R. Quia per sanctam crucem tuam redemisti mundum. [Because by Thy holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world.]
Pope John Paul II
I am the man who has seen affliction under the rod of his wrath; he has driven and brought me into darkness without any light... He has blocked my ways with hewn stones he has made my paths crooked... He has made my teeth grind on gravel, and made me cower in ashes.
MEDITATION
And he wills all this, he wills the fulfilment of the prophecy. And so he falls, exhausted by all the effort. He falls in accordance with the will of the Father, a will expressed in the words of the Prophet. He falls in accordance with his own will: “How then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?” (Mt 26:54). “I am a worm, and no man” (Ps 22:6). Not even an Ecce homo here (Jn 19:5), but something much less, much worse.
A worm creeps along the ground, whereas man, like a king among creatures, walks above it. A worm will gnaw even at wood: like a worm, remorse for sin gnaws at man’s conscience. Remorse for the second fall.
ACCLAMATION
Jesus of Nazareth, you became an outcast among men, in order to ennoble all creatures. R. Kyrie, eleison.
Jesus, servant of life, crushed by men, yet raised up by God. R. Kyrie, eleison.
Pope Benedict XVI
I am the man who has seen affliction under the rod of his wrath; he has driven and brought me into darkness without any light. He has blocked my way with hewn stones, he has made my paths crooked. He has made my teeth grind on gravel, and made me cower in ashes.
MEDITATION
Seventh Station of the Cross, Church of Saint-Brice-en-Coglès |
PRAYER
Lord Jesus Christ, you have borne all our burdens and you continue to carry us. Our weight has made you fall. Lift us up, for by ourselves we cannot rise from the dust. Free us from the bonds of lust. In place of a heart of stone, give us a heart of flesh, a heart capable of seeing. Lay low the power of ideologies, so that all may see that they are a web of lies. Do not let the wall of materialism become insurmountable. Make us aware of your presence. Keep us sober and vigilant, capable of resisting the forces of evil. Help us to recognize the spiritual and material needs of others, and to give them the help they need. Lift us up, so that we may lift others up. Give us hope at every moment of darkness, so that we may bring your hope to the world.
Seventh Station of the Cross, Pfettisheim Saint Symphorian |
Pro peccatis suae gentis
vidit Iesum in tormentis,
et flagellis subditum.
Our Father, who art in Heaven,
Hallowed by Thy Name
Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done,
on Earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our Daily Bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For the sins of His own nation,
She saw Jesus wracked with torment,
All with scourges rent:
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