What would you say if Jesus asked you to carry a hard cross?

I don’t know about you, but I might hesitate for a moment. I might even ask if there are easier crosses I could carry!

Carrying a cross can be extremely difficult. It’s one of the corporal works of mercy to accompany others bearing difficult crosses, like sickness or homelessness. St. Margaret Mary carried a cross most of her life. She suffered from poor health and chronic pain throughout her life. In her words, it was “the cross on which I was crucified from my earliest years.”

During one of her visions, Jesus appeared to her during His Passion, carrying His cross, and asked:

“Is there no one to take pity on Me and share My sorrow in the pitiful state to which sinners reduce Me?”

If we’ve learned anything about St. Margaret Mary, it’s this: when Jesus asked, she said yes. She agreed to carry the cross with Him, not just in her body, but in her heart, through silence, misunderstanding, pain, and obedience.

She offered her sufferings for the Church, for sinners, and for the spread of devotion to His Sacred Heart. Throughout it all, she remained at peace, even joyful, because she had given everything to the Lord.

She died on October 17, 1690, at the age of 43, in her convent at Paray-le-Monial. Her last words were simple and powerful: “I need nothing but God, and to lose myself in the heart of Jesus.”

PRAY WITH US AT 7 PM CT

Let’s ask for St. Margaret Mary’s intercession tonight during the Family Rosary Across America at 7pm CT, especially for those who are sick, aging, or near death. May we face suffering with the same courage, knowing death is not the end, but the beginning of eternal life with Him.

And now, you can also join our Family Rosary Across America text group by texting “PRAY” to 914914 for updates and reminders to pray with us during this novena.

See you at the Rosary!