Carrying the cross

Janet Scott reads from the gospel of Mark

A close-up of an icon of St Simon. | Photo: CC.

‘And they compelled a passerby coming from the country, Simon the Cyrenian, the father of Alexander and Rufus, so that he might carry his cross.’ (Mark 15:21)

The execution squad, seeing that one of their prisoners is unlikely to reach the death hill unaided, haul out one of the Passover crowd and make him carry the heavy cross bar. And so Simon gains his place in history.

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