Mini-Course
Carrying the Cross in the Christian Life: Abandonment to Divine Providence
This five-week formation course examines the reality of suffering, the Christian meaning of the Cross, and the interior disposition by which the Cross is rightly carried: abandonment to Divine Providence.
Beginning from Scripture’s unflinching realism about suffering, the course first addresses the simple fact that trials, frustrations, and afflictions belong to the ordinary fabric of human life. Christ does not promise to remove these burdens; rather, He commands His disciples to take up their cross and follow Him. The course therefore seeks to understand suffering not as a sign of God’s absence, but as something permitted—and often willed—within His loving design.
At the heart of the course is the teaching of Fr. Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange, OP, on the meaning of the Cross within God’s providence. Drawing on his classic works on Providence and the spiritual life, the course explains why God sends or permits crosses: not merely as punishment for sin, but as instruments of purification, detachment, and preparation for union with Him. Particular attention is given to the way trials purify the virtues of faith, hope, and charity, stripping away hidden self-reliance and drawing the soul toward a more supernatural trust in God.
From Doctrine to Practice
The latter portion of the course turns to practical application. Participants are guided in learning how to carry the crosses God sends—not with mere endurance or passive resignation, but with faith, love, gratitude, and genuine abandonment to His will. The course clarifies the difference between true self-abandonment and spiritual passivity, showing how trust in Providence is meant to coexist with the faithful fulfillment of daily duties, persevering prayer, and concrete moral effort.
The aim of the course is not to eliminate suffering, but to help participants understand it rightly and respond to it faithfully—so that crosses become occasions of purification and growth rather than sources of confusion, bitterness, or quiet discouragement. In this way, the Cross is seen not as an interruption to the spiritual life, but as one of the principal means by which God leads souls to holiness.
This course is intended for those seeking serious formation on the Christian meaning of suffering and the Cross, and is offered as an initial entry-point into the Institute’s work.
$75 | Introductory Tuition for the 5-Week Mini-Course
(Ordinary tuition is $225. This course is intentionally priced as an entry-point into the Institute’s work.)
Registration is per household. Spouses and/or mature teens may attend together using a single registration.
Dates & Times (all sessions live via Zoom):
Dates: Jan. 28, Feb. 4, Feb. 11, Feb 25, & Mar 4 (No class Feb. 18 -Ash Wednesday)
Class Sessions: Wednesdays 8-9:15 PM EST