Fifth Station

Open in Mozilla Firefox and click on the audio bar to hear the music

Lk 23: 26-2

As they led him away, they laid hold of one Simon the Cyrenean who was coming in from the fields.

They put a crossbeam on Simon’s shoulder for him to carry along behind Jesus.
A great crowd of people followed him, including women who beat their breasts and lamented over him.

Jesus could bear His Cross alone, did He so will; but He permits Simon to help Him, in order to remind us that we must take part in His sufferings, and have a fellowship in His work. His merit is infinite, yet He condescends to let His people add their merit to it. The sanctity of the Blessed Virgin, the blood of the Martyrs, the prayers and penances of the Saints, the good deeds of all the faithful, take part in that work which, nevertheless, is perfect without them. He saves us by His blood, but it is through and with ourselves that He saves us.

Dear Lord, teach us to suffer with Thee, make it pleasant to us to suffer for Thy sake, and sanctify all our sufferings by the merits of Thy own.

Next