THE SECOND STATION: Jesus Carries the Cross

And carrying the cross himself, he went out to what is called the Place of the Skull.

—John 19:17

We all have our crosses to carry, those hidden battles we fight when we think no one is looking. How easy it is to become so focused on my battles, my problems, my cross that I forget to look at those around me. Rich or poor, shy or outgoing, near or far, doesn’t it stand to reason that each of us fights our own hidden battles?

Jesus is given his cross and made to carry it, and so are we. But let us not do so alone. Let us help one another shoulder our burdens. Think of our brothers and sisters around the world who carry the crosses of hunger and poverty. How can we help them shoulder their burdens?

As we work with and for those whose crosses are the heaviest—the hungry, the thirsty, the oppressed—perhaps we will be surprised by what we find. Perhaps, if we truly seek the face of Christ among those who live in poverty, we will discover something new about ourselves, about what it means to be rich and poor, about what it means to pick up our crosses and follow in the way of Christ.