The Imitation of Christ. Day 8: When the Cross Finds You. Book 2. Chapter 10-12.

Day 7. When the Cross Finds You (Book 2. Chapter 10-12). The only way God makes us more like His Son is through the Cross. It is through both active and passive mortification that the Cross finds you.

• Ch. 10: Gratitude for God's grace. Grace is always offered to one who gives proper thanks. It is given to the humble and taken away from the proud.

• Seek patience more than consolation and carrying the cross more than enjoyment. Spiritual consolation surpasses all wordly delights and the bodily pleasures. I do not want any consolation that would take away my repentance/compunction.

• Be grateful even for punishment and chastisement.

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  Ch. 11: Not many people love the cross of Jesus. Many love Jesus' kingdom but few carry His cross. Many want to rejoice with Christ, but few want to endure something for Him.

• Many love Jesus as long as nothing difficult comes up. Love Jesus as much in trial and anguish of heart as must as in utmost consolation.

• Even if you give up everything for Christ, you must regard yourself as having still done nothing.

• No one is richer, more powerful, than one who takes the lowest place. 

• Ch. 12: The royal road of the Holy Cross. It's easier to hear Mt 16:24 than to hear Mt 25:41. Why fear carrying the Cross? It is the way to the kingdom.

• Jesus died on the Cross so that you too may bear the Cross and wish to die on the Cross. For if you die with Him you will also live with Him (Rom 6:8).

• You will find that there is always something that you will have to suffer either willingly or unwillingly. So you will always encounter the Cross.

• God wills that you learn to suffer trials without consolation and to become more humble by trials.

• The Cross is always ready for you and awaits you everywhere. You cannot escape it because everywhere you go you run into yourself.

• If you carry your Cross unwillingly you make it a burden to yourself.
• Christ's whole life was a Cross and martyrdom and you are looking for rest and joy for yourself?
• Our whole mortal life is full of miseries and marked on every side with the sign of the Cross.
• The more the flesh is crushed by trials the stronger the spirit becomes through inward grace.
• If you desire to be conformed to Christ's Cross wish not to be without pain or trials. This is not human virtue but Christ's grace.
• Make yourself ready to tolerate many adversities and inconveniences in this wretched life. There is no escaping of sorrows and sufferings except by bearing them with patience and suffering through it yourself.
• Think of trials as the greatest consolations. If you try to avoid suffering you will be bad off and trials will follow you everywhere.
• Live your life constantly dying to yourself, as someone who is dying. And the more you die to youself the more you begin to live for God (Rom 6:8).
• If you were given a choice, you would be better off choosing to suffer adversities for Christ than to be refreshed with many consolations.
• Conclusion: We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God (Ac 14:22).