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Perhaps the most difficult cross to bear is that of a parent losing a child.
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In the 2011 film, The Way, Martin Sheen plays the role of a father who loses his only child in a sudden accident.
His son was attempting to walk the Camino of Santiago, a thousand year old trail in northern Spain, but was killed unexpectedly in a violent storm.
Forced into a type of soul searching, this father decides to carry his son’s ashes on his back while walking the trail himself.
Along the way, he begins to question:
What is the meaning of my own life?
Will I see my son again?
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In the Gospel, Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem.
Like this father in the movie, The Way, Jesus is not only walking a physical path; he’s also on a spiritual journey, one that becomes increasingly difficult.
For months and miles, Jesus has carried the knowledge in his heart that, “the Son of man will be handed over to men and they will kill him” (Mark 9:31).
Imagine carrying this weight inside. Imagine being Jesus.
He could’ve become bitter. He could’ve retreated in fear and sought another path.
But he didn’t.
Day after day, Jesus heroically inches his way towards Jerusalem, knowing that betrayal and a cross await him.
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For this reason, Jesus turns away from teaching the crowds and curing the sick. His public ministry is coming to a close. It’s time to focus on his closest disciples, instead, sharing the details of his future with them.
He tells them plainly, “the Son of Man is to be handed over to men and they will kill him, and three days after his death the Son of Man will rise” (Mark 9:31).
This was shocking news to the disciples. They couldn’t imagine Jesus gone.
The truth is, they had very different plans for Jesus and for themselves. They expected to march into Jerusalem, crown Jesus king, and place themselves by his side.
As the Gospel tells us, “They had been discussing among themselves on the way who was the greatest” (Mark 9:34).
That is, who might have the highest seat of honor.
The disciples weren’t thinking about the resurrection; they were thinking about earthly glory and power.
Little do they know, they themselves will be forced into a type of soul searching upon entering Jerusalem, asking themselves about the meaning of their own lives…and whether or not they will see Jesus again.
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Imagine how tough this journey must have been for Jesus. Even his closest friends don’t understand him.
All he can do is patiently teach them about his future – and by extension about their future – and pray that they will be converted on the way.
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How does Jesus bear it? Where does he find the strength for his journey, fully aware of what’s ahead?
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He loves his Father.
And he believes his Father will raise him from the dead.
For now, all Jesus must do is put one foot in front of the other, walking the path before him.
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Life inevitably comes with its share of burdens. And like Jesus, we all carry them.
Perhaps we struggle with anxiety, depression, poor self-image, or addiction.
Perhaps we struggle with making ends meet or being a single parent.
Or, like Sheen in the movie, The Way, perhaps we’re carrying the heaviest burden of them all – the loss of a child…
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Jesus prays for us, that his faith might become our own.
He journeyed through life with peace knowing that, in the end, “the Son of Man will rise” (Mark 9:31).
And so will we.
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This is the Good News of the Gospel. This is the promise of our Lord!
The day is coming when we will enter the presence of God and be filled with every heavenly grace and blessing.
For now, all we must do is take the next step on our journey, however easy or difficult that may be, trusting the Risen Lord is with us.