Originally posted on Substack March 13, 2025. Adapted and reshared with permission.

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 (Luke 23:26, NRSV Catholic Edition).

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 (Mark 15:21, NRSV Catholic Edition).

As they came out, they came upon a man from Cyrene named Simon; they compelled this man to carry his cross (Matthew 27:32, NRSV Catholic Edition).

Simon of Cyrene was simply minding his own business. Perhaps he was in a hurry and was eager to get to his business in town. It was a hot, dry, windy day in my imagination, and the press and noise of the crowd made the heat all the worse. Suddenly, he’s pulled out of the crowd and made to carry a cross behind a Man who for all intents and purposes appears to be a criminal. Yet, he does it. What a day to pick to come into town!

Simon has always struck me as I read the gospel accounts of the crucifixion of Jesus. He is mentioned in all the synoptic gospels (John alone leaves him out), but the details surrounding him are sparse. We understand that he comes from the country, that he is compelled to carry the cross behind Jesus, and that he is a father. No other details are provided, yet in one line, each of the gospels gives us a clue as to this man’s character and mission.

When Simon is pulled from the crowd, it does not appear that he offers much resistance (although it is clear that he is forced). In none of the accounts do we hear that Simon complained, tried to get out of helping, or acted indignantly – all of which I would have most likely done had it been me who got pulled for the job.

Rather, Simon simply takes up the cross behind Jesus and helps Him get to Golgotha.

This tells me that Simon must have been a strong man to have been pulled to help Jesus on his way. I’m not sure why else he of all the crowd would have been chosen by the Romans otherwise. When his plans are interrupted, he doesn’t throw a fit (again, like I would most likely do in his shoes). This tells me of his great magnanimity. He acts with humility in a rather degrading scenario – Simon didn’t know of the Resurrection or how the rest of the story would unfold, yet he helps Jesus on His way to His horrifying death.

What strikes me the most about this little detail in the Passion narrative is that Jesus – the God-Man, with all of Heaven at his disposal – chose Simon to help Him in His time of greatest suffering and need. And Simon said yes.

Despite waking up that morning with no plans to help carry a cross for the Son of God in order for Him to be able to redeem all of humanity, Simon did exactly that. And what I can’t stop thinking about is how often I’m asked to help carry a cross but because I’m so wrapped up in my own agenda, I end up saying no, intentionally or not.

Part of Simon’s purpose and mission here on earth was to help Jesus in that exact moment, so that our salvation could come to fruition. Thus, the other side to my question is this: how often do I not allow another to fulfill their purpose and mission by not asking for help when I need it?

Jesus – the Savior of the world, seated at the right hand of the Father Almighty – fell three times on His way to Calvary and needed help carrying His cross the rest of the way. How prideful of me to think that I don’t need help, or that it would be too much of an inconvenience to ask for help when I do need it!

This Lent, I was especially moved by Simon’s witness to aid the weary, abused, ridiculed Son of Man. I want to be a Simon for others and more aware of others’ needs. I want to turn outward more rather than turning inward and staying in my comfortable little bubble.

I also want to accept help as Jesus did when He needed Simon in order to carry on His mission.

My own cross has felt particularly heavy these past few weeks, and I’m incredibly grateful for those who help me carry it – whether they’re aware they do or not – by offering prayers, support, encouragement, and/or simply their presence. It was Mr. Rogers who said to “look for the helpers” when times get tough, and I think it’s equally important to look for the Simons in our lives and recognize that without them, we couldn’t continue onwards in our work here on earth.

In my Lenten small group a few weeks ago, we discussed how we were never meant to do life alone. We are created to be in communion with others and with God, and when one or both of those connections is missing, we suffer for it and may not be as effective as we’d like.

As we celebrate the glorious Resurrection of Christ, we can continue to reflect on Simon and the lessons he embodies. Finding the Simons in our lives can make the greatest difference in the weight and severity of the crosses we carry, and having the humility to both embrace and offer that help is something I want to continue to grow in this Easter season.

Merideth Ochs is a Catholic wife and adoptive mother, who thrives on copious amounts of coffee and deeply loves her faith, cultivating holy friendships, and reading books. Merideth writes about infertility, adoption, family life, and faith on her Substack, Manna from the Sky.