4th Sorrowful Mystery: Carrying the Cross
We are called, as was the Lord, to keep walking
I wonder if perhaps it was tempting for Jesus to just lie down on the dirt road and die right there. Completely sapped of strength and in agonizing pain, I wonder if He was tempted by the thought, "I can't take another step." In faithful obedience to the Father's will, Jesus persevered. So must I.
Print"Finally, Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha.) John 19:16-17
The fruit of the mystery is perseverance and patience.
He was still standing after a brutal flogging that should have left him dead. His flesh is already mutilated and profusely bleeding, and His body is weak and shaky from the blood loss. Yet somehow, He withstands the pain and keeps going. I wonder if maybe the soldiers, besides being irked, weren't just a little impressed that He was still alive after all they'd done to Him.
Maybe that's why they enlisted some help for Him and made Simon carry the cross the rest of the way to Golgotha. "A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country and they forced him to carry the cross." Mark 15:21
But whether Jesus could walk or not, they were determined in their cause. Nothing was going to stop them from their final goal of execution.
Jesus persevered. So did Satan.
Satan was every bit as determined as Jesus that day and he was getting plenty of help from those blood-thirsty Roman soldiers. In this battle between Love and Evil, it was beginning to look like Satan would prevail.
Thus far he had succeeded in shredding Jesus' body and utterly humiliating Him. Not a bad day's work for a fallen angel.
(Ah, but things are not as they seem! Evil was about to be soundly, eternally defeated.)
I wonder if perhaps it was tempting for Jesus to just lie down on the dirt road and die right there. Completely sapped of strength and in agonizing pain, I wonder if He was tempted by the thought, "I can't take another step."
How many times have I had that thought? It seems to me that my cross is getting too heavy, or I have been carrying it for too long, and I can't take another step. I feel weakened by some harsh blows, and it looks as though the enemy is winning.
In faithful obedience to the Father's will, Jesus persevered. So must I. Though it seems the enemy is scoring too many points against me, I must remember he has already lost. Though I'm sapped of strength and in pain, if I remain faithful, Satan will not prevail.
"Keep walking," Jesus says to me. "I will carry you when you are weak. I will never leave you. I have been to hell and back for you, and there's nothing to fear."
"Keep walking."
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Jennifer Hartline is a grateful Catholic, a proud Army wife and mother of four precious children (one in Heaven). She is a contributing writer for Catholic Online. Visit her online at My Chocolate Heart.
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Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.
Keywords: Rosary, Sorrowful mysteries, carrying the cross, perseverance, Jennifer Hartline
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Please continue to give me strength through your writings of My Body and Soul. A Devoted Catholic. Thank You
Thank you for your reflection. I am still scratching the surface of 'carrying the cross', I know there is whole depth of meaning. Can you recommend another free on line catholic reflection on this topic ?
God bless you
from Clive
Very helpful
great and inspiring article! a reminder for all of us who have each a cross to bear. may we carry our cross faithfully all the days of our life in union with the One who did it first. God bless us!