We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you. Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
In many ways, the second fall is more difficult and painful than the first since the first fall was an unknown and took the faller by surprise. The second fall is a reminder – a hard reminder – of where we’ve been before. It’s especially difficult when we think we’ve managed to come to terms with and leave behind that sense of having fallen. The fall alas is never too far away.
Jesus, on the ground again, reminds us that to fall is sometimes unavoidable but the challenge – the Gospel call – is to rise again and press onward in the belief that a journey has to be made and a destination has to be reached. We cannot stay down but must repeatedly find our feet and our determination to move away from the fall.
It’s worth noting that Jesus still has the support of Simon, the remembrance of Veronica’s kindness and the image of his mother in the crowd to give him strength. When we fall, our ability to rise will be rooted in the goodness shown us along the way. For this reason it is very important to note and remember acts of kindness shown us in life. These truly are our source of strength and make the getting up, even from a second fall, that bit more manageable.
Oh, that today we would listen to his voice, let us harden not our hearts.