Are You a Friend of the Cross?
November 18, 2020
Descent from the Cross, early 16th century; South Netherlandish (Metropolitan Museum of Art)
FROM St. Louis de Montfort’s little booklet, Letter to the Friends of the Cross:
“Friends of the Cross, you are a group of crusaders united to fight against the world … like brave, intrepid warriors on the battlefront, refusing to retreat or even to yield an inch. Be brave! Fight with all your might! Bind yourselves 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 your destruction, but you, be united for their overthrow … be united to suffer … 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 humiliation, 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 … My dear Friends of the Cross … are you, with the grace of God, in the shadow of Calvary’s Cross and of Our Lady of Pity, really eager and truly striving to attain this goal? Is the way you follow the one that leads to this goal? Is it the true way of life, the narrow way, the thorn-strewn way to Calvary? Or are you unconsciously traveling the world’s broad road, the road to perdition? Do you realize that there is a highroad which to all appearances is straight and safe for man to travel, but which in reality leads to death? …”
[Thank you to a special correspondent for this quote.]
