The secret of the personal cross – Metropolitan of Strumica Naum
~+~
Often people have a desire to be in someone else’s place. They want to have the visible power and glory of another, they want to have the visible wealth and property of another, and they want to enjoy the visible beauties of someone else’s life. All this is understandable, but they do not really know what they are asking for; because that is madness.
Why is it madness to ask to take the place of another, no matter how attractive his position might appear? Because every man has his own invisible cross, and there is no man without a cross, there is no man who does not suffer in one way or another.
And what is the problem here, what if every person suffers from something? The problem is that the cross of each person is so personal, so special, so unique, that no one else is able to carry the cross and bear it. The cross is a complete and personal gift of God, through which each person builds his own personal, concrete, and unrepeatable (unique) relationship with God, and is intended precisely for the specific person and for no one else.
I believe that if a normal person were to be offered visible fame and power, visible property and financial opportunities, and the visible pleasures of another person’s life, and if it were possible for the other person’s invisible cross to be shown to him at the same time, he (the normal person) would reject that proposal.
I also believe that if a frivolous person were to be offered fame and power, property and financial opportunities, and the pleasures of life of another man, provided that the cross being born by that man was shown to him at the same time, and if he (frivolous person) accepted the proposal, such a person would go mad.
But even the holiest man is not allowed to see (glimpse) fully into the life, into the heart, into the persona of the other; therefore no one is in a position to judge objectively except God. And therefore everyone judges according to themself, according to his inner state; and therefore each judgment and conviction is only an individual projection.
And not only that. Any judgement and condemnation of another, for the matters of his personal life that do not adversely affect the wider community is usually madness, it can be considered as an activity and support of the antichrist. And every personal judgment and condemnation of the other, and not of his sin, no matter what the dimensions of that sin might be, is an activity of the antichrist.
And one more thing.
In some people, suffering is more visible than the comfort of life. If such people carry their cross correctly, i.e. if their sufferings were a participation in the Cross of Christ, and the circumstances in which they perfected their communion with the God-Man Christ, and if we could see the glory that awaits them in the Kingdom of Heaven, every normal person would desire their cross – if that would be possible; i.e. I would carry my cross with joy and gratitude.
“Yea, the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Cor. 1:18).
Most-Holy Mother of God, save us!
Metropolitan of Strumica Naum
(29.09.2021 13:57)
