Stations of the cross: 8 Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem

Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem

8 Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem
Jesus, as you carry your cross you see a group of women along the road. As you pass by you see they are sad. You stop to spend a moment with them, to offer them some encouragement.
Although you are have been abandoned by your friends and are in pain, you stop and try to help them.
As a child, sometimes we think a lot about ourselves. We think about what we want and would like people to spend their lives pleasing us.
As an adult, sometimes we act like a child. We become so absorbed in ourselves and what we’d like that we forget about the needs of others. we take them for granted, and often ignore their needs.
Forgive us, Lord, when we are so preoccupied with our own suffering that we have little compassion left for others. Fill us with your boundless love, that we may always have enough and to spare for those in need. We thank you, for the people we have known, who in the midst of great anguish, have ministered to us.

Lord, in your mercy: Hear our prayer

Stations of the cross: 7 Jesus falls for the second time

Stations of the cross 7

7 Jesus falls for the second time
As with the previous meditation, there is no reference to Jesus falling under the weight of the cross in the Four Gospels, but the Stations of the Cross offer us 3 mediations on this theme.
Lord Jesus this is the second time you have fallen on the road. As the cross grows heavier and heavier it becomes more difficult to get up. But you continue to struggle and try until you’re up and walking again. You don’t give up.
As a child, sometimes things get us down. Others seem to find things easier to do or to learn. Each time we fail, we find it harder to keep trying.
As an adult, sometimes we think we should know more than we do. We become impatient with ourselves and lose confidence in ourselves when we fail. It is easy to despair over small things, and sometimes we do.
Lord, we often pray, “take this cup of suffering away from me,” but find it difficult to add the words, “yet, not what I want, but what you want.” Give us courage to face the pain life throws at us, trusting in your transforming power, and bless all those who meet the challenge of great suffering today.
Lord, in your mercy: Hear our prayer

Stations of the cross: 6

Stations of the cross 6

Veronica wipes the face of Jesus.

The tradition that a woman called Veronica wiped the face of Jesus is not to be found in the four gospels in the New Testament. Rather it comes from the apocryphal gospel of Nicodemus which probably dates to the 4th Century. Over the centuries it has gained a place in the Stations of the Cross, and there are valid themes to be meditated upon in this story.

Jesus, suddenly a woman comes out of the crowd. Her name is Veronica. You can see how she cares for you as she takes a cloth and begins to wipe the blood and sweat from your face. She can’t do much, but she offers what little help she can.

As a child, sometimes we know someone could use a little help and understanding. They may be picked on or teased by others, or just sad or lonely. Sometimes we feel bad that others don’t step in to help, but there again we don’t help either.

As an adult, we notice the needs around us. Sometimes our own family members crave our attention, and we don’t even seem to notice. Sometimes a co-worker, friend, or family member could use help or understanding, but we don’t reach out to help lest we are criticised, or worse still they demand more of us than I’d like to give.

We confess, Lord, that we often fail to see the love which prompts the actions of others, and so dismiss, as insignificant, deeds that are beautiful in your eyes. Give us the patience to discern the charity that dwells in our neighbours and hear our prayer for all those who long to ease the pain of the world yet feel their achievements are so small.
Lord, in your mercy: Hear our prayer

Stations of the cross: 5 Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus to carry his cross

Stations of the cross 5

5 Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus to carry his cross

Jesus, who healed so many people and preached to thousands, now has no one to help him carry his cross. One of his closest friends denies ever knowing him. Another has betrayed him. The rest have run away. Simon a stranger, is forced by the soldiers to assist, so that the prisoner should not die before reaching the place of execution. He was just watching what was happening, but all of a sudden he is helping you carry his cross.

As a child, sometimes we see people who need our help. Sometimes we pretend not to hear when parents call us. We disappear when we know others could need our help.

As an adult, sometimes we try to do as little as we can and still get by. Others might need our help, but we ignore their needs. Even when asked to help, we sometimes claim to be too busy.

Forgive us, Lord, we find it hard to accept the help of others, even when it is freely offered with love. We do not like to face our own frailty, we hate to admit our needs. Give us the humility that is grateful to receive the ministry of those who care for us, and hear our prayer for the elderly, the handicapped and all who must daily depend on human kindness.
Lord, in your mercy: Hear our prayer

Stations of the cross: 4 Jesus meets his mother

Stations of the cross 4

Today we reach the 4th Station of the Cross:

Jesus meets his mother
Jesus said: Woman, you must not tell me what to do. My time has not yet come. John 2:4
And he said: Who is my mother? Who are my brothers? …Whoever does what God wants him to do is my brother, my sister, my mother. Mark 3:33-34

Jesus, you feel so alone with all those people yelling and screaming at you. You don’t like the words they are saying about you, and you look for a friendly face in the crowd. You see your mother. She can’t make the hurting stop, but it helps to see that she is on your side, that she is suffering with you. She does understand and care. When as a little boy he stumbled or fell she was the one who would lift him and comfort him in her arms and make everything all right again. Now all she can do is walk besides him and accept whatever comes next.

