O what a sweet consolation! Jesus takes my sins upon Himself and stands as a sinner burdened with the weight of my sins! For if the Lord Jesus had not taken upon Himself this burden of the cross we would still be lying in our sins and would be slaves of Satan.

This cross, however, is not a means of salvation for everyone, but only for those who bear it with love and sorrow for their sins;

But for those who lie in grave sins and bear the cross from God with reluctance and complaint, and even blasphemy, it is the beginning of eternal pain! For even beside the Lord Jesus two scoundrels carried their crosses. One calmly, recognising the rightness of the punishment for his criminal life and offering his sufferings in reparation for his sins, and the other with anger, resentment and blasphemy. That one became a partaker of eternal glory, while this one, rejected from God! And when this sign of salvation appears in the final judgment – the lovers of the cross will rejoice and be glad, because for them it will be the sign of eternal happiness, and the unrepentant sinners will tremble at the sight of it, because through the cross they could have been saved, but did not want to!

O sweetest Jesus , make your Cross the instrument of eternal salvation for us all!