So, we've made it past Ash Wednesday and we're off and running with Lent. We've thought about Lenten resolutions and probably made some, which hopefully we haven't broken yet. Let me suggest that before we get too far into Lent we look at our plans in light of what Jesus says today (Lk 9: 22-25). The thing that jumped out at me when I spent a little time with today's Gospel was the word "daily." Jesus doesn't just say we should pick up our cross and follow Him, which is how I usually remember the language. No, Jesus says we should take up our cross "daily." The word, daily, gives the instruction a whole different spin, I think. It is one thing to pick up our cross when it is presented to us-- when there is some big problem, for example. We pick up the cross once and deal with it, as Jesus did when He was crucified. But picking up a cross "daily" is more a habit, a way of life, something we almost learn to do without thinking about it. It is like brushing our teeth or combing our hair. We just do it. With that in mind I wonder if one of the goals of our Lenten resolutions should be to develop the habit-- the daily activity-- of taking up our cross in a way that will continue long after Lent is finished. We're talking here not of a Lenten observance, that we do with difficulty and will gladly drop when Lent is over. We're talking about developing virtue. I recall as a kid giving up watching TV for Lent. It was very hard, and I would avert my eyes when I went past the den where the TV was if someone was watching it. On Easter Sunday I was delighted to begin watching again-- I had made it through, probably developed a bit of self-control, but hadn't really made any change in my TV watching habits. That's often the problem with the "giving something up" Lenten resolutions. We don't intend to make long-term changes, for the most part. We're just holding our breath until Lent is over and we can do again what we gave up doing. Taking up our cross daily is a command that lasts our entire life. We're can't just do so during Lent and then go back to our old ways, leaving the cross on the ground. We need to develop a habit, not just practice self-control for a period of time. How to do that? I suppose it starts with identifying where in our lives there are crosses we need to take up, and resolving to do that-- with the understanding that we're making a life change, not just following a Lenten observance. Attitude is everything in this context. So we might examine whether what we're doing in Lent is intended to change us for the long term. If it isn't, perhaps it is time for a little re-thinking.