We Ought to Deny Ourselves and Imitate Christ Through Bearing the Cross
The Voice of Christ
MY CHILD, the more you depart from yourself, the more you will be able to enter into Me. As the
giving up of exterior things brings interior peace, so the forsaking of self unites you to God. I will
have you learn perfect surrender to My will, without contradiction or complaint.
Follow Me. I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Without the Way, there is no going. Without
the Truth, there is no knowing. Without the Life, there is no living. I am the Way which you must
follow, the Truth which you must believe, the Life for which you must hope. I am the inviolable
Way, the infallible Truth, the unending Life. I am the Way that is straight, the supreme Truth, the
Life that is true, the blessed, the uncreated Life. If you abide in My Way you shall know the Truth,
and the Truth shall make you free, and you shall attain life everlasting.
If you wish to enter into life, keep My commandments. If you will know the truth, believe in
Me. If you will be perfect, sell all. If you will be My disciple, deny yourself. If you will possess
the blessed life, despise this present life. If you will be exalted in heaven, humble yourself on earth.
If you wish to reign with Me, carry the Cross with Me. For only the servants of the Cross find the
life of blessedness and of true light.
The Disciple
Lord Jesus, because Your way is narrow and despised by the world, grant that I may despise
the world and imitate You. For the servant is not greater than his Lord, nor the disciple above the
Master. Let Your servant be trained in Your life, for there is my salvation and true holiness. Whatever
else I read or hear does not fully refresh or delight me.
The Voice of Christ
My child, now that you know these things and have read them all, happy will you be if you do
them. He who has My commandments and keeps them, he it is that loves Me. And I will love him
and will show Myself to him, and will bring it about that he will sit down with Me in My Father’s
Kingdom.
The Disciple
Lord Jesus, as You have said, so be it, and what You have promised, let it be my lot to win. I
have received the cross, from Your hand I have received it. I will carry it, carry it even unto death
as You have laid it upon me. Truly, the life of a good religious man is a cross, but it leads to paradise.
We have begun—we may not go back, nor may we leave off.
Take courage, brethren, let us go forward together and Jesus will be with us. For Jesus’ sake
we have taken this cross. For Jesus’ sake let us persevere with it. He will be our help as He is also
our leader and guide. Behold, our King goes before us and will fight for us. Let us follow like men.
Let no man fear any terrors. Let us be prepared to meet death valiantly in battle. Let us not suffer
our glory to be blemished by fleeing from the Cross.