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Fearing that
Jesus might die on the way, the soldiers forced Simon of Cyrene to carry
the cross behind Jesus.
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Hail Mary, full of grace,
the Lord is with thee;
Blessed are thou among
women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb,
Jesus carrying
His cross.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.
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"Simon
of Cyrene, the
man who helps carry the cross, also experiences Christ’s
protection. At first, Simon tries to avoid the task because he
fears being beaten along with Christ. Why wouldn’t the whips
fall on his shoulder or the pieces of glass catch his leg? The
soldiers do not hesitate to beat Christ when he is down. Simon
responds in fear. Christ responds in love. Simon eventually makes
a stand for Jesus and protects him from the guards, or so he
thinks. He picks up the cross and carries the majority of the
weight. However, the last moment of the scene shows Christ laying
his arm over Simon’s arm just as the whip comes down. Again,
Christ displays his great love and protects a man from what he
fears most." ~Melinda
Ledman
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