Now imagine yourself a spectator in the crowd, one curious, but not a part of the mob. This was Simon. Simon was there merely by chance, not by choice in his own mind. He was there for the Lord, knowing not his place in history, knowing not the Love he had encountered. The soldiers grabbed him as he was convenient to them at the time. Jesus fell before the crowd and could no longer walk unaided with the Cross. The Cross—its weight, too much now for your Lord to bear in His human heart, His human nature. The soldiers were not to be denied the cruel death of the Cross for my Son—the spectacle they all had come to behold. The soldiers would not allow death to come too soon. Death, child, that which would bring life, was now so close—so close the soldiers felt it was too close. Simon was there, he could help. Threatened with death, Simon complied—not knowing why—not knowing the Lord. Why, child? Why could men turn to such evilness in their hearts? Their hearts were made for God—yet they knew not their God placed before them.
Child, child, imagine now the pain your Lord was in. The wounds deepened with each step. Each step was agony, misery, blasphemy. Each step was torment to your Lord—to my heart, child. I was there as He walked by. I saw Simon from a distance—confused, not knowing whether he now would meet death also. Death child, a death to be feared at the hands of the Romans. Death now to be feared from the crowd. Death lingered in the air. The crowd cheered on the death. The crowd cheered on the pain, the torment, the horror.
Simon complied and took up the Cross. Rested now on his shoulder, Simon could see the pain in His eyes—the eyes of your Lord—the eyes of His heart. The pain, child. Imagine the pain your Lord endured that brought Him thus far to the point of death. Seeing Him this way once again pierced my heart. But the crowd pushed on. No one 'cept the soldiers kept pace, preventing others from interfering, preventing help.
Your Lord now laid bare in His pain, bare in His mercy—yet mercy flowed from His heart, His love. But He was human now, child. His human heart, His human soul, His body suffered in great torment knowing the evil in the hearts of those surrounding Him. He, child, could almost bear no more, yet God in His mercy for mankind, gave the grace to His Son to endure—endure pain, torment, humiliation, torture in the extreme sense of the word. “Have you ever seen any suffering like my suffering?”
He, child, gave the grace to Simon to repent, to be baptized, to love in the end, with all his heart. His heart melted on the way to Calvary. Anger gave way to sorrow, for the man beside him now. Softened now in his heart by God's grace, he saw the Creator and love of his life beside him. Child, as he walked to Calvary with your Lord, his heart became one with the Lord and the grace to carry on was given him.
He remarked to those around of His love, the love flowing from the Lord, but he knew not words to say, and none would listen. He went away sad, knowing his heart was touched, but not knowing why or how. He gave to the Lord, his life, for sins, for repentance, for the evil done Him, and for Love.
He is blessed now, child, in eternity. You may pray to his love, to intercede for you as you carry your cross—for your cross is given as his. You, child, too, will know the joy of carrying the Cross for another, for your Beloved. Know Simon is here for you to call on in your walk, your pilgrimage, your love for the Lord. Be at peace in knowing the Cross for you is joy for all. Pray that you will likewise carry your cross in love.
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Stations: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 R