James, a fisherman, struggled to catch enough fish for his family to eat or sell.
“After mocking Jesus, the soldiers stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.”
We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you,
because by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the world.
The guards dress Jesus up as a king, with a crown made of thorns, and mock him. They give him a heavy wooden cross to carry. Jesus knows that the way will not be easy and that it will lead to his death. And yet he shoulders his burden and starts on his way.
The burden of hunger is one that too many people must bear. Before James received training and a GPS tracker to help find fish, there were times when he struggled to catch enough for his family to eat or to sell.
Things were very difficult as his wife Cynthia explains: "Sometimes there wasn't any food at all to eat. Sometimes we hoped that if there was no food in the morning, we would get food in the evening to eat. But when evening comes, there is no food. My son was five at the time... There were days when we didn't eat anything. I felt terrible. But we had to keep going.
We all have burdens to carry. We also place burdens on others. In what way do I place unnecessary loads on other people?
Prayer
Jesus, your love led you to take up the cross.
Walk with us.
When we feel afraid, help us to be brave.
Give us the courage to speak out to change our world,
so that all our sisters and brothers
can experience a fair chance.
Amen.
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