Qui Locutus

The Way of the Cross - Station 5

STATION 5 - Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus to carry His Cross

Adoration

We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee, because by Thy holy cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.
Meditation

Simon of Cyrene was compelled to help Jesus carry His cross, and Jesus accepted his assistance. How willingly would He also permit you to carry the cross: He calls, but you hear Him not; He invites you, but you decline. What a reproach, to bear the cross reluctantly!
Prayer

O Jesus! Whosoever does not take up his cross and follow Thee, is not worthy of Thee. Behold, I join Thee in the Way of Thy Cross; I will be Thy assistant, following Thy bloody footsteps, that I may come to Thee in eternal life. ------ Lord Jesus, crucified, have mercy on us!

Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory Be
Jesus Christ, crucified, have mercy on us!
Sabat Mater

Is there one who would not weep
Whelmed in miseries so deep
Christ's dear Mother to Behold?

The Way of the Cross - Station 4

STATION 4 - Jesus meets His Sorrowful Mother

Adoration

We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee, because by Thy holy cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.
Meditation

How painful and how sad it must have been for Mary, the sorrowful Mother, to behold her beloved Son, laden with the burden of the cross! What unspeakable pangs her most tender heart experienced! How earnestly did she desire to die in place of Jesus, or at least with Him! Implore this sorrowful Mother that she assist you in the hour of your death.
Prayer

O Jesus, O Mary, I am the cause of the great and manifold pains which pierce your loving hearts! Oh, that also my heart would feel and experience at least some of your sufferings! O Mother of Sorrows, let me participate in the sufferings which thou and Thy Son endured for me, and let me experience thy sorrow, that afflicted with thee, I may enjoy thy assistance in the hour of my death.

Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory Be
Lord Jesus, crucified, have mercy on us!
Sabat Mater

Christ above in torment hangs,
She beneath beholds the pangs,
Of her dying, glorious Son.

The Way of the Cross - Station 3

STATION 3 - Jesus falls the First Time

Adoration

We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee, because by Thy holy cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.
Meditation

Our dear Savior, carrying the cross, was so weakened by its heavy weight as to fall exhausted to the ground. Our sins and misdeeds were the heavy burden which oppressed Him: the cross was to Him light and sweet, but our sins were galling and insupportable.
Prayer

O my Jesus, Thou didst bear my burden and the heavy weight of my sins. Should I, then, not bear in union with Thee, my easy burden of suffering and accept the sweet yoke of Thy commandments? Thy yoke is sweet and Thy burden is light: I therefore willingly accept it. I will take up my cross and follow Thee.

Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory Be
Lord Jesus, crucified, have mercy on us!
Sabat Mater

O, how sad and sore distressed
Was that Mother highly blessed
Of the sole-begotten One!

The Way of the Cross - Station 2

STATION 2 - Jesus is made to carry His Cross

Adoration

We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee, because by Thy holy cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.
Meditation

When our divine Savior beheld the cross, He most willingly stretched out His bleeding arms, lovingly embraced it, and tenderly kissed it, and placing it on His bruised shoulders, He, although almost exhausted, joyfully carried it.
Prayer

O my Jesus, I cannot be Thy friend and follower, if I refuse to carry the cross. O dearly beloved cross! I embrace thee, I kiss thee, I joyfully accept thee from the hands of my God. Far be it from me to glory in anything, save in the cross of my Lord and Redeemer. By it the world shall be crucified to me and I to the world, that I may be Thine forever.

Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory Be
Lord Jesus, crucified, have mercy on us!
Sabat Mater

Through her heart, His sorrow sharing
All His bitter anguish bearing,
Now at length the sword has passed.

Where Are You on the Way of the Cross?

Consider this... if you always put yourself at the foot of the Cross and have that in mind in all you do, you will never sin!

I've begun posting the Stations of the Cross, the first 7 will be posted throughout the evening tonight and the next 7 tomorrow. As you read through them, consider the meditations of each one. Examine your own life, at which station do you relate to the most? Have you tripped and fallen under the weight of your cross? Is someone helping you carry your cross? Are you a by-stander just watching others carry their crosses? Meditate on where you are on the Via de la Cruz. What would it take to move on to the next station?

Feel free to add you comments to the stations which mean the most to you on your journey.

In JMJ,

Scott<<<

The Way of the Cross - Station 1

The Way of the Cross

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Preparatory Prayer

O most merciful Jesus, with a contrite heart and penitent spirit, I bow down in profound humility before Thy divine majesty. I adore Thee as my supreme Lord and Master; I believe in Thee, I hope in Thee, I love Thee above all things. I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, my Supreme and Only Good. I resolve to amend my life, and although I am unworthy to obtain mercy, yet the sight of Thy holy cross, on which Thou didst die, inspires me with hope and consolation. I will, therefore, meditate on Thy sufferings, and visit the stations of Thy Passion in company with Thy sorrowful Mother and my guardian angel, with the intention of promoting Thy honor and saving my soul.

