When God looked on the man and woman He had created, He saw that His creation was very good. In our present condition, however, we see many examples of how we and others are not always good, but have a tendency to commit sin. This is a result of original sin whose effects remain in the disordered desires that we experience.

We are indeed redeemed by Jesus Christ who opened the gates of heaven for us by His saving death on the cross. He calls us to follow Him by taking up the cross. This is necessary in order that we grow in holiness by His grace and overcome our greed and selfishness.

There will always be a place for the cross at the heart of our relationships because we do not love as fully as we are called to, and because we hurt others by our sins. Our Lord’s insistence on forgiveness is important in families and in communities so that discord does not grow and become the root of destructive resentment. In teaching that we should love our enemies, Christ sets forth an immensely powerful path for good in the world.

Sometimes, evil done by others can make a person’s life miserable and seemingly hopeless, leaving them “mourning and weeping in this vale of tears.” We ask our Lady as our Advocate to lead us ultimately to heaven at the end of this life, but she also consoles us as a loving Mother in the dark times of this life. She teaches us to bear the cross with Jesus and thus to allow Our Lord to bring meaning and hope where humanly these seem to be impossible.