The Second Station: Jesus Accepts His Cross:
St. Peter’s question from John 13:36 is: “Master, where are you going?”
To which Our Lord replies: “Where I am going, you cannot follow me now, though you will follow later.” Peter said to him, “Master, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? Amen, amen, I say to you, the cock will not crow before you deny me three times.”
Jesus never tells us that this will be easy. In fact, He tells Peter (and us) that many will deny Him (John 13:38).
Thomas prepares us for the Second Station of The Cross by showing us Jesus’ invitation to take up our own Cross. Thomas encourages us to be bold and willing. He then weighs our fear of suffering against what the path of Christ’s cross will mean to us once we are on that journey. Once again Thomas returns to our struggles with self-denial as a principal obstacle to our salvation.
CHAPTER XII, Book 2: Of the Royal Way of the Holy Cross
To many, this seems a hard saying: “If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his Cross and follow Me (Matt 16:24).”
But it will be much harder to hear that last word from Him: “Depart from me, you cursed, into eternal fire (Matt 25:41).”
For those who willingly hear the word of the Cross and follow it, they shall be afraid the hearing of eternal damnation. This sign of the Cross shall be in heaven when the Lord comes to judge. Then all servants of the Cross, who in life have conformed themselves to the Crucified, shall draw near to Christ their Judge with great boldness (Gal 2:20).
2. Why do you fear to take up your cross, which leads to a kingdom?
In the Cross is salvation; in the Cross is life; in the Cross is protection from enemies.
In the Cross is heavenly sweetness; in the Cross strength of mind; in the Cross joy of the spirit.
In the Cross the height of virtue; in the Cross perfection of holiness.
There is no health of the soul, no hope of eternal life, but in the Cross.
Therefore, take up your cross and follow Jesus and you shall go into eternal life. Jesus went before you bearing His Cross and died for you upon the Cross, in order that you may also bear your cross and may love to be crucified upon it. For if you be die with Him, you shall also live with Him, and if you are a companion of His sufferings you shall also be a partaker of His glory (2 Cor 1:7).
3. Behold everything depends upon the Cross, and everything lies in dying to yourself; and there is no other way to life and to true inward peace, except through the way of the Holy Cross and of daily mortification.
Go where you will, seek whatever you will, and you shall find no higher way above or safer way below, than the way of the Holy Cross.
Dispose and order all things according to your own will and judgment, and you shall always find something to suffer either willingly or unwillingly, and thus you shall always find your cross.
For you shall either feel bodily pain, or within your soul, tribulation of spirit.