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Stations of the Cross
There are 15 Stations
of the Cross
I. Jesus is
condemned to death: Leaving the house of Caiphas, where he had
been blasphemed, and the house of Herod, where he had been
mocked, Jesus is dragged before Pilate, his back torn with
scourges, his head crowned with
thorns; and he is condemned to a disgraceful death.
II. Jesus is made to carry his cross: A heavy cross is
laid on the bruised shoulders of Jesus. He receives it with
meekness: it is the instrument with which he is to redeem the
world.
III. Jesus falls the first time: Bowed down under the
weight of the cross, Jesus slowly sets forth on the way to
Calvary amidst the mockeries and insults of the crowd. His agony
in the garden has exhausted his body and he is sore from blows
and wounds; his strength fails him and he falls to the ground
under the weight of the cross.
IV. Jesus meets his Blessed Mother: Still burdened by his
cross and wounded by his fall, Jesus proceeds on his way. He is
met by his Mother. What a meeting that must have been! What a
sword of anguish must have pierced her heart!
V. Simon of Cyrene is made to help Jesus carry his cross:
As the strength of Jesus fails and he is unable to proceed, the
soldiers seize Simon of Cyrene from the crowd and make him help
Jesus. The virtue of that cross changed his cross and the
compulsory task became a privilege and a joy.
VI. Veronica wipes the face of Jesus: As Jesus continues
on the way and covered with the sweat of death, a woman moved by
compassion, makes her way through the crowd and wipes his face
with a towel. As a reward of her piety, the impression of his
sacred countenance is miraculously imprinted upon the towel.
VII. Jesus falls the second time: The pain of the wounds
and the loss of blood increasing with every step, again his
strength fails him and Jesus falls to the ground a second time.
VIII. The women of Jerusalem weep for Jesus: At the sight
of the sufferings of Jesus, some holy women in the crowd were so
touched with sympathy that they openly bewailed and lamented
him. Jesus, knowing the things that were to happen to Jerusalem
because of its rejection of him, turned to them and said:
“Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for
yourselves and for your children.”
IX. Jesus falls the third time: Jesus had now almost
arrived at the summit of Calvary, but before he reached the spot
where he was to be crucified, his strength again fails him and
falls the third time.
X. Jesus is stripped of his garments: Having finally
arrived at the place of crucifixion they prepared to crucify
him. His garments are removed from his bleeding body and he
stands naked before the people, while the soldiers cast lots to
see who shall keep his garment.
XI. Jesus is nailed to the cross: The cross is laid upon the
ground and Jesus is stretched upon his bed of death. At one and
the same time he offers his bruised body to his heavenly Father
of behalf of all peoples, and to his executioners to be nailed
by them to the wood.
XII. Jesus dies on the cross: For three hours Jesus hung
upon the cross, and in the midst of his sufferings he has
forgiven those who condemned him, pardoned the good thief, and
committed his Mother and the beloved disciple to each other’s
care. All is now consummated, and, bowing his head, he breathes
his last.
XIII. Jesus is taken down from the cross: The crowds have
left Calvary and none remain except the beloved disciple and
some holy women who support Jesus’ blessed Mother. Joseph of
Arimathea and Nicodemus take down the lifeless body of Jesus and
place it in is Mother’s arms.
XIV. Jesus is
laid in the Sepulchre: The body of her Son is taken from his
Mother and laid in the tomb belonging to Joseph of Arimathea.
The tomb is closed and there the corpse remains until its
glorious resurrection.
XVI. The Resurrection of Jesus. Jesus is raised from the
dead and ascends into Heaven.
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