The cross that Jesus Christ himself carried was very heavy, 300 pounds. This was after he was brutally scourged by the Romans, and had a sharp crown of thorns pierced into his skull. And now, he has to carry this heavy, splintery cross, up a hill, to where he will die.

But Jesus Christ knows this one thing: for the salvation of all of humanity, it had to happen this way, so that all sin might be purged from the world, that death shall no longer have a grip over humans, and the presence of Satan might no longer remain. So then, Christ knows that he has to endure excruciating pain, so that we, stuck in sin, can have the greatest treasure of all: communion with God. So then, Jesus Christ knowing all this, already severely weakened by torture, gladly and with strength, embraces the cross, as seen in the painting, knowing that when he endures and wins, humanity, which he loves so much, will indeed be free from the enemies of humans: Satan, death, and sin.

And the teaching that Christ leaves for us in his example of embracing the cross is this: Whenever we are weakened, whether by trials, temptations, or even the things of this world, we need God's strength to get us through. Remember what Christ said: "I am not alone, for the Father is with me." The Father never abandoned Jesus Christ during his Holy Passion, and when Christ was weakened physically, the Father gave him strength, showing that God is faithful, and so whenever we call for his strength in prayer, so that we can power through trials and temptations, he will give us that strength. It also shows us that even in our darkest moments, and in our hardest trials and temptations, God is still faithful and with us, ready to give us strength and deliver us whenever we request God.

So then yes indeed my friends in Christ, Christ also shows us to embrace our trials. They will be difficult, but remember what kept Jesus Christ going when carrying the cross: God's everlasting and most precious Love for humanity. God loves humans, and he wants all of humanity to be with him forever. That could not happen with sin in the way, and so in order to abolish sin, Jesus Christ had to be crucified as a sinless sacrifice, taking upon himself all the sin of the world, and destroying sin by his death. The pain was excruciating, but since God loves humanity so much, he kept going, and he kept carrying that heavy cross for the salvation of the world. So then also my friends, Christ our Lord shows us by his example that we also embrace our trials, for whenever we are under trials, we tend to rely on the power of God's love more, and when we rely on the Love of God, we become more intimate with God, and that is one of the central goals of the Christian life: intimate Love with the Triune God, having his intimate love indwelling within us, and at the end of the age rising to be with such intimate love forever and ever. So, as Christ under very difficult trial had the Love of God and overcame all pain for the salvation of humanity, so then in our own trials, no matter how small or big, we also should have the Love of God, so that we can overcome also, just as Christ overcame.

Here is the clip from the Passion of the Christ, showing Christ embracing the cross, for he knows that this instrument will bring about salvation for the human race, and a path back to communion with God. And gladly carrying it with the power of God's love, endured and overcame. Let us also imitate Christ in this way brothers and sisters. For truly, there is nothing that is impossible with God. And let us then hold steadfastly to the Love of the Father, overcoming all trial, all temptation, all sin, all anxiety, all fear, and everything that pertains to darkness, for just as Jesus Christ did it, so can we by the Grace of the Holy Spirit. Amen.