As a child, sometimes we feel like too many things are going on. Sometimes other kids pick on us and call us names. We need to look around us for a friendly face, and for the help we need. We need to share our troubles with those who truly care about us.

As an adult we sometimes feel overwhelmed by many things. Life is so competitive, and we worry so much about the future and those who have some control over it. We need to remember that being an adult does not mean having to solve every problem on our own. We need to look around us for a friendly face, for the help we need.

We know, Lord, that we find it difficult to love enough to be able to let go. Help us to honour the freedom you give to all human beings, so that they may grow into the people you call them to be. We pray for parents who fear for their children and do not know how to help.
Lord, in your mercy: Hear our prayer

Stations of the cross: 3 Jesus Falls for the first time

Today on the Way of the Cross we come to the 3rd “station”:

Jesus Falls for the first time

Jesus said: Come unto me, all of you who are tired from carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in spirit, and you will find rest. For the yoke I will give you is easy, and the load I will put upon you you is light. Matthew 11:26-30


Surely he has borne our grief and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and with his bruises we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Isaiah. 53:4-6

Jesus, the cross you have been carrying is very heavy. You are becoming weak and almost ready to faint, and you fall down. Nobody seems to want to help you. The soldiers are interested in getting home, so they yell at you and try to get you up and moving again.

As a child, sometimes we start to do something, but then get tired of it. We hurry to get finished and sometimes don’t do our work well. Sometimes we don’t pay attention to what we should be doing. When things get hard for us, we sometimes just give up.

As an adult, we sometimes put things off. We give up too easily, and sometimes don’t do our work as well as we know we can.

Lord, we often fail to see the heavy burdens others carry and sometimes add to them ourselves. In these difficult times we are going through, help us to see the needs of others and to offer the help that is needed. Make us sensitive to our neighbour’s needs and willing to help shoulder their burdens. We pray for those courageous people we know who struggle on, when life is hard and who rarely complain.

Lord, in your mercy: Hear our prayer

Stations of the cross: 2 Jesus takes up his cross

Jesus takes up his cross

Jesus said: Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
Matthew 16:24

And he said: Bless those who persecute you and pray for those who ill treat you. Luke 6:28

Jesus, as you accepted your cross, you knew you would carry it to your death on Calvary. You knew it wouldn’t be easy, but you accepted it and carried it just the same.

As a child, sometimes we don’t like the problems that come our way. Sometimes we try to get others to take care of them or solve them for us. Sometimes we become upset and crabby when asked to do even the smallest thing to help others.

As an adult we sometimes feel like we are not appreciated. Sometimes we feel as if we have to accept more responsibility that we need. We can feel sorry for ourselves, even though the crosses others carry are much larger than our own. In our own self-pity, we don’t reach out to help.

We confess Lord, that we find your words very hard. We do not want to carry the cross. We can rarely bring ourselves to bless those who make our life difficult. Give us the strength to grow in your likeness, that we may learn to triumph over the wrong in others, and in ourselves, with love.

We pray for the people we know who carry heavy crosses, for those able to forgive and accept, and those who want to curse. May your blessing reach out to them.

Lord, in your mercy: Hear our prayer.

Stations of the Cross: 1 Jesus is Condemned to Death

Jesus is condemned to death

Jesus said: Do not judge others, so that God will not judge you – Matthew 7:1

He said: Let the one among you who has committed no sin cast the first stone – John 8:7

And he said: You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free – John 8:32

Jesus stands, judged and condemned by a man who says that he does not know what truth is, a man afraid to listen to the voice of truth. Pilate has acted conveniently, he has satisfied the crowd, he has done his job, he has kept the peace; but, deep down, he knows where truth and justice lie, so he washes his hands, in the hope that this will somehow absolve him.

Jesus stands all alone before Pilate. Nobody speaks up for him. Nobody helps defend him. He devoted his entire life to helping others, listening to the smallest ones, caring for those who were ignored by others. They don’t seem to remember that as they call for him to put him to death.

As a child, sometimes we feel alone. Sometimes we feel that others don’t stand up for us and defend us when we are afraid. Sometimes we don’t feel like we are treated fairly, especially if we are scolded or corrected.

As an adult, sometimes we feel abandoned and afraid as well. Sometimes we too, feel like we treated unfairly or blamed for things unfairly. We have a hard time when people criticize us at home or at work.

Help me be grateful for what you did for me. Help me to accept criticism and unfairness as you did, and not complain. Help me pray for those who have hurt me.

My Jesus, often have I signed the death warrant by my sins; save me by Thy death from that eternal death which I have so often deserved.

Lord, we realise that we too have fled from the truth and lacked the courage to do what we know to be right.

We thank you that you are so generous, that you carry our sin, rather than condemning us for it, and we pray for the many people in our world who are unjustly judged and condemned when they are innocent.

Lord, in your mercy…Hear our prayer