Rosary: The Carrying of the Cross

The Fourth Sorrowful Mystery of the Rosary

Mar 21, 2024

The Fourth Sorrowful Mystery of the Rosary: The Carrying of the Cross

Feast Day: Good Friday in Holy Week

Luke 23:25 He released the man they asked for, the one who had been put in prison for insurrection and murder, and he handed Jesus over as they wished.

26 As they led him away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming from the country, and they laid the cross on him, and made him carry it behind Jesus. 27 A great number of the people followed Him, and among them were women who were beating their breasts and wailing for Him. 28 But Jesus turned to them and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For the days are surely coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.’ 30 Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us’; and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ 31 For if they do this when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?”

32 Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with Him. 33 When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on His right and one on His left.

This fourth Sorrowful Mystery of the Rosary highlights the Carrying of the Cross. Our Lord picks up His Cross upon His back and shoulders which were scourged just a short time before. His open wounds have the rough wood of the Cross crushing and scraping them raw again. Blood from His wounds coats the Cross. The Cross itself weighs several hundred pounds. Ask anyone who has tried to carry a replica cross how heavy they are and then imagine having to carry it after you’ve been beaten and scourged. Imagine the pain as the Cross bangs into His head and makes the Crown of Thorns pierce even deeper into His skull. Pain is coursing and radiating throughout His Body.

Yet even in these agonizing moments, Christ is still gentle towards the women who are crying out and lamenting the unjust punishment He is receiving. He comforts them and also warns them that the destruction of Jerusalem is coming shortly. He warns them that the devastation will be horrific when the Temple itself is torn down. He warns them to flee the destruction because nothing will prevent it. Our Lord willingly endures the Passion and takes up His Cross for us; and even while doing so He is tender and loving to those wailing for Him.

John 19:13 When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus outside and sat on the judge’s bench at a place called The Stone Pavement, or in Hebrew Gabbatha. 14 Now it was the day of Preparation for the Passover; and it was about noon. He said to the Jews, “Here is your King!” 15 They cried out, “Away with Him! Away with Him! Crucify Him!” Pilate asked them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but the emperor.” 16 Then he handed Him over to them to be crucified.

So they took Jesus; 17 and carrying the cross by Himself, He went out to what is called The Place of the Skull, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha. 18 There they crucified Him, and with Him two others, one on either side, with Jesus between them. 19 Pilate also had an inscription written and put on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” 20 Many of the Jews read this inscription, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, in Latin, and in Greek. 21 Then the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but, ‘This man said, I am King of the Jews.’” 22 Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.”

Our Lord is King of Kings and should be treated as the Divine ruler that He is. Rather instead He is forced to carry His instrument of torture and execution. Even after He has been unjustly beaten, insulted, humiliated and scourged, we STILL demand that He endure this final humiliation before He is crucified. A cross is cumbersome for a strong and healthy man to lift and carry. Imagine how difficult it is for Our Lord to do so after enduring the Passion.

Matthew 27:31 After mocking Him, they stripped Him of the robe and put His own clothes on Him. Then they led Him away to crucify Him. 32 As they went out, they came upon a man from Cyrene named Simon; they compelled this man to carry His cross. 33 And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), 34 they offered Him wine to drink, mixed with gall; but when He tasted it, He would not drink it. 35 And when they had crucified Him, they divided His clothes among themselves by casting lots; 36 then they sat down there and kept watch over Him. 37 Over His Head they put the charge against Him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” 38 Then two bandits were crucified with Him, one on His right and one on His left.

Our Lord fell three times while carrying His Cross up to Golgotha for His Crucifixion. At least one of these falls likely had the Cross fall on top of Our Lord and crushed Him as He fell. Medically we know now that a sharp, serious blow directly to chest can cause fluid to build up around the heart and cause the hear to stop working. This may very well have been the mortal blow inflicted upon Our Lord, as we know that both blood and water flowed from the wound caused by the sword that pierced Our Lord’s heart. The Cross inflicted great trauma on Our Lord so much that He needed Simon of Cyrene to assist Him in carrying it.

Mark 15:20 After mocking Him, they stripped Him of the purple cloak and put His own clothes on Him. Then they led Him out to crucify Him. 21 They compelled a passer-by, who was coming in from the country, to carry His cross; it was Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus. 22 Then they brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means the place of a skull). 23 And they offered Him wine mixed with myrrh; but He did not take it. 24 And they crucified Him, and divided His clothes among them, casting lots to decide what each should take.

Romans 16:13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; and greet his mother—a mother to me also.

The Gospels are not the fanciful myths like the Roman and Greek mythologies are about the old pagan gods. Jesus Christ is real and He is true God and true man. He lived in a specific time and place. These events really happened. One evidence to the veracity of the Gospels are the tiny details that can be overlooked. The Gospel of Mark was written Mark who was an associate of St Peter. Most of his Gospel comes from Peter’s teaching.

The Gospel mentions Simon of Cyrene who carried the Cross and that he is the father of Alexander and Rufus. These two men were known to the audience. St. Peter went to Rome and became the first Bishop of Rome. These two brothers were known to the Roman Christians. St. Mark is letting them know these facts so that the Roman Christians can go directly to these two brothers and ask them about their father carrying the Cross for validation.

We also see in St. Paul’s letter to the Romans, that St. Paul sends his greeting to Rufus, because Rufus was still alive and well known in the Christian community there. These are real people that were directly known by first century Catholics. They weren’t vague characters in some unspecified past. They were direct witnesses to actual events that happened at a specific place and time. This really and truly did happen. Simon of Cyrene really and truly did help carry the Cross of Our Lord on Good Friday.