THE BRIDGE UNBROKEN

When we think of following Christ and being transformed into his very likeness, we often think of the martyrs who, like Christ, gave up all, even to the shedding of their blood. But just because you may not be called to be a martyr, it does not mean that you are not called to whole heartedly follow Jesus in every aspect of your life. No matter what your state in life, all of us are called to follow Christ by doing His will in our own lives. In doing so, we can all grow in holiness. St Augustine wrote that "it is not true that the bridge was broken after the martyrs crossed...In the Lord's garden are to be found not only the roses of his martyrs. In it there are also the lilies of the virgins, the ivy of wedded couples, and the violets of the widows. On no account may any class of people despair, thinking that God has not called them."

But how must we follow? We must follow Christ in being obedient to the will of the Father. Regardless of our state in life or what cross we are called to carry, we must be humble and obedient as Christ was. St Augustine wrote, "Christ humbled himself. Christian, that is what you must make your own. Christ became obedient. How is it that you are proud? When this humbling experience was completed and death itself lay conquered, Christ ascended into heaven. Let us follow him there, for we hear Paul saying: If you have been raised with Christ, you must lift your thoughts on high, where Christ now sits at the right hand of God."

Can we identify with and get inspiration for our everyday lives from the martyrs? We certainly can for many of the martyrs were living ordinary lives and doing what we are all called to do - living in humility and obedience. A beautiful example can be found in Blessed Maria Sagrario who we honor this day, August 16th. Blessed Maria was someone who, in the eyes of the world, 'had it all.' Born in 1881, she was an intelligent and well educated young woman who was one of the first women in her country to become a pharmacist. And yet, Christ called her to give all of that up to follow Him as a Carmelite religious. She strove to follow Him in all things and to model her life on Christ. Ultimately, she was martyred in the Spanish Civil war.

You, like Blessed Maria, are called to follow Christ. Though God may not be asking you to leave your profession to become a religious or to shed your blood, He is asking you to follow in complete obedience to whatever he asks of you. In an excerpt from her writing below, you will find great inspiration for your own life. Let us learn from Blessed Maria and ask her intercession that we may be humble and obedient in all that comes our way. Let us conclude with her wonderful advice - "

Keep your gaze always on our most beloved Jesus, asking Him in the depths of

His heart what He desires for you, and never deny Him anything even if it

means going strongly against the grain for you."

FOLLOWING CHRIST BY WAY OF HUMILITY AND THE CROSS

From the writings of Blessed Maria Sagrario, OCD

May Jesus reign always in my heart. The Lord asks me to be humble, to weep over my sins, to love Him much, to love my sisters much, to mortify them in nothing, not to mortify myself uselessly, to live recollected in Him wanting nothing for myself, completely surrendered to His divine will. In this vale of tears, suffering will not be lacking and we should be content to have something to offer to our most beloved Jesus Who wanted so much to suffer for love of us. The most direct way to unite ourselves to God is that of the cross, so we should always desire it. May the Lord not permit that I be separated from His divine will.

Blessed be God Who gives us these ways of offering ourselves up to His love! The day will arrive when we will rejoice for having suffered in this way. Meanwhile, let us be generous, suffering everything, if not with happiness, at least in close conformity to the divine will of Him Who suffered so much out of love for us. However great are our sufferings they come nowhere near His. If you wish to be perfect seek first of all to be quite humble in thought, word, deed and desire, learn well what this means and work tenaciously to carry it out. Keep your gaze always on our most beloved Jesus, asking Him in the depths of His heart what He desires for you, and never deny Him anything even if it means going strongly against the grain for you.

Blessed be He Who arranges everything

for our good! In possessing Him, we possess everything.

Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Community, OCDS - Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites, Hudson, NH