Friends of the Cross

I am reminded of a great quote by a source that I cannot remember which goes something like:  "Let us be kind & gentle to one another; everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle."

Those are good fighting' words, don't you think?  Here are some more from our dear St. Louis de Montfort.  I just love this holy friend...may we all be inspired to take his advice and be a true Friend of the Cross.
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"We are a group of crusaders united to fight against the world, not like those religious men and women, who leave the world for fear of being overcome, but like brave, intrepid warriors on the battlefront, refusing to retreat or even to yield an inch.  Let us be brave. Let us fight with all our might.

Let us bind ourselves together in that strong union of heart and mind which is far superior, far more terrifying to the world and hell than the armed forces of a well-organized kingdom are to its enemies.  Demons are united for our destruction, but we are united for their overthrow; the avaricious are united to barter and hoard up gold and silver.  Let us combine our efforts in the pursuit of the eternal treasures hidden in the cross.  Reprobates united to make merry, but we unite to suffer.

We have been chosen by God from among the tens of thousands who have only reason and sense for their only guide. We, who are raised above reason and thoroughly opposed to the things of sense, live in the light of true faith and burn with love for the cross.

Such a Friend of the Cross is a mighty king, a hero who triumphs over the devil, the world and the flesh and their threefold concupiscence.  He overthrows the pride of Satan by his love for humility; he triumphs over the world's greed by his love for poverty and he restrains the sensuality of the flesh by his love for suffering.

Such a Friend of the Cross is a holy man, separated from visible things. His heart is lifted high above all that is frail and perishable; "his conversation is in heaven" (Phil 3:20); he journeys here below like a stranger and pilgrim.  He keeps his heart free from the world, looks upon it with an unconcerned glance of his left eye and disdainfully tramples it underfoot.

A Friend of the Cross is a trophy which the crucified Christ won on Calvary in union with His Blessed Mother.  Conceived in the sorrowful heart of Christ, he comes into this world through the gash in the Savior's right side and is all empurpled in His blood.

True to this heritage, he breathes broth only crosses and blood, death to the world, the flesh and sin and hides himself here below with Jesus Christ in God (Col 3:3).  Thus, a perfect Friend of the Cross is a true Christ-bearer, or rather another Christ, so much so that he can say with truth, "I live now not I, but Christ liveth in me" (Gal 2:20).