As I write this, I can see in my peripheral vision a large pile of two-foot stalks of rhubarb on my kitchen counter. Don’t get me wrong. I’m grateful for the armload of produce dropped off by a family friend. It’s just that rhubarb requires transformation before it’s enjoyable. It’s a gift that requires work – kind of like our faith.
God obviously had a plan when he gave us rhubarb. Thankfully, the end of rhubarb season coincides with the start of strawberry season, and nothing goes better with tart rhubarb than sweet strawberries. I think God gives us a lot of gifts in our lives that are like rhubarb. At first, we don’t recognize the gift as a gift. It might just look like a pile of work sitting on your counter. The gift may be disguised by tartness, or even by poisonous leaves (yes, rhubarb leaves are poisonous), but if we stick with it, add a little effort and sweetness, the end result is worth it. Two of my favourite proofs of this theory are rhubarb buttermilk tea cake and strawberry rhubarb crunch, which, when served with vanilla ice cream, are most certainly a foretaste of heaven on earth.
Rhubarb reminds me of Jesus telling us to take up our crosses and follow him. It seems like counterintuitive advice. Yet it’s the command Jesus gives us. In fact, we hear these words twice this summer. On the last Sunday in June, we heard Jesus say, “and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me” (Mt 10:38). Then, on the last Sunday of August, again with the Gospel reading from Matthew, we will hear Jesus say: “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me” (Mt 16:24).
It’s curious that the Church would give us this message twice in the span of two months. Perhaps it’s a reminder that while we’re relaxing at the beach our faith doesn’t take a vacation? The Church emphasizes the importance of bearing our crosses, because Christ emphasized it – twice within six chapters of Matthew’s Gospel. We are faced with crosses every day, some big and some small. More often than not, we don’t feel like dealing with our crosses, but the key to being Christ-like is to bear our crosses to the best of our ability.
Obviously, taking up our crosses is a key message for all Christians. It’s especially key these days when we’ve had to endure extra crosses in the form of self-isolation, social distancing, a circling pandemic, lack of access to the sacraments, and closed churches. Jesus does not present carrying our crosses as an option, but an essential part of our being Christian. Carrying his own cross and being crucified on it was essential to his mission of sacrificing his life for ours. He has clearly shown us what to do. He has also clearly shown us that while a cross is an instrument of torture, a symbol of death, it is a pathway to something else – to life.
Just like the lowly rhubarb plant can be transformed into delicious, life-giving food, the seemingly despicable cross is the only way to eternal life. While carrying a cross, a heavy burden that at first might seem detrimental to our health, even our very life, it is through our crosses that we are shaped into something more beautiful, our truest selves.
Summer is a much-anticipated season, but with its joys come many crosses, especially for mom and dad. It can be stressful and exhausting to prepare for family vacation. The heat can take a toll on everyone, causing cranky moods and sleepless nights. Beach trips can result in a sand-filled vehicle and yet another load of towels to wash. Lawns need to be mowed and gardens need weeding.
But, despite the inconveniences and constant crosses, summer is a welcome time that can include rest, relaxation, and rejuvenation of souls. The effort put into planning and preparation gives way to precious childhood memories, families spending time together, and fresh fruits and vegetables from the earth.
The crosses should help us focus on gratitude for the things that cause the cross – the privilege to go on vacation, the gift of warm sunlight and beautiful beaches, the profound ability to help create food from seed. Maybe the crosses borne this summer with Christian joy and kindness will be the ones your kids will never forget.
The value of our crosses lies in how we deal with them. Will we react with perfect patience and a serene smile every time? Ummm, speaking from personal experience, no. But Christ has told us that if we want to follow him we need to keep picking up those crosses, even if we fumble them along the way. The beauty of our crosses is that they are not given to us in a lonely vacuum. Christ walks with us if we let him. And, just like God gives us sweet strawberries to help us enjoy bitter rhubarb, he also gives us sacramental grace and the help of others to sweeten the load of our crosses.
Like a pile of rhubarb on the kitchen counter, each cross is a gift from God. That pile takes time to wash, chop, measure, and then be cooked or frozen. It’s a process that’s worth it for the end result of enjoyable and nutritious food. The crosses we face daily are worth it too. It may take time for us to recognize them, process them, and bear them, but Jesus assured us they are essential to following him. So, let’s embrace our sweet summer crosses.
Lazzuri writes from her home in Nova Scotia, where she lives with her husband, six children, and her mom. She can be reached at clarelazzuri@gmail.com.
