Nicole Berlucchi, Writer on a Mission

Visit Tribe of Many Arrows on Etsy. These images are used with their permission,
and I am grateful for these beautiful creations accompanying my reflections this month.

For the month of October the “That We May Imitate What They Contain and Obtain What They Promise” series will take a daily look at one mystery of the Rosary and how we have the opportunity to imitate it and rejoice in what it promises us.

Today, we look at the fourth Sorrowful Mystery of the Rosary: The Carrying of the Cross.

As they led him away they took hold of a certain Simon, a Cyrenian, who was coming in from the country; and after laying the cross on him, they made him carry it behind Jesus. A large crowd of people followed Jesus, including many women who mourned and lamented him. Jesus turned to them and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep instead for yourselves and for your children, for indeed, the days are coming when the people will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed.’ At that time the people will say to the mountains, ‘Fall upon us!’ and to the hills ‘Cover us!’ for if these things are done when the wood is green what will happen when it is dry?” Now two others, both criminals, were led away with him to be executed. Luke 23:26-32 (NABRE)

During the Carrying of the Cross mystery, many of us likely conjure up the stations of the cross, which gives a much lengthier account of Jesus carrying his cross to his Crucifixion by way of sacred tradition. However, the above accounts for what is written in the Gospel and we will use these verses for reflecting on imitation of this mystery.

1. Help others carry their crosses. Simon is mentioned in all three Gospel accounts of the carrying of the cross; in Matthew and Mark, Simon assisting is all that is mentioned. He is said to have been pressed into service. I feel there is so much we could reflect on here. The first is what we discussed in the last mystery. As Simon accepts the cross to carry on behalf of Jesus, we too can accept crosses and unite our suffering to Jesus’ suffering, offering it as a penance for sins. Additionally, we might have family members or friends bearing crosses that are too heavy to carry. Take to prayer how you might be called to help this person. Certainly prayer in one way to help but look for other ways that you might alleviate some of the weight of that cross—visiting a grave, grocery shopping, check-in texts, cooking meals, helping with household duties, childcare, rides to doctors’ appointments, visiting. These examples are some of the ways we can help others as they carry a variety of hardships from job loss to loss of a loved one.
2. Accept help from others when you have crosses to carry. Jesus again reminds us that we are not designed to bear heavy things alone. Just as in the Agony in the Garden, He selected apostles to go with Him to pray, so He begins His way to His crucifixion, another person is chosen to help Him. If God wanted Jesus to carry His cross to Calvary, He would’ve done it, but instead He uses Simon to show us that if God takes help from others, so should we, even when they seem reluctant to help. God designed us for community and part of the Christian life is helping each other in the midst of crosses. It can be so hard to allow ourselves to be helped, but if Jesus can accept help, so can you.
3. Keep your eyes on Christ in the midst of your crosses. The fact that Simon was “pressed” into service suggests he did not have a choice to take the cross. There are often times in life when we are faced with crosses we would never choose for ourselves, the death of a loved one, a terminal illness, a debilitating sickness, and these are only a few. If the Lord presses this cross to our lives, know that as St. Luke describes Jesus is walking before us. He is well aware of what we are bearing. We need to keep our eyes on Him and continue to follow Him even if we are really unsure of where all of this is leading us.
4. Value the dignity of human life. Jesus is confronted with women weeping for Him, how badly He has been tortured and now watching Him walk to His death. But He in turn says, Do not worry about me; worry about this world, worry about how you will treat each other, how you will try to control things and in doing so fall into despair and death. He reminds the women that this world needs our prayers and attention, so that we turn others toward God and away from their sin. Likewise, we know Jesus is accompanied by two criminals going to a similar death. He shows us how to walk with others no matter who they are, model the way of the cross, the way of a Christian.
5. Continue moving forward. Of all the things Jesus teaches us through this mystery, it is continue moving forward. How Jesus physically is able to make this walk after long torture of the other mysteries is beyond comprehension, and yet, He goes forward, knowing death awaits Him, knowing His mission. He persists and continues to walk the path that God has laid out for Him. He did not drop helplessly to the ground and need to be carried. He needed help carrying the cross, but He walked on His own. He walked His path to fulfill His mission.

The carrying of the cross is the bridge from arrest and sentencing to fulfillment. At this point, Jesus is badly beaten, but He isn’t killed immediately. His path is drawn out with a long walk through Jerusalem to Calvary. Jesus uses this time to show us how to help others and be helped; He warns us of how the world needs our prayers and example; and He continues to walk forward in the midst of His suffering, knowing He is headed for something more: first death, but then resurrection. He teaches us trust and the fruit of this mystery patience, patience in the face of the greatest suffering and heaviest burdens.

Visit Tribe of Many Arrows on Etsy. These images are used with their permission, and I am grateful for these beautiful creations accompanying my reflections this month.

If you missed last week’s reflections, catch them here: Annunciation, Visitation, Birth of Jesus, the Presentation, and the Finding of Jesus in the Temple.