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By Sister Maria Rosario Gaite
In the Fifth Station, we see Simon of Cyrene pulled from the crowd and asked to help Jesus carry his cross. Simon was not looking forward to this moment. He was simply on his way home from the fields. Yet suddenly, he found himself walking beside Jesus, sharing in his suffering.
Pope Francis, in his meditation on the station written in 2024, reminds us that Jesus did not refuse this help. He allowed someone to walk with him in his weakness. That image speaks deeply to me. So often, we feel we must carry everything on our own. We want to be strong. We want to appear capable. We do not want to burden others.
But Jesus shows us that accepting help is not weakness. It is love.
Recently, this station came alive for me in a very simple way. One morning during my walk in the park, I saw a young man gently pushing the wheelchair of an amputee as they crossed the street. They were probably family. There was nothing dramatic about the moment, yet it touched my heart deeply. The young man was patient and kind, simply helping without complaint. Watching them, I immediately thought of Simon of Cyrene.
It reminded me that the Fifth Station is not just a moment from long ago. It happens all around us every day.
As a Sister of Mercy and as a school principal, this station feels very close to everyday life. Much of our ministry is about helping others carry the crosses they did not choose. Sometimes we step into these moments willingly. Other times, like Simon, we are simply drawn into them.
I think of the times we reach out to families who are struggling financially and quietly wondering how they will keep their child in school. I think of the employees who return to work carrying grief after the death of someone they love. I think of students who come to school smiling, yet are quietly carrying anxiety, sadness or fear in their hearts. I also think of the strangers we meet who may be struggling with mental health challenges. In those moments, we are called to not judge, to not ridicule and to not turn away, but to be gently present and to treat them with the dignity they deserve.
In these moments, we become Simon.
We may not be able to remove the cross. We cannot solve every problem or take away every pain. But we can walk beside someone. We can listen. We can offer understanding. We can make the burden feel lighter simply because it is no longer carried alone.
Isn’t that what mercy looks like in everyday life?
Simon did not preach. He did not perform a miracle. He simply helped carry the cross for a short part of the journey. Yet that simple act became part of the story of salvation. This reminds me that small acts of kindness and presence matter more than we sometimes realize.
This station also invites us to see the Simons in our own lives. Even in ministry, even in leadership, we are not meant to carry everything alone. There are times when we are tired, uncertain or overwhelmed. There are times when we need the support of our community, our colleagues and our sisters.
Jesus teaches us that allowing others to help us is also an act of humility and trust.
Perhaps this Fifth Station invites us to ask two simple questions:
Who is God asking me to help carry a cross today?
And who might God be sending to help carry mine?
As we continue our Lenten journey, may we notice the crosses around us. May we have the courage to step forward like Simon. And may we also have the humility to accept help when we need it.
When the cross is shared, hope quietly grows. And in that shared journey, we come a little closer to the heart of Jesus.