Way of the Cross at the Colosseum

Ave Maria!  In keeping with tradition, the Holy Father will lead the Way of the Cross at the Colosseum in Rome on Good Friday, March 29.  As Catholic News Service explains, each year a different person(s) writes "a commentary and prayers to help people realize that even today the sin and evil that led to Christ's suffering and death continue." 

This year's Stations have been prepared by Lebanese young people under the guidance of the Maronite Patriarch, His Eminent Beatitude Béchara Boutros Raï.  The meditations focus on the suffering of people -- especially Christians -- in the Middle East. These Stations were published yesterday here on the Vatican Web site.  Each one provides a Scripture verse plus a brief meditation followed by a prayer.  They contain excerpts from different Eastern rites and writers of the Catholic Church as well as references to “Ecclesia in Medio Oriente,” the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation written by Pope Benedict to the Church in the Middle East, 9/14/12.  They also include illustrations of a 19th century Way of the Cross by an unknown Franciscan artisan in Bethlehem.  Above is the illustration for Station V, "Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus to carry the Cross"; the reflection is at the end of this post.

These Stations are powerful.  I know that I will continue to use them for prayer and reflection even after Holy Week has ended.  Blaise Pascal wrote that “Jesus will be in agony until the end of the world; we must not sleep during that time.”  These Stations will help us to stay awake and alert.  May they also help us to walk the Way of the Cross with our Crucified Lord here and now and until the end of the world.

V Station: Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus to carry the Cross

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: 

Jesus’ meeting with Simon of Cyrene took place in silence, providing us with a lesson for our lives: God does not want suffering and he does not accept evil. The same is true of the human being. But suffering, accepted in faith, is transformed into a path of salvation. Then we accept it as Jesus did, and we help to carry it as Simon of Cyrene did.

Lord Jesus,
you have involved man in the carrying of your Cross.
You have invited us to share your sufferings.
Simon of Cyrene is like us
and he teaches us to accept the Cross
that we encounter on the paths of life.
Following your example, Lord,
we too carry the Cross
of suffering and illness today,
but we accept it because you are with us.
It can nail us to our chair,
but it cannot prevent us from dreaming;
it can obscure our vision,
but it cannot touch our conscience;
it can deafen our ears,
but it cannot prevent us from listening;
it can bind our tongue
but it cannot suppress our thirst for truth;
it can weigh down our spirit,
but it cannot rob us of our freedom.

Lord,
we want to be your disciples
so as to carry your Cross every day;
we will carry it with joy and hope
because you are carrying it with us,
because you have triumphed over death for us.

We give you thanks, Lord,
for every sick or ailing person
who knows how to bear witness to your love,
and for every "Simon of Cyrene"
whom you place on our journey.
Amen.