The Eighth Station: Jesus is Helped by Simon

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you:
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

As they led Jesus away, they came upon a man of Cyrene, Simon by name, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross to carry it behind Jesus. “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Book of Occasional Services, 2018)

Reflection

How many times do we see injustice happening right in front of us, like Simon of Cyrene did? Simon and many onlookers just watched Jesus being beaten and mocked, struggling to carry the cross, and did nothing. Why does it take injustice directly affecting us before we are willing to act? Have you encountered someone on the street asking for help, and you looked away as if they aren’t there at all? Would you notice if it were someone you knew or someone you loved?

What can we do as followers of Christ? We can open our eyes and look at those around us experiencing injustice. See them and honor their dignity as a human being by acknowledging them as children of God and helping in the ways that we can BEFORE it affects us directly. Why wait until we are forced to act? If we take action when any form of injustice or oppression exists, we lower the chance of it growing in a way that affects more people and stripping the dignity from their existence.

Let us pray.

Teach your Church, O Lord, to mourn the sins of which it is guilty, and to repent and forsake them; that, by your pardoning grace, the results of our iniquities may not be visited upon our children and our children’s children; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Holy God,
Holy and Mighty,
Holy Immortal One,
Have mercy upon us.

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