The Fifth, Sixth, and Eighth Stations of the Cross: A Mercy Reflection

In the Fifth, Sixth, and Eighth Stations, Jesus receives help and consolation—and gives counsel and consolation-- as He makes His way to Golgotha.

• The Fifth Station commemorates how Simon the Cyrenian was forced by the Roman soldiers to carry Jesus’ cross.

• The Sixth Station commemorates how a woman wiped Jesus’ bloody Face with her veil, and how He left the imprint of His Face on her veil.

• The Eighth Station commemorates how the women of Jerusalem wept for Jesus, and how He counseled them.

Given that Jesus teaches us that His disciples will be known by their love, and that when we do good for our brothers and sisters, we do good to Him, these stations remind us that we need to reach out to others in need—whether their needs are physical/material or spiritual.

“I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13: 34-35)

“Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’…‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’ “ (Matthew 25: 34-36; 40)

This year, especially, the Holy Father encourages us to perform corporal and spiritual works of mercy, as he details in his Jubilee "Bull of Indiction": Misericordiae Vultus (Face of Mercy): [#15, internal paragraphing and itemizing, mine]

“It is my burning desire that, during this Jubilee, the Christian people may reflect on the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. It will be a way to reawaken our conscience, too often grown dull in the face of poverty.

And let us enter more deeply into the heart of the Gospel where the poor have a special experience of God’s mercy. Jesus introduces us to these works of mercy in his preaching so that we can know whether or not we are living as his disciples.

Let us rediscover these corporal works of mercy:

• to feed the hungry,
• give drink to the thirsty,
• clothe the naked,
• welcome the stranger,
• heal the sick,
• visit the imprisoned, and
• bury the dead.

And let us not forget the spiritual works of mercy:

• to counsel the doubtful,
• instruct the ignorant,
• admonish sinners,
• comfort the afflicted,
• forgive offences,
• bear patiently those who do us ill, and
• pray for the living and the dead.”

As we practice those works of mercy, the Fifth Station reminds us that according to tradition, Simon was not initially pleased to carry Jesus’ cross. And while that knowledge first gave me a sense of incredulous criticism of Simon (Who wouldn’t be honored to carry Jesus’ Cross?), I realize that every time I recoil from being “pressed into service” as Simon was, according to St. Mark (15:21), I recoil, too.

Unlike Simon, I know that Jesus is God, so when I recoil at serving Him in my brothers and sisters, my pride is so much worse than Simon’s. I can imagine how embarrassed he must have felt, being made to carry the cross of Someone Who was about to be crucified; carrying a cross as if he himself were the criminal about to be crucified.

How many times I want to disassociate from people who need help, or at least I want to wear I sign protesting that I am not one of them. It is this selfish attitude that our Holy Father calls us to change into an attitude and action of merciful love.

How unlike me is the Lord Jesus, Who, totally Innocent, subjected Himself to humiliation for our sake.

Sacred Tradition says that at some point, Simon’s heart was softened, and he saw his role as a privilege. I pray that transformation happens in my life, too, so that I might wholeheartedly, unreservedly perform corporal and spiritual works of mercy in Jesus’ Name.

Although the words that accompany the image of the Eighth Station usually say: “The women of Jerusalem comfort Jesus,” I prefer the less-frequently used words: “Jesus counsels the women of Jerusalem.”

That latter expression always reminds me of the words Jesus spoke to the weeping women, as recorded in the Gospel of St. Luke:

“A large crowd of people followed Jesus, including many women who mourned and lamented him. Jesus turned to them and said, 'Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep instead for yourselves and for your children…for if these things are done when the wood is green what will happen when it is dry?'” (Luke 23:27-28; 31)

Lenten meditations that I have heard related to these words suggest that Jesus was not indifferent to the consolation that the women were offering with their tears, but rather that He wanted them to know that He Willingly, joyfully was making His way to Golgotha. Rather than pitying Him, their Willing Savior, they needed to weep over humanity's sinfulness and future persecutions against them and their children for being His followers.

If we consider ourselves the spiritual children of those women of Jerusalem, then the Lord is reminding us, too, that we can expect to carry our crosses, sometimes suffering for being His disciples. In His counsel to the women—and to us—Jesus is reminding us that we must lovingly perform the corporal and spiritual works of mercy, too.

If you are like me, you might find it challenging to do what Jesus did in the Eighth Station—to counsel the doubtful, instruct the ignorant, admonish sinners, and comfort the afflicted. If you are like me, you might find it sometimes difficult to do as Jesus did, too, in responding to the woman (“Veronica”) who performed a work of mercy on His behalf (wiping His Face with her veil) when He reciprocated with a work of mercy on her behalf, comforting her with the Image of His Face on her veil. Nevertheless, no matter how difficult we find it, we need to extend ourselves to do what Jesus did. With the help of His Grace, we need to be merciful to those in need--whether their need is spiritual or material.

What are your experiences with the Fifth, Sixth, and Eighth Stations of the Cross? Who have been your Simon(s), Veronica(s), and Women of Jerusalem? For whom have you been Simon, Veronica, and Women of Jerusalem?

“…‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’“ (Matthew 25: 40)

Our Holy Father has gifted us with a Jubilee Year of Mercy. Let us respond by fulfilling, as best as we can, his “burning desire” that we perform spiritual and corporal works of mercy, which Our Lord has modeled for us, and has entrusted us to do in His Name.

