Via Dolorosa, Jerusalem
The First Station: Jesus is condemned to death.
Scripture: Matthew 27:22-23, 26
When have we unjustly condemned others in this world? How many people now stand unjustly accused of wrongs they did not commit?
Lord, grant us the courage to speak up for those who are unjustly accused, and the strength of our convictions to stand up for the right.
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The Second Station: Jesus takes up his cross.
Scripture: Matthew 27:27-31
We are all given what might seem at times to be insurmountable obstacles, difficult burdens to bear. May we never lose heart.
Lord, give us the strength to take up our own cross, however heavy, however rocky the path, and be able to withstand the strain.
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The Third Station: Jesus falls for the first time.
Scripture: Isaiah 53:4-6
From the time we are children, we all fall. Even stronger as adults, we fall. We stumble, we go down, we pick ourselves back up. We go on.
Lord, help us to be more mindful when those around us are falling and need our help, and to have the strength to lift each other up.
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The Fourth Station: Jesus meets his mother.
Scripture: Luke 2:34-35,51
Sometimes in the face of difficulty we encounter the greatest sources of love. Have we reached our own arms out to others with that love?
Lord, help us remember the loving arms that are always around us, whether we see them or not, and be the arms of that love for others.
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The Fifth Station: The Cyrenian helps Jesus carry the cross.
Scripture: Matthew 27:32; 16:24
We are not alone here. How many are struggling under the weight of a burden--hunger, poverty, pain--that we could help make easier?
Lord, help us to be available to others, to see their needs, to willingly assist others with grace and with dignity, to be present.
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The Sixth Station: Veronica wipes the face of Jesus.
Scripture: Isaiah 53:2-3, Psalms 27:8-9
How often have we seen the face of the divine in others? Are we repelled by others because they are in need, compromised, unattractive?
Lord, help us to see the face of the divine in everything, and everyone, and to be that face shining in the eyes of others.
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The Seventh Station: Jesus falls for the second time.
Scripture: Lamentations 3:1-2,9,16
We accept mistakes in ourselves, and others. But how often are we frustrated with repeated failure, repeated setbacks?
Lord, help us not to be the cause of other people stumbling, and falling. Give us the grace to stay strong in the face of obstacles.
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The Eighth Station: Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem who weep for him.
Scripture: Luke 23:28-31
Do we frequently immerse ourselves in pity, without addressing the true difficulty? Can we face the world's challenges squarely?
Lord, give us the grace to laugh, to cry, to mourn, to rejoice, for the right reasons, and to realize how best to be supportive of others.
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The Ninth Station: Jesus falls for the third time.
Scripture: Lamentations 3:27-32
A third strike can seem insurmountable. Can we separate ourselves out from being a contributing factor, and continue onward?
Lord, may we never be the cause of another human's obstacles or failures. Give us the grace to be strength for others.
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The Tenth Station: Jesus is stripped of his garments.
Scripture: Matthew 27:33-36
How many people in this world have lost everything--their livelihood, homes, ability to provide basic needs for their families?
Lord, help us be sensitive when others have been stripped bare, deprived of their human dignity. Help us restore them.
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The Eleventh Station: Jesus is nailed to the cross.
Scripture: Matthew 27:37-42
How often have we been a cause of suffering in others, or turned our backs in horror at the suffering of strangers worldwide?
Lord, help us to know what to do, to endure it, to face suffering, to relieve it in others where possible, and to be a strength.
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The Twelfth Station: Jesus dies on the cross. +
Scripture: John 19:19-20, Matthew 27:45-50,54
Sometimes, darkness can seem all encompassing, hope can be the candle that is extinguished. We pray for the sunrise, the spring.
Lord, grant us the ability to be light to others, to be beacons of hope, and strength, and renewed life and love.
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The Thirteenth Station: Jesus is taken down from the cross and given to his Mother.
Scripture: Matthew 27:54-55
Sometimes it is in the depths of profound grief and loss that we become most aware.
Lord, help us appreciate those who are given to us in this life, and the gift we are to others. Help us hold that close to our heart.
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The Fourteenth Station: Jesus is laid in the tomb.
Scripture: Matthew 27:59-61
Finality can bring peace, healing, and renewal. Are we always able to discern where one thing ends, and another begins?
Lord, help us tend not only to the dying, but to the living, to give of ourselves, to plant, to nurture, to enrich, and to make whole.
In our reflection of the struggles and sacrifice of others, may we realize our own place in the universe. Amen.
(The above Good Friday reflections are my own on the Stations of the Cross, using my favorite book on the subject, Way of the Cross by Pope Benedict XVI, as a guide and reference.)
