The Second Station

Jesus Carries His Cross

We adore you, O Christ, and we praise You.

Because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world.

It seems like only yesterday that You spoke of a Cross.

If anyone wishes to come after me,

he must deny himself and take up

his cross daily and follow me.

Lk 9:23)

Now the full weight of a wooden Cross bears down upon Your shoulders. You are pushed forward toward a hill called Golgotha, the Place of the Skull. Surely this is not a destination suited for the Son of Man. Yet despite the humiliation and the physical pain, You lift Yourself against this heaviness and begin to walk.

The moment has come. Father, Your gift is upon me. This Cross I bear is not mine, but theirs. I carry it willingly. While I have agonized over this moment, I now rejoice that it has finally come. Because of this Cross I know their pain and sorrow, their failings and weakness. Because of this Cross they will know Your compassion and mercy. Father, stand ready to embrace Your children and comfort their sorrows. Blessed be this Cross I bear.

We pray. Heavenly Father, as humble sinners, we bow before you. We know Your promise of forgiveness, but still we struggle to raise our eyes and ask. The shame of sin is great. Remind us of Your gentle Spirit. Reassure us that we are always in a state of becoming. Give us the strength and courage to bear our daily crosses, and guide us on the path to carry them in Your footsteps.

What's your cross? We all have one. Do you carry yours willingly, or do you allow it to weigh you down holding you stuck in one place. Being a victim doesn't put you on Christ's path. On that journey, you forge your own way. As hard as it may seem, you've been called to love the cross you bear. Only in a spirit of love will you be able to carry it with strength, courage, and dignity. That's the attitude that puts you on a path of hope toward Resurrection.

[excerpt from Stations of the Cross by Denise Hemrich-Skomer and Fr. Joachim Tyrtania. ©2009. Nihil Obstat: Charles McNamee, J.C.L. Censor Librorum. Imprimatur: Thomas G. Doran, D.D., J.C.D, Bishop of Rockford]