Suffering is an undeniable part of life. Defined as pain, distress, or hardship, it is something we all face. For me, suffering has never been just defeat; it has been survival. It shapes our fears, dictates our decisions, and weighs heavily on our hearts. We instinctively try to control our circumstances, believing that if we hold on tightly enough, we can avoid the pain. Yet, as we enter Holy Week, Christ offers another path. He is inviting us on this path with Him. This path is one of surrender, trust, and deeper intimacy with Him.
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. —Romans 8:18
We know Christ was no stranger to suffering. He endured rejection, loneliness, and betrayal, carrying the weight of humanity's sin upon the Cross. Isaiah 53:3 calls Him "a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief."Â His suffering is not distant or theoretical; it is personal. He does not simply know our pain; He understands it, because He lived it.
Yet in His suffering, Christ never wavered. He walked through agony with unwavering faith in His Father's plan. His pain was not meaningless by any stretch. He endured the depths of suffering so that we would never face our burdens alone. This truth changes everything: when we suffer, we do not suffer in isolation. We have a refuge in Him! He is our safe place where every wound, heartbreak, and burden is already known.
The Hidden Blessings of Embracing Our Cross
No one wants to suffer, yet every hardship we face refines us. It tests our mental, physical and spiritual endurance. In our search for safety, we wrestle with uncertainty, and sometimes, safety feels entirely out of reach.
But God gives us free will. We can resist His guidance, struggle against His plans, and attempt to navigate life on our own. I don't know about you, but when I have done that in the past no good came out of it. Christ is our example. He, too, had free will. As both fully human and fully divine, He could have chosen another way. But in Gethsemane, He prayed: "Father, if You are willing, take this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done."Â (Luke 22:42) He surrendered His will to the Father, choosing suffering for the sake of love and salvation.
Fr. Thomas Hopko beautifully describes this surrender:
There's just no way to be the disciple of Jesus without taking up our cross. If he is crucified, we have to be crucified. St. Paul uses that expression: "co-crucified": "We must be co-crucified together with him." Co-crucified. St. Paul loves that term, "co-." In Greek, the prefix "syn." We co-suffer with him. We co-reject with him. We co-die with him. We are co-crucified with him. Then we are co-rising with him. We are co-glorified with him. We are co-reigning with him. But it's all in and with Him.
Taking up our cross is not about enduring pain for its own sake. It is about embracing trust when doubt arises, surrender when fear threatens, and faith when everything feels uncertain. In this, we find intimacy with Him. The kind of intimacy that carries us, redeems us, and transforms us into reflections of His love. We must remember, this journey does not end in suffering. It ends with the glorious Resurrection!
As we approach Pascha, I look forward to celebrating Christ's ultimate victory over death - a victory that ensures our own hope, renewal, and transformation. The cross was not the conclusion to the story; it was the threshold Christ had to go through to give us eternal redemption. Through His sacrifice, we are invited to step into the light of His triumph and embrace the fullness of joy found in Him!
Kali Anastasi! Wishing you a blessed journey towards the Resurrection.
In Christ,
Maria
