8- I Carried His Cross with Him

A youth used to come to Father Pishoy Kamel looking for work. Finally, an owner of a factory hired him and made him carry a tremendous amount of paper on a bicycle to deliver to various places. One day, this youth came to Fr. Pishoy and said, “Today I carried Jesus’ cross with Him.”

“How?” asked Fr. Pishoy^(1).

The youth answered, “I was carrying a heavy load of papers on my bicycle and I came to a steep hill at the end of Port Said St, Alexandria. I tried hard to pedal up the hill, but my strength failed and suddenly I found myself falling under a huge pile of papers, I wasn’t even able to move.”

“No one approached me or offered any kind of help. I found Jesus lying down beside me beneath the weight of His cross, and sweat was dripping from Him. I realized that at that moment I was sharing Him His sufferings and I was exceedingly glad. I felt myself not worthy of this great honor. With joy, I started to pray to Him thankfully, “O my Lord do I deserve to carry Your Cross? I am exceedingly glad for the sufferings of Jesus in me.

I carried His cross with Him.

 No, it is His cross carrying me.”

→ English translation of the story here at St-Takla.org: حملت معه صليبه!

O Jesus, when every hand seemed cold to me,

I found Your hand stretched out with great love to me!

When I found Your way narrow,

I found that You were my companion in the way of the cross.

You converted the bitterness of the road,

To the sweetness of Your life.

I hear Your loving voice whispering:

“My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

I kneel before the Cross,

And my earthly life is converted into a heavenly one,

Your Cross is wonderful, lifting me up to You.

Footnotes and references for this page here at St-Takla.org:

(1) Abouna” is a term used by the Coptic people to address their fathers the priests. It is equivalent to the English “Fr.”

He Alone Remained with me

Short Stories (Stories for the Youth) Books by Father Tadros Yacoub Malaty

I Am Upset with God