May God bless you!

In the Fifth, Sixth, and Eighth Stations, Jesus receives help and consolation—and gives counsel and consolation-- as He makes His way to Golgotha.

• The Fifth Station commemorates how Simon the Cyrenian was forced by the Roman soldiers to carry Jesus’ cross.

• The Sixth Station commemorates how a woman wiped Jesus’ bloody Face with her veil, and how He left the imprint of His Face on her veil.

• The Eighth Station commemorates how the women of Jerusalem wept for Jesus, and how He counseled them.

Given that Jesus teaches us that His disciples will be known by their love, and that when we do good for our brothers and sisters, we do good to Him, these stations remind us that we need to reach out to others in need—whether their needs are physical/material or spiritual.

“I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13: 34-35)

“Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’…‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’ “ (Matthew 25: 34-36; 40)

This year, especially, the Holy Father encourages us to perform corporal and spiritual works of mercy, as he details in his Jubilee "Bull of Indiction": Misericordiae Vultus (Face of Mercy): [#15, internal paragraphing and itemizing, mine]

“It is my burning desire that, during this Jubilee, the Christian people may reflect on the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. It will be a way to reawaken our conscience, too often grown dull in the face of poverty.

And let us enter more deeply into the heart of the Gospel where the poor have a special experience of God’s mercy. Jesus introduces us to these works of mercy in his preaching so that we can know whether or not we are living as his disciples.

Let us rediscover these corporal works of mercy:

• to feed the hungry,
• give drink to the thirsty,
• clothe the naked,
• welcome the stranger,
• heal the sick,
• visit the imprisoned, and
• bury the dead.

And let us not forget the spiritual works of mercy:

• to counsel the doubtful,
• instruct the ignorant,
• admonish sinners,
• comfort the afflicted,
• forgive offences,
• bear patiently those who do us ill, and
• pray for the living and the dead.”

As we practice those works of mercy, the Fifth Station reminds us that according to tradition, Simon was not initially pleased to carry Jesus’ cross. And while that knowledge first gave me a sense of incredulous criticism of Simon (Who wouldn’t be honored to carry Jesus’ Cross?), I realize that every time I recoil from being “pressed into service” as Simon was, according to St. Mark (15:21), I recoil, too.

Unlike Simon, I know that Jesus is God, so when I recoil at serving Him in my brothers and sisters, my pride is so much worse than Simon’s. I can imagine how embarrassed he must have felt, being made to carry the cross of Someone Who was about to be crucified; carrying a cross as if he himself were the criminal about to be crucified.

How many times I want to disassociate from people who need help, or at least I want to wear I sign protesting that I am not one of them. It is this selfish attitude that our Holy Father calls us to change into an attitude and action of merciful love.

How unlike me is the Lord Jesus, Who, totally Innocent, subjected Himself to humiliation for our sake.

Sacred Tradition says that at some point, Simon’s heart was softened, and he saw his role as a privilege. I pray that transformation happens in my life, too, so that I might wholeheartedly, unreservedly perform corporal and spiritual works of mercy in Jesus’ Name.

Although the words that accompany the image of the Eighth Station usually say: “The women of Jerusalem comfort Jesus,” I prefer the less-frequently used words: “Jesus counsels the women of Jerusalem.”

That latter expression always reminds me of the words Jesus spoke to the weeping women, as recorded in the Gospel of St. Luke:

“A large crowd of people followed Jesus, including many women who mourned and lamented him. Jesus turned to them and said, 'Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep instead for yourselves and for your children…for if these things are done when the wood is green what will happen when it is dry?'” (Luke 23:27-28; 31)

Lenten meditations that I have heard related to these words suggest that Jesus was not indifferent to the consolation that the women were offering with their tears, but rather that He wanted them to know that He Willingly, joyfully was making His way to Golgotha. Rather than pitying Him, their Willing Savior, they needed to weep over humanity's sinfulness and future persecutions against them and their children for being His followers.

If we consider ourselves the spiritual children of those women of Jerusalem, then the Lord is reminding us, too, that we can expect to carry our crosses, sometimes suffering for being His disciples. In His counsel to the women—and to us—Jesus is reminding us that we must lovingly perform the corporal and spiritual works of mercy, too.

If you are like me, you might find it challenging to do what Jesus did in the Eighth Station—to counsel the doubtful, instruct the ignorant, admonish sinners, and comfort the afflicted. If you are like me, you might find it sometimes difficult to do as Jesus did, too, in responding to the woman (“Veronica”) who performed a work of mercy on His behalf (wiping His Face with her veil) when He reciprocated with a work of mercy on her behalf, comforting her with the Image of His Face on her veil. Nevertheless, no matter how difficult we find it, we need to extend ourselves to do what Jesus did. With the help of His Grace, we need to be merciful to those in need--whether their need is spiritual or material.

What are your experiences with the Fifth, Sixth, and Eighth Stations of the Cross? Who have been your Simon(s), Veronica(s), and Women of Jerusalem? For whom have you been Simon, Veronica, and Women of Jerusalem?

“…‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’“ (Matthew 25: 40)

Our Holy Father has gifted us with a Jubilee Year of Mercy. Let us respond by fulfilling, as best as we can, his “burning desire” that we perform spiritual and corporal works of mercy, which Our Lord has modeled for us, and has entrusted us to do in His Name.

May God bless you!