Wednesday, the Third Week of Lent

Fifth Station of the Cross – Simon of Cyrene carries the cross

   “And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus.” (Luke 23: 26)

   Did the Roman soldiers force Simon to carry the cross for Jesus because they were sympathetic to Him?  Not very likely.  Their only job was to get Jesus to Calvary for His crucifixion.  They could see that He was very weak and perhaps would not be able to continue much longer.  It would have gone very bad for them if He had died on the way and was not crucified.  Simon just happened to be there when they decided that Jesus needed help or He would soon die on the streets of Jerusalem.

   What of Simon?  He had nothing to do with any of this.  He was just coming in to town, most likely for Passover.  Now he was conscripted to carry the cross of a man condemned to die.  We don’t even know if Simon knew who Jesus was.  He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.  Once he gets Jesus to Golgotha nothing else in known of Simon.  Did he ever come to know who he had helped?  Was he later converted to believe in Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah?

   When we think of Simon, perhaps we should also think of how we can help Jesus carry His cross as well.  “Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” (Matt 16:24).  Do we pick up our cross and follow Him?  If so, does our action in any way help in His sacrifice for our sins.

 

   Each time we reach out to another we reach out to Jesus.  When we help others we help Jesus.  Mother Teresa, speaking of the poor she served said, “Each one of them is Jesus in disguise.”  If we, like Mother Teresa, can see Jesus in everyone then each time we reach out in help to them we are reaching out to Jesus.  If we help them bear their cross we are, like Simon, helping Jesus carry his cross.  In this way we can contribute to the sacrifice our Lord made for us.  Of course His sacrifice is complete whether we participate or not.  We can add nothing to the perfect sacrifice He made.  Yet I believe Jesus wants our help.  He wants us to imitate Him in holiness and sacrifice; to feed Him, clothe Him, visit Him.  In other words, He wants us to follow His example in what He did for us and for others.  In this is our opportunity to be as Simon and help the Lord carry His cross.