The Burden of My Cross

Throughout years and years of being in the CFC Youth Community, I have often heard the term, “Carry your cross”. But when the busy seasons start to come, the cross becomes heavier and heavier, and sometimes unbearable. Now for some people, “unbearable” might lead to a feeling of wanting to give up, and for others, it might feel like a feeling of being desensitized to everyone and everything around us. “Unbearable” holds a different meaning for every person, but what I know is that what is unbearable starts to feel like a burden, getting heavier and heavier as we go. But if I am created in the image and likeness of God, then as cliché as it sounds, the simple question goes back to the basics… What would Jesus do?

As he carried his cross on his way to Calvary, there is no doubt his cross weighed heavier and heavier by the minute. He carried his cross and fell 3 times because of how heavy it became.. and encountered blessings 3 times, as well as giving 3 blessings in return:

1. Jesus meets his mother. Although he is the Son of God, Jesus was also human. He also had a mother. What child, in the midst of his suffering, would not want to see his mother? In the midst of the crowds, they met each other, and Mother Mary, once again, is the greatest idol of humilty and love, being able to sacrifice her son to bring salvation to the world.
2. Simon of Cyrene comes to help him carry his cross. In this act, Simon became a blessing to Jesus because he helped lighten the cross for him, and in return, Simon learned how to truly serve; how to put someone else before himself. More-so… how to put the Lord above all else…
3. Veronica wipes the face of Jesus. Jesus felt the blessing of love of another who truly cared for him. To Veronica (a name in legend, derived from “vera” and “icon” – greek words, meaning “true image”), it was a blessing at that time, personally, because she was able to touch the face of Jesus in the midst of his suffering as an act of love. It might also be seen as a blessing to us because we are in the midst of verifying the very cloth his face left an imprint on, which might even belong to her.

In his suffering, out of His devoted love, God gave Jesus small little blessings to tell him, “My Son, you are not alone.” And in these blessings, Christ’s suffering became a blessing to share… to Mother Mary, to Simon, to Veronica, and even to us all today. The “burden” of his cross brought him blessings, and blessings to everyone around him because of love. Because of God.

Being human, there will always be a cross to bear. I will always have a cross to carry and YES, at times, like Christ, it will feel unbearable. But it is only through God that like the impossible, the unbearable becomes bearable. It is only through God that the burden of my cross will become a blessing. It is only through God that the burden of my cross becomes a blessing I desire.