“Make all of una wey dey work hard and wey heavy load dey weigh down come meet Me, and I go give una rest. Make una carry My yoke and learn from Me, because I dey gentle and humble for heart; and una go find rest for unaself. Because My yoke easy to carry, and My load no heavy.” Matthew 11:28-30
Jesus fall for ground under the weight of the Cross. Dem force Simon, wey be foreigner, to help Jesus carry His Cross. But even with Simon help, Jesus still fall again and again.
As our Blessed Mama dey watch with sorrow as im Pikin fall for ground three times, with body wey don tire and strength wey almost finish, e fit don remember wetin Jesus talk for di early part of Im public ministry: “Make all of una wey dey labour and carry heavy load come meet Me, and I go give una rest.” These words go don sound deep inside im Immaculate Heart. “My Pikin, my dear Pikin, come meet me, come rest inside my heart.”
And even though e no fit use im own body help im Pikin carry Im Cross, im heart go don full with plenty gratitude as e see di guards force Simon from Cyrene to help Jesus continue. Even though Simon no really wan help, di help wey e give na shining witness. Through Simon, our Blessed Mama know say God don answer di prayer wey dey im heart. E know say di Father for Heaven dey use di help of this foreigner to help Jesus carry di weight of di Cross.
As Mama Mary stand before di Cross of Jesus and remember di help wey Simon give, e go don know say Simon don show powerful example for everybody. E go don think deeply about wetin Simon do as sign for all Christians. God call all of us to help carry di Cross of Christ. Nobody dey exempt from di Cross. Jesus Imself promise us di Cross when E talk say, “Anybody wey want follow Me must deny imself, carry im cross, and follow Me” (Matthew 16:24). Di Cross no be wetin we fit choose whether we want or not; na reality, especially di cross of death itself.
Di real question for everybody na whether we go willingly accept di Cross or accept am with grumbling. Our Blessed Mama desire with all im heart to lift di heavy load of di Cross. And even though Simon hesitate before e do am, e choose to help and e serve when need dey.
Today, think deeply about di heavy loads wey other people dey carry for life. When you see dem and come know di struggles wey dem dey face, how you dey respond? You dey turn away from dem and run from their struggle? Or you dey turn towards dem and fully accept di cross wey dem dey carry? Try follow Simon example as e carry di Cross. Try get di same strong desire wey dey burn for our Blessed Mama heart to do di same thing with perfect love. Do am without hesitation, and as you dey reduce another person load, you go discover di sweetness of di Cross of Christ.
My dear Mama wey I love well-well, as you watch dem force Simon to help your Pikin carry Im Cross, your heart full with gratitude. God answer your prayer as di Father provide di bodily strength wey your Pikin need to continue. Simon come be that strength and sign of service to other people.
Dear Mama, abeg show me di people for my life wey need help. Help me to look for those wey dey carry heavy crosses, and to seek to help dem willingly, with joy and without anybody forcing me. Lend me Simon hands and your own tender heart, so that di load of many people fit become lighter.
My Lord wey don tire well-well, some times dey for life when I dey fall. No be because my body lose strength, but na because of my sin. Help me to dey ready to accept help from other people when I need am. Help me too to get di wisdom and love wey I need to reach out to people wey dey carry heavy loads.
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