This past year was tough.
Watching a loved one wither away to illness,
feeling helpless so many times,
all while balancing the busyness of life.

In the midst of it all,
You gave me the courage to break the silence
and speak the truth about matters I had long tried to ignore.
Despite how others might judge me,
I knew I was not alone.
In the thick and thin of life, Lord,
You were with me.

This evening I pulled out the tiny cross I had bought while overseas in a Catholic bookshop.
I had searched high and low for a cross with a stand no bigger than what could fit in my palm, one that could replace the little cross that had accompanied me everywhere for 25 years until it finally broke.

It was love at first sight when I noticed the tiny cross among the many displayed behind a glass cabinet.
Was it its wood?
Was it the carving?
In a rush for time, I asked for it, paid, and left.

Now, as I examine the tiny cross, I realise it is not just a cross.
It is a Benedictine crucifix, with a Benedictine medal embedded at the back.
On both the crucifix and the medal are the tiniest Latin inscriptions, so small I needed my phone’s camera to zoom in.

When I pieced together the first initials:
C S S M L — Crux Sacra Sit Mihi Lux,
meaning “May the Holy Cross be my light,”
I felt a deep sense of consolation.

I felt Your words of assurance:

This is my gift to you.
Through this cross and medal, you will find comfort
and know that you are never alone.

Day 6, Wednesday 2nd Sunday of Lent,