Discipleship means the Cross

Why bother blogging?

I've asked myself that question every time I go to my computer and work on my blog or visit others. I also ask myself that question in the presence of God in my prayer room. It seems like a worthless project, sometimes. I've never wanted it to be a way of "hanging out my shingle," though I suppose any time you give your opinion on anything to others, that's what it is. It's not as though I think I am going to save the world or anything, but I hope that something I might express will help someone. I get that help sometimes from reading other people's blogs. But there's a lot of tush talked out there in blogdom, probably even on my blog. If so, brothers, please forgive me. As Peter cried out to Jesus in the film Jesus of Nazareth, "I'm just a stupid man!"

This morning I received a gaggle of short quotes from Presbytera Candace that woke me up and stood me back on my feet. If nothing else, then, at least my blog, Cost of Discipleship, is a place to post reminders of what discipleship consists of, and that primarily is the Cross. As holy apostle Paul wrote, "I want to know nothing other than Christ crucified" (cf. 1 Corinthians 2:2). This is what discipleship in this strange world means, as you will see from these sayings of the fathers…

The knowledge of the Cross is concealed in the sufferings of the Cross.
— Gregory the Great

The Cross is the door to mysteries. Through this door the intellect makes entrance in to the knowledge of heavenly mysteries. The knowledge of the Cross is concealed in the sufferings of the Cross. And the more our participation in its sufferings, the greater the perception we gain through the Cross. For, as the Apostle says, "As the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ."
— Isaac of Syria

God does not create a cross for man. No matter how heavy a cross a man may carry in life, it is still just wood, from which man himself made, and it always grows from the soil of his heart.
— Ambrose of Optina

The way of God from the beginning of time and from the creation of the human race has been the way of the cross and death. How did you get your idea that everything is just the opposite? You must realize that you are outside the way of God, that you are far from Him, that you do not wish to walk in the steps of the Saints, but want to make some special way for yourself and travel by it without sufferings. The way of God is a daily cross. No one has climbed to heaven by living a life of pleasure.
— Ignatios Brianchaninov

A postscript comment:

What is this "knowledge of heavenly mysteries" that Abba Isaac speaks of? Well, all I can say it's not what most religious people think, as can be seen in many religious paintings (not icons). The heavenly mysteries are written on earth in pages of blood, in the martyrs' endurance of suffering to the end, even knowing that all things lead them to the Cross.

If we are not drawing near to the Cross,
we should ask ourselves, why?