11 October, Antonio, Cardinal Bacci: Meditations For Each Day

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?