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Via Crucis Station 05
Valinhos Sanctuary
The Sacred Way of the Cross
Via Crucis Station 05
SIMON OF CYRENE HELPS JESUS CARRY THE CROSS
Via Crucis Station 05 introduces Simon of Cyrene, a man compelled by Roman soldiers to help Jesus carry the cross. The Gospel tells us Simon was coming in from the country—just an ordinary person going about his day when he was thrust into the most extraordinary moment of history. This station teaches me that grace often comes through unexpected helpers and unwanted interruptions. At Valinhos Sanctuary, this station reminds me how God writes straight with crooked lines, using even forced service to bring about redemption. Simon didn't volunteer. He was compelled. Yet touching the cross transformed his life—tradition says he and his sons became Christians. My own reluctant "yes" to bearing others' burdens can transform me too.
V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee.
R. Because by Thy holy cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.
Lord, how many times have I been like Simon—going about my business when You interrupt with a call to serve? How often do I resent the burdens others ask me to carry? I see now that helping You carry the cross, even when I'm compelled, even when it's inconvenient, becomes my path to growth. Simon didn't volunteer for this. He was forced. Yet touching Your cross changed his life forever. The interruptions in my day, the needs of others that disrupt my plans, the inconvenient calls for help—I'm learning these are You, asking me to be Simon. These moments I often see as burdens are actually invitations. Give me the grace to say yes, to shoulder the load, to carry the cross with You. Help me see that in serving others, I'm not just helping them—I'm finding my own transformation.
Via Crucis Station 05:
Three Ways We Carry Burdens
From reluctance to joy in serving others
Reluctant Service
Forced but Faithful
Simon didn't volunteer—he was compelled by soldiers. Yet he obeyed. Sometimes we serve grudgingly, with resentment, wishing we were elsewhere. Even reluctant service honors God when we choose obedience over rebellion. This is where many of us start.
Willing Service
Growing in Grace
As Simon carried the cross, something changed in him. The wood Christ touched began transforming the reluctant helper into a willing disciple. We grow from grudging service to willing help as we recognize Christ in those we serve. This is spiritual progress.
Joyful Service
Love's Perfect Freedom
Tradition says Simon became a Christian, his sons leaders in the early Church. Forced service became joyful mission. This is the goal—serving not because we must but because we cannot imagine doing otherwise. Love makes every burden light.
Deepen Your Journey
Explore the richness of this station through sacred history, spiritual wisdom, and contemplative practices.
The Fátima Connection
The three shepherd children became their generation's "Simons of Cyrene," helping carry the cross of reparation for sin. They didn't seek this role—heaven conscripted them. Lucia was only ten, Francisco nine, Jacinta seven. Yet they accepted the call to help Jesus carry the weight of the world's sins through their prayers and sacrifices.
Francisco expressed something profound: he wanted to console Our Lord and then convert sinners. Their forced service—the mockery, interrogations, even imprisonment—became their path to holiness. Like Simon, they touched the cross reluctantly at first, but it transformed them. This gives me hope: my grudging service can still become sacred if I let it.
Wisdom from Saints
St. Josemaria Escriva taught that each day brings its own cross, but also its own grace. According to St. Vincent de Paul, charity is certainly greater than any rule, and all rules must lead to charity. Blessed Teresa of Calcutta saw Jesus in every person she touched, remembering Christ's words about serving Him in the hungry, thirsty, and naked.
St. Francis de Sales reminded us that God doesn't so much regard the greatness of our actions, nor even their difficulty, but the love with which we do them. So even my reluctant help, if done with growing love, matters.
Contemplative Practice
This week I'm trying to identify three "Simon moments"—unexpected calls to help someone carry their burden. I'm not waiting for convenient opportunities. I'm letting God interrupt me. When someone asks for help and my first instinct is "not now," I'm trying to remember Simon. He didn't want to carry the cross either.
Practice the Simon Prayer: "Lord, make me willing to be interrupted by Your will." Try keeping a Simon Journal: noting when you helped carry someone's cross, what the burden was, how you felt initially versus afterward. I'm try to reflect on if anyone been Simon for me? How did their help change my journey?