The month of March was a month of parades. Fans gathered to welcome home winning football teams with parades and celebrations. St. Patrick’s Day was celebrated by many people, dressed in green, walking in festive parades. Any time of the year, people carrying signs walk in social-issue demonstrations of approval or protest. Workers might go on strike and walk outside of their workplace.
In daily routines, individuals walk their dogs, take babies out in carriages for healthful and calming exercise. People go for relaxing walks in city parks. Walking is good exercise for people who are trying to stay or get healthy. During Lent, a popular devotion is The Stations of the Cross in which worshippers mindfully follow Jesus on his walk to crucifixion.
Let us consider that walk. Jesus had to walk the Via Dolorosa to the hill of Calvary. He had already been beaten and scourged and crowned with a crown of thorns. Have you ever walked uphill in pain and with a headache? He tried to carry the cross, and then Simon of Cyrene was drafted to help him. Even so, he fell three times. He had to get back up on His feet. Jesus was weak and injured, but he had to walk. Most likely, people were taunting him and yelling in loud voices. Perhaps he heard his mother crying. The road was not paved. Jesus’ feet were not protected. Maybe drops of blood or sweat were dripping into his compassionate eyes. Jesus knew what was coming at the end of this walk. Our merciful Savior was offered no mercy. The soldiers were cruel. They wanted his garments, not his safety or comfort.
As we walk through these final days of Lent, may we be mindful of the tremendous sacrifice precious Jesus made, the physical pain he endured, and the terrible humiliation he experienced in living out his love for us. May we walk united with our families and friends in the hope of sharing Christ’s message in deeper ways. Let us be a little more generous with our time, a bit more solicitous of others’ needs, and more grateful to Jesus for his unwavering, redemptive love for us.
Take our hands, Jesus, and walk now in joy with us!
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Photograph by GFreihalter: Simon of Cyrene depicted in a stained-glass window at St. Peter's Church in Limours, France. Simon of Cyrene depicted in a stained glass window at St. Peter's Church in Limours, France. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
Sharon Krause is a RENEW volunteer whose writing has appeared in several resources for small-group faith sharing. She is a wife, mother, and grandmother residing in Royal Palm Beach, Florida. Over the years, she has served in many parish ministries.