Welcome to the Catholic podcast. I'm Chloe Langer and I'm joined by my regular co-host

Joe Heshmire from the blog Shameless Popery and from Holy Family School of Faith

Institute here in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, where Joe and I work together to invite others into a deep friendship with Christ,

to invite them into authentic friendship with others, and then to equip them to become missionary disciples in today's world.

We are in the second week of Lent and the second week of our Linton podcast series on the

stations of the cross.

Last week we meditated on the condemnation of Christ, and this week we're spending time with Jesus as he takes up his cross and begins that long walk up the hill to Calvary and to his death, but ultimately to his resurrection on Easter morning.

Again this week, we're going to be tapping into the wisdom

of Cardinal Ratzinger and his meditations

on the way of the cross at the Coliseum in Rome

on Good Friday from 2005. Today we're meditating on

the fifth station Simon the Serinian helps Jesus carry the cross.

We adore you, O Christ and we praise you. Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

From the Holy Gospel according to Matthew. As it went out, they came upon a man of Cyrene, Simon by name.

This man they compelled to carry his cross.

Jesus told his disciples, if any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

Matthew 27 and Matthew 16.

Simon of Cyrene is on his way home returning from work when he comes upon the sad

procession of those condemned. For him perhaps it was a common sight. The soldiers forced this rugged man from the country to carry the cross on his own shoulders.

How annoying he must have thought it to be suddenly caught up in the fate of those condemned

men. He does what he must do but reluctantly.

Significantly, the evangelist Mark does not only name him but also his children,

...