Pick up your cross daily, and follow Him. Learn how to USE your suffering, cooperating with grace, to unite your cross to His Cross. It’s the only way. Exaltation/Exultation (I’ve seen it both ways) literally means Triumphant Joy. This needs to be our attitude toward our cross and His Cross; it’s our path to holiness. Blessed feast.
INTROIT Gal. 6:14
But it is fitting that we should glory in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, in whom is salvation, life, and resurrection for us, by whom we are saved and delivered. Ps. 66:2. May God have mercy on us and bless us; may He let His face shine upon us; and may He have mercy upon us.
St Bernard said:
“A Christian who has no one at hand who gives him occasion to suffer, should seek such a person and buy him at any price, that he may have opportunity to practice meekness and patience. If you are not disposed to go to this expense, at least profit by whatever opportunities Divine Providence has given you gratuitously, that you may accustom yourself to these two inestimable virtues”.
Embrace the Cross. There is no virtue in merely enduring the Cross.
Thank you for the quote from St Bernard, as well as the observation to “embrace” – not just “endure” – our Cross, just like Our Dear Lord.