I desire to gain all the indulgences granted for this holy exercise for myself and for the Poor Souls in Purgatory. O merciful Redeemer, who has said, "And I, if I be lifted from earth, will draw all things to Myself," draw my heart and my love to Thee, that I may perform this devotion as perfectly as possible, and that I may live and die in union with Thee. Amen.

STATION 1 - Jesus is condemned to Death

Adoration
We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee, because by Thy holy cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.
Meditation
Jesus, most innocent, who neither did nor could commit a sin, was condemned to death, and moreover, to the most ignominious death of the cross. To remain a friend of Caesar, Pilate delivered Him into the hands of His enemies. A fearful crime -- to condemn Innocence to death, and to offend God in order not to displease men!
Prayer
O innocent Jesus, having sinned, I am guilty of eternal death, but Thou willingly dost accept the unjust sentence of death, that I might live. For whom, then, shall I henceforth live, if not for Thee, my Lord? Should I desire to please men, I could not be Thy servant. Let me, therefore, rather displease men and all the world, than not please Thee, O Jesus.
Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory Be
Lord Jesus, crucified, have mercy on us!
Sabat Mater
At the cross her station keeping,
Stood the mournful Mother weeping,
Close to Jesus to the last.

It's HOLY WEEK!

Palm Sunday is upon us and thus begins Holy Week, the highest season of the liturgical year! Now EVERY Sunday is like a "Little Easter" just as EVERY Friday is like a "Little Good Friday," but it is THIS WEEK wherein all the other weeks are done in remembrance of. Remember your lenten penance, this week more than any other. If you messed up earlier, that's no excuse to just give up on your penance! THIS WEEK while you're offering up what ever it was you gave up for Lent, bring close to your heart and mind the Passion of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. THAT is what the penance is all about. It's not so much that we persevered all the way through Lent, but that certainly is a meritorious goal - but moreso that we place our focus on Christ's Passion and death - afterall, it is for OUR SINS that He was hung on that Cross!

For a meditation suggestion, think about which station in the Stations of the Cross you are at in your life. Are you like the Blessed Mother, meeting Jesus on the path? Are you like Veronica, wiping His face with your cloth in an attempt to comfort Him through His Passion? Are you like Simon the Cyrene, taking upon yourself the Cross to share the burden, even if only for a short time? Or, are you like those gathered at the foot of the Cross, observing as He is giving up His last breaths?

Now consider this... when the Jews stood before Pilate and exclaimed, "His blood be upon us and upon our children!" This is not something you can pass off in anti-Semitism! No! If you have EVER sinned, and we ALL HAVE, then it is upon US whom His blood is upon! It is our sinfulness which stood there yelling, "Crucify Him! Crucify Him!" It was US who swung that cat-of-nine-tails 39 times, ripping the flesh from His back! It was US through OUR SINS who mocked Him, struck Him and placed that crown of thorns upon His head. His blood is UPON US! So while we beg His forgiveness, keep in mind what He did for you so that YOUR sins may be forgiven!

Why did Jesus go through this? Because He loves us! He didn't HAVE to endure the pain, suffering and humiliation of the crucifixion - no, at ANY GIVEN MOMENT He could have summoned legions of angels to put aside the Roman guards and free Him, and with just a single command! However, had He done that, the Scriptures concerning Him would not have been fulfilled and our salvation would not have been realized. Only the PERFECT SACRIFICE of this SPOTLESS LAMB would appease the wrath of Almighty God, which is rightfully OURS TO RECEIVE! But again, He loves us SO MUCH that He willingly and freely gave Himself up so that we might be counted righteous in the eye of the Father.

So, as Lent draws to a close I urge you to meditate upon Christ's Passion and Death - again, for it was not only FOR YOU - but it was BECAUSE OF YOU! Go that Way of the Cross with Him; visualize yourself on that path and figure out where, in your life, you are and which station you can relate to the most. Then after that realization - THEN visit the empty tomb on Easter morning!

PALM SUNDAY

Today we welcome the King of Kings into the Jerusalem of our hearts! We sing hosannas to the Lord God Almighty, who makes His entrance in humility (much like His birth) riding on the back of a donkey. Yet we all come out for Him! We gather our palm branches and spread them before Him - singing praises to His Holy Name! We love and adore Him - but in just a few days the meditation on our hosannas will turn to heckles and abuse - and again, it is WE, OURSELVES who put Him through this week of Passion.

Godspeed to all who read this, and feel free to add comments.

HOSANNA TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST!