Living a Difficult Situation Contributes to Fruitfulness

I was praying the Sorrowful Mysteries one evening recently with Benedictine College’s Rosary Meditations and stumbled upon this quote from Pope Leo as I meditated on Jesus carrying the cross: 

“The fruitfulness of the Church depends on the cross of Christ,” said Pope Leo XIV. “For example, a priest who personally carries a heavy cross, yet tries to do his best … [or] a father or mother of a family who lives in a difficult situation … contributes to the fruitfulness of the Church.”

Pope Leo’s words suggest that carrying heavy crosses in the circumstances of our lives contributes to the fruitfulness of the Church. He also emphasized that the best way to serve is to strive to be holy according to your state in life and the task entrusted to you. 

When we live out our faith, state in life (marriage, singleness, etc), and tasks given to us (careers, volunteer work, obligations, responsibilities, relationships, etc.) with determination and love, despite difficulties, we contribute to Jesus’ mission. 

Do you see your cross and vocation through that lens? Sometimes we often live in the grief of our crosses too much of the time. We wish away our crosses or we spend endless time avoiding them or praying that they disappear, rather than accepting and enduring them like Christ did. Also, sometimes we spend our lives hoping for the vocation we desire without embracing our current vocation and tasks that God gives us in the moment. 

The most inspiring people I know are those who deeply want something different for their lives, but are living fruitfully in their reality now as best they can, and still carry the hope of what they desire coming to fruition in God’s time and way. A friend of mine emulates this beautifully and I am so inspired by her. She lives the difficulty of her life and the tension of what is versus what she wants, and still contributes to the fruitfulness of Jesus’ mission and the Church. That’s our task too.

May the difficulties of our lives and the tensions of our vocations desired vs. given bear fruit for Jesus and the Church.