· Must be a baptized Catholic Christian who rides a street legal motorcycle or the spouse of a riding member

· Obedient to the teachings of Jesus Christ, the Bible, and the Catholic Church

· Obedient to the Pope and to the Bishops of the Catholic Church

· Active in the life of the Catholic Church (regular Mass attendance)

· Dedicated to the mission of the Catholic Cross Bearers M/M and striving to be holy – set apart for God

WHY THE CATHOLIC CROSS BEARERS?

· We bear the cross of Jesus to show God’s Love (John 3:16) to the world, which is the message of the cross

· We bear the cross of Jesus because Jesus says we must take up our cross and follow Him (Matthew 10:38; Luke 9:23; and Luke 14:27)

· Like Paul we are to boast of nothing but the cross of Jesus (Galatians 6:14 and 1 Corinthians 1:18)

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BEAR THE CROSS? 

To bear the cross of Christ is to live a life of sacrifice to God. The sacrifice that God desires is a contrite heart (Psalm 51:17). It is also love of neighbor which is true fasting (Mark 12:28-34 and Isaiah 58). We bear the cross when we live by the Cardinal Virtues (Wisdom 8:7), observe the Precepts of Charity (Mark 12:30), and perform the Seven Corporal Works of Mercy (Matthew 25:35-36 and Tobit 12:12). It is bringing God’s Love to the world.

THE CARDINAL VIRTUES 

Prudence, Justice, Fortitude, & Temperance

PRECEPTS OF CHARITY 

“Thou shall love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind and with thy whole strength.”  AND “Thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself.”

SEVEN CORPORAL WORKS OF MERCY 

· to feed the hungry

· to give drink to the thirsty

· to clothe the naked

· to house the homeless

· to visit the sick

· to visit the imprisoned

· to bury the dead

The Catholic Cross Bearers also live to perform the SEVEN SPIRITUAL WORKS OF MERCY which are to:

· convert the sinner

· instruct the ignorant

· counsel the doubtful

· comfort the sorrowful

· bear wrongs patiently

· forgive injuries

· pray for the living and the dead

We at the Catholic Cross Bearers M/M believe in and are dedicated to living the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We wear a back patch to signify who we are and who we serve. Our works are not grandiose but rather we seek to be available in the present moment to those who need us the most. It is a life of service to others. Jesus Christ gave His life for all humanity on the cross. We give our lives in the same manner to those around us. Jesus tells us in the Gospels that we are to be judged on how we love others. It is more than just believing in God or praying to God. It is total dedication to serving God.

Mother Teresa said to “do little things with great love.” In doing so, you will fulfill God’s command.

“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life? For the Son of Man will come in his Father’s glory and then he will repay everyone according to his conduct” (Matthew 16:24-27).

If you are interested in knowing more about Jesus or the Catholic Faith, or if you want to know more about the Catholic Cross Bearers Motorcycle Ministry, please contact us at:

catholiccrossbearersmm@gmail.com 

May God, who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, bless you both now and forever. Amen.