Jesus takes up his cross
"We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you. Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world. "
John 19: 16-17
"The soldiers took charge of Jesus. Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull "
Reflection:
Studies have found that Jesus most likely carried the horizontal beam of the cross, which by itself weighed about 125 lbs. Imagine a time in your life when you felt a lot of pain. Jesus had been scourged, embarrassed, and now had to walk 1/3 of a mile with a heavy object digging into his back, fully knowing that he is literally walking to his death. When Jesus took up his cross, he took with it every sin that had ever happened, was happening, and will happen and carried it with him, still fully trusting in God's plan. Jesus gave the ultimate sacrifice by carrying his cross, I challenge you in your life to take all of your worries, burdens, sorrows, and doubts and sacrifice it at the altar of God. Fully trust in what God has in store for you and like Jesus, take up your cross, and I promise you, good things will come from it.
Prayer:
Jesus, we avoid adversity. We fear humiliation and run from suffering. But you chose to take up the cross, a symbol of humiliation and suffering, and did so with steadfast acceptance. Teach us, we pray, to carry our burdens with the same grace, remembering that you will never leave or forsake us