And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!" The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, and saying, "If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!" There was also an inscription over him, "This is the King of the Jews." One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, "Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!" But the other rebuked him, saying, "Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." He replied, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise."

Introductory Prayer: Lord Jesus, I believe that you have given your life for me to pay the price of my sins and to open for me the doors to your Kingdom. I trust that you will always forgive me my sins as long as I am sincere and humble before you. I love you for all your gifts, especially the sacraments where I can encounter your mercy and love and receive the strength to embrace your will.

Petition: Allow me to embrace my cross out of love for you.

1. "If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!" The words If you are the King of the Jews" are reminiscent of an earlier encounter Christ had in the desert: "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread" (Matthew 4:3). The time and circumstances are different, but the meaning is the same. Both verses imply the cross is something to be rejected and suffering couldn't be part of God's plan of salvation. Further, these words are based on the premise that a king must come with glory and strength to overthrow oppression. This was the message directed to Christ upon Calvary.

We fall all too often and all too easily into the same attitude of rejecting the cross. How easy it is to complain, even bitterly, when sickness or hardships come our way. Comfort and convenience, taken to an extreme, can become our idols. The world tells us that anything that becomes unpleasant should be removed. Save yourself, is the watchword.

This is what we must resist, fight to overcome daily. The antidote to egotism is humility. Christ Jesus is the example of humility, par excellence. Lord, help me to abandon myself in you. Show me how to embrace my cross by surrendering my ego and imitating your humility.

2. Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." The cross is always an opportunity to choose. It has been said that Calvary is a microcosm of human history. At the center is Christ crucified, humanity surrounds him. While many vocally and violently reject * a crucified savior and king, there a re those open to the grace of Christ. One of them was hanging on a cross of his own beside Christ.

The good thief hadn't led a good life. In rebuking the other criminal, he said as much, we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds" (Luke 23: 41). What brought about the change in him and not it the other thief? Both had been criminals and both were dying on a cross. The good thief's words indicate two key elements. The first is that he accepted his cross and recognized himself as a sinner deserving punishment. He looked beyond the suffering and recognized an opportunity for conversion, an opportunity to reject the evil previously chosen. Secondly, he saw in the crucified Christ the innocence and sanctity, which spoke of a kingdom of forgiveness, hope and eternity. Hence he made his faith-filled petition: Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.

3. Truly I tell you; today you will be with me in Paradise." To look at the cross and not see the Resurrection beyond it is to live without hope. This frequently is the reason people reject the cross. Sacrifice for its own sake makes no sense. However, we often gladly give up something to achieve something greater. Comfort may give way to achieve a good physical condition. Free time might be sacrificed to further one's education or assist someone in need. Yet the greater the sacrifice the greater must be our desire for the good we are going to attain through that sacrifice. Therefore, just like the good thief we must discover in the crucified Christ our source of hope: hope for forgiveness, hope for joy, and hope for eternal life. It is this great longing for unity with Christ that will help us accept our cross.

Therefore let us not ask Christ * to take away our cross, but for * strength to carry it. By accepting our cross, Christ will truly reign in us and we can authentically proclaim: Christ our King!

Conversation: Lord, grant me the grace to look to * you in times of trial. Help me to unite my cross with yours so as to win countless graces for my own conversion and that of others.

Questionnaire:

1. How often do I meditate on Christ's sacrifice for my salvation? * Do I avoid sin because I know that by sin I become a partaker in his crucifixion? What do I or can I do to try to repay him for what he has done for me?

2. Do I truly ask Christ to forgive me my sins? Do I go to the sacrament of Confession for this reason?

3. How real is my faith in the Resurrection and Eternal Life? Do I want heaven?