… keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith. For the sake of the joy that lay before him he endured the cross, despising its shame, and has taken his seat at the right of the throne of God. 3 Consider how he endured such opposition from sinners, in order that you may not grow weary and lose heart. 4 In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood.
Hebrews 12:2-4
He is the Head, we are the Body. Our Christian life is thoroughly integrated with his own life, death, and Resurrection. Only the Resurrection of our Head has been experienced and witnessed by others at this point. We face the particular crosses our loving Father permits for our good and the good of the rest of the Body. As much as we may complain, our faith has not yet resulted in many of us shedding our actual blood.
Yet it is no light thing to face everything that causes us pain, either personally or through our solidarity with those of our family, children, friends–just to mention those in our immediate circle.
May we help each other bear, and even rejoice in, the way of the Cross laid out for us in our walk towards death–and Easter beyond.