A PRAYER TO SAINT SIMON OF SYRENE

Good Saint, tradition says that you were a farmer.
If so, you knew what it meant to work hard in the fields day after day.
You carried your cross of labor patiently,
without complaint or grumbling.
You were grateful to the Lord of the harvest
when He blessed your work with abundant crops.
And you did not lose your trust in Him
when He limited His blessings,
giving you only a small return for your labors.

And our good Lord blessed you,
choosing you personally to help Him carry His cross to Calvary.

Dear Saint, teach us to realize that we too can carry the cross of Christ.
Teach us to unite our labors and sufferings
with the labors and sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ,
offering what we do in union with Him to God,
the Father of us all.
In this way we can gain great graces for ourselves and for the whole world.

Teach us, too, good Simon,
to bring up our children according to God’s laws,
as you did Yours Help us to be satisfied with our lot,
in the assuring knowledge that the toil of the farmer
is needed for the good of the nation and the world,
and in itself is noble and honorable.

Amen.