Stations of the Cross Series, Station #2, Wednesday, March 1st by Fr. Ben Daghir & Luke Daghir

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One Thing, Jesus Christ.
Stations of the Cross Series, Station #2, Wednesday, March 1st by Fr. Ben Daghir & Luke Daghir

Editor's Note: Fr. Ben Daghir and Luke Daghir will have 14 articles based upon the stations of the cross. The 14th article will conclude on Easter Sunday.

Article:
The 2nd Station: Jesus carries His cross.

Jesus said to His disciples, “whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me” (Matthew 16:24). The conditions of discipleship are demanding, challenging, and rewarding.

The 2nd Station ought to be contemplated through the lens of discipleship. At this moment in the stations of the cross, Jesus is beginning the arduous journey toward Mount Calvary where He will be crucified. St. Thomas Aquinas wrote that the Passion of Christ is efficacious in two ways: His Passion is a remedy for our sins and His Passion is an example of how we ought to live.

Jesus carried His cross and we are to carry our own crosses with Him. His example, as found in the 2nd Station, is what we are to do. Jesus specifically said to his disciples that part of following Him is to take up one’s cross. 

A good prayer is to ask God for the grace to carry the cross. The old Christian adage holds true: “no cross, no crown.” The 2nd Station helps us to focus on picking up the crosses in our lives with hope that Jesus will crown us later. 

“We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you; because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.”

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Fr. Ben Daghir is a priest for the Diocese of Erie. He is a graduate of Elk County Catholic High School in Saint Marys, Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, and St. Mary's Seminary & University in Baltimore, Maryland. He considers writing one of his favorite hobbies.

Bio and picture: Luke Daghir is a seminarian for the Diocese of Erie from St. Marys, Pa. He currently studies at St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore.