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Jesus
My strength is gone;
I can no longer bear the cross alone.
And so the legionnaires
make Simon give me aid.
This Simon is like you, my other self.
Give me your strength.
Each time you lift some burden
from another's back,
you lift as with your very hand
the cross' awful weight
that crushes me.
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Response
O Lord, you, the one who lives and reigns with us, needed help in your final journey in human form. You found the grace and humility to accept the help. In doing so you honoured the strengths, the gifts and the capability of those who helped.
How often do we pull away from accepting our need for help from others?
O Lord who understands my weaknesses, give me the grace to accept the help of those around me whose strength is your gift to me.
Heavenly Father, whose blessed Son came not to be served but to serve: Bless all who, following in his steps, give themselves to the service of others; that with wisdom, patience, and courage, they may minister in his Name to the suffering, the friendless, and the needy; for the love of him who laid down his life for us, your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen
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| They move forward towards the hill where the crucifixion
is to take place. The soldiers realise that while this hill
is not too steep, it is steep enough that this man having suffered
the lashes, his face dripping blood from the crown of thorns
he wore, trembling under the weight of the cross he bore would
not make it.
As they tried to keep abreast of the crowds gathering along the path they scanned the crowds seeking one they could press into assisting Jesus. They spotted Simeon From Cyrene, a sturdy man passing by on his way in from the country.
His two young boys were questioning him, what was happening and why. Simeon had been in his fields, he didn't know of the events which had transpired. Why on the eve of their main celebration, the Romans were executing these three people and why one of them was bleeding and wearing a crown of thorns.
A Roman soldier moves towards him, arrogantly pushing him towards Jesus, trying to explain what he wanted done. Simeon took one look at the bleeding man and quickly shouldered the cross. They moved uphill with Jesus following.
Someone heard him mumbling, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30)
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