross on our behalf (true or false?)? (please explain)
e) 2) What then is left for us to carry??
f) What are the consequences of not carrying your cross?
g) 1) How can you "lighten" the cross you are carrying?
g) 2) What are the consequences of doing so?
h) Can you carry someone else's cross?
i) Can you help someone to carry their cross??
Please keep your answers structured, clear and concise, and no more than 400 words per section.
You may use references where possible.
No long essays.
Thank you.
If I may, I think a common trend among the Desert Fathers is a simple two-word answer: "Know Thyself." To carry your cross is to know your cross by knowing who you are in Christ Jesus our God, and in this you will know your cross.
I could be wrong, and I usually am, but I certainly agree with everyone who has said to go to the Fathers and the hymns of the Church.
joseph
I found something by Pope Shenouda on the matter. It is only 2 pages and a quarter, so it isn't too long.
It is at this link: http://www.orthodoxebooks.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/Words%20of%20Spiritual%20Benefit%20Volume%20I%20-%20HH%20Pope%20Shenouda%20III.pdf
and it is pages 87-89.
If you want to read further there is at this link a search I did on carrying the cross: http://books.google.com/books/p/pub-9632288571543958?cd=1&q=carrying+cross&btnG=Search+Books
most results aren't directly about the subject, but there are several gems on the first page alone.
pray for me,
Anba Bola
A gift I got from my Teita. It has some gold and some white
b) How exactly do you carry your cross (please give 3 examples)?
In my right hand, on my Bible, on my neck
c) How do you not carry your cross (give 3 examples),
In between your toes, in your mouth, balancing it on your head
d) How do you avoid carrying your cross (2 examples)?
When I forget it at home
When it drops under my bed and I don't feel like picking it up
e) 1) I thought Christ carried our cross on our behalf (true or false?)? (please explain)
Yeah, but that was a different, bigger cross.
e) 2) What then is left for us to carry??
The cross from my Teita
f) What are the consequences of not carrying your cross?
Crying, wishing you didn't forget your cross
g) 1) How can you "lighten" the cross you are carrying?
Well I suppose you could break it in half
g) 2) What are the consequences of doing so?
Well it's not really a cross anymore...
And you might get splinters
h) Can you carry someone else's cross?
Yeah, but make sure they are okay with it first
i) Can you help someone to carry their cross??
Its not that heavy, okay.
Hope that answered your questions!!
(lol, sry, I was bored and didn't feel like starting my hw ;D)
I will check out these links also.
I have to admit, i didnt think everyone else would have difficulty with this issue as me. Its quite surprising.
The OrthodoxeBooks.org site is brilliant. May I just ask how do I get the ebooks on my iPhone? What app(s) do I need?
Thanks
God willing there will be an app for it in the future, but I'm not sure when that will be.
As for now here are the steps to download the books.
1. Open the app store, search for "Stanza", and install it. This is a free app.
2. In Safari (or any web browser), go to http://www.orthodoxebooks.org, and click on "all books"
3. Select the book you want to download, click on the "ePub" link next to the book, and open it using "Stanza"
4. Open Stanza and enjoy the book!
(If any of this is unclear there is a video of exactly how on this link: http://www.orthodoxebooks.org/ereaders)
Unfortunately there are only 15 books available for the iphone as of now, but through your prayers we will God willing have all of them on the site soon.
We also have many writings of the fathers including much from St. John Chrysostom that will soon be uploaded.
Please pray for me,
Anba Bola
God bless your effort. I had a chance to read a few chapters of His Holiness' book on spirituality.
Its a good bedtime reading!
I am happy to give a clue yet we should know and follow the correct teaching of the Church more than personal thoughts. In fact this question is very important. It is not always clearly understood and my reply does incriminate me.
Lord have mercy and deliver us from the wages of sin.
GBU
It's called "Whatever your Cross".
http://www.andrewbiddinger.com/makeitcount/2009/04/whatever-your-cross.html
St. John Chrysostom was granted a "cross" if I may say in his life, as he was exiled in the end of his life in harsh conditions.
a) what exactly is your cross? Our cross consists of the sicknesses, struggles, and problems we face in this life that better our spiritual life, or awake us to our spiritual lives.
b) How exactly do you carry your cross (please give 3 examples)? We carry our cross by: 1- accepting it in all humility 2- crying out to God in prayer
c) How do you not carry your cross (give 3 examples), 1- Being apathetic 2- Giving our gift we have to the dogs 3- Ignoring the messages God places for us
d) How do you avoid carrying your cross (2 examples)? 1- Laziness 2- Loss of connection with God (following our senses and pleasing our senses)
e) 1) I thought Christ carried our cross on our behalf (true or false?)? (please explain) Christ carried the cross for us, this cross was carried to Abolish our ancestral sin that was inherited throughout all times. This cross that we are carrying is the cross of the Christian. "Be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world." Our cross is the continual service of God's will, and the struggle we face in this world.
e) 2) What then is left for us to carry?? We are not carrying the sins of the world, as Christ did on the cross. We are carrying our personal struggles. In the Watos Theotokia we say, "The martyrs will come, bearing their afflictions, and the righteous will come, bearing their virtues." What will I be carrying...?
f) What are the consequences of not carrying your cross? The consequences of not carrying our cross is that many promises we are granted will be revoked. We are told, "My son, give me your heart." Such commandments as these, and "Come, you blessed of My Father and inherit the Kingdom which was prepared before you." These many promises are granted to those who struggle, not necessarily attain perfection, but strive to be Christlike.
g) 1) How can you "lighten" the cross you are carrying? To lighten our cross is as though to tell God that He has given to us is not something we can bear. We can lighten our cross by performing the duties of a faithful Christian, daily prayer, Bible (meditation), regular confession, examination of the heart. Prayer is the key of the journey of carrying our cross, we ought to ask Christ to NOT remove this "cross" from us. Just as St. Paul wished to depart from this world, the Lord allowed him back pain and this was a contributor to his "cross" he had to carry.
g) 2) What are the consequences of doing so? The consequences of lightening our cross is a weaker relationship with God, which ultimately will affect our spiritual life.
h) Can you carry someone else's cross? We can carry someone's cross by aiding to them in their time of struggle, but this is only for a time. We must first carry our cross and be strong in our ways, then we can aid those who need help. The priests perform this through the Sacrament of Confession. They aid the souls of those who are in need of spiritual guidance, this is a form of helping someone carry their cross. Ultimately, if we help those who are in need to carry their cross, we may be depriving them of the glory of the relationship that they could have developed. Instead, let us teach them how to carry it, not to carry it for them.
i) Can you help someone to carry their cross?? You can guide them to the cross.
There is a book by Fr. Bishoy Kamel the Late, "The Gospel of the Second Mile" which has many of these lessons incorporated. It can be found here- http://www.mediafire.com/?rs32fjobeo265qf