The Fourth Sorrowful Mystery
The Road to Calvary
1.
Scourged, crowned with thorns, and derided, Jesus is finally condemned
to death. Burdened with the Cross, He sets out for the place of
execution in the midst of a crowd of enemies, blasphemers, and idle
speculators. Among them there is only a tiny group which sympathises
with Jesus, namely, Mary His Mother, the devout women, and the beloved
Apostle, St. John.
The divine Redeemer goes forward laboriously
beneath the heavy weight of the Cross. He has already lost a large
quantity of blood in Gethsemane and during the scourging and crowning
with thorns. His strength seems to be failing, but love sustains Him.
Looking feebly around Him, He sees the mocking Jews, the indifferent and
disrespectful Roman soldiers, and a throng of curious spectators
looking for something to amuse them. Is there nobody else? Where are
those whom He cured miraculously, and those whom He comforted and
forgave? Has nobody any pity for Him? Suddenly the crowd falls silent. A
woman, pale and tearful, is approaching Him, supported by her friends.
She defies the commands of the soldiers and the scowls of the
executioners, and comes close to Him.
Here and there a murmur is
heard: It must be his mother, poor woman! Jesus and Mary gaze at one
another. It would be impossible for us to guess at the immense depths of
love contained in that loving exchange of glances. Neither utters a
word, for no words could express their anguish nor manifest their love.
They look and understand one another, offering themselves as a holocaust
for the redemption of wayward humanity.
Nevertheless, in this
silent meeting there was great consolation for the Heart of Jesus, for
He had found someone who loved and understood Him. Why do we not
sympathise with Him, too, and love Him with all our heart?
2. The
moment soon passes. The executioners urge Jesus forward once more
towards the place of execution. His strength is exhausted and He
stumbles several times beneath the weight of the Cross. Each time,
however, He rises, covered with blood and dust, and again embraces the
Cross.
How often we also fall! Sometimes, because of the weight
of our cross, we fall in discouragement or in despair. On these
occasions let us look towards the divine Sufferer and embrace our cross
again, for it is the ladder by which we must ascend to Heaven.
Sometimes it is sin which causes us to fall. If we have yielded to the
violence of temptation, let us look towards Jesus just the same. He who
loved us so much on the way to Calvary and on the tree of the Cross is
certainly ready to forgive and comfort us.
3. The executioners
realised that Jesus had expended all His energy and became afraid that
He would not be able to reach the place of execution. For this reason
they compelled Simon of Cyrene, who was coming back from the country
after his work, to carry the Cross instead of Jesus. At first he
probably helped reluctantly, because he was tired and anxious to get
home. When he recognised Jesus, however, he took the Cross willingly and
carried it for Him.
What is our attitude to the cross which
Jesus gives us? He Who was innocence itself carried His burden with
perfect resignation and love. Why should not we who are so sinful carry
ours with similar dispositions, since we need so much to expiate our
sins and to show our love for Jesus?
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