The Fourteenth Station: Jesus Is Laid in the Tomb

The Fourteenth Station:

Jesus Is Laid in the Tomb

We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (genuflect)

Because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world.



The Shroud of Turin



Reflection:

Joseph or Aramathea took the body of Jesus, and wrapping it in a clean linen cloth he laid it in his new tomb, which he had hewn out of rock. Then he rolled a large stone against the entrance of the tomb and departed (Mt. 27:59-60).

Meditation:

I will praise You, O Lord, for You drew me clear and did not let my enemies rejoice over me
O Lord, my God, I cried out to You and You healed me.
O Lord, You brought me up from the lower world;
You preserved me from among those going down into the pit.
Sing praise to the Lord, you his faithful ones, and give thanks to His Holy Name.
For His anger lasts but a moment; His good will is for a lifetime.
At nightfall, weeping enters in, but with dawn comes rejoicing. (Ps. 30:2-6)

Pray:
Almighty and eternal God, on the edge of sadness when all seemed lost, You restored to us
the Savior we thought defeated and conquered. Help us, we beg You, so to empty ourselves of self
concern that we might see Your hand in every failure and Your victory in every defeat. These things
we ask in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, Who lives and reigns forever with You in the unity of
the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Sing: (in preparation for the Fourteenth Station).
Jesus, Risen, be our lover
In your Food and in our brother.
Lead us home to heaven with You.

The Thirteenth Station: The Body of Jesus Is Taken Down From The Cross

The Thirteenth Station:

 The Body of Jesus Is Taken Down From The Cross

We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (genuflect)

Because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world.

Pieta' at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, Springfield, IL

Reflection:
When the soldiers came to Jesus, they saw that He was already dead so chat they did not break His
legs, but one of them opened His side with a lance, and immediately there came out blood and water.
Joseph of Aramathea, because he was a disciple of Jesus (although a secret one for fear of the Jews),
besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus. And Pilate gave permission. (Jn. 19:33-34 and 38a.)

Meditation:

O My people. I will open your graves and have you rise from them,

And I will bring you back to your land.

Then you shall know that I am the Lord!

O My people! I will put My spirit in you that you may live.

You shall know then that I am the Lord.

I have promised it,

And I will do it, says the Lord. (Ezek. 37:12-14)

Pray:
Beloved Savior, You returned to the Father all that He had given You, so that He might
restore all to You a hundredfold in the glorious resurrection. Help us, we beg You, to give generously of ourselves in all that we do for You so that like You we might be made perfect in a new resurrection. Amen.

Sing: (in preparation for the Fourteenth Station).
Sing: Jesus, Lord, Your gift accepted,
In three days You resurrected.
You did first what we shall do.

The Twelfth Station: Jesus Dies On The Cross

The Twelfth Station:

Jesus Dies On The Cross

We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (genuflect)

Because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world.

Reflection:
It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.
And the sun was darkened, and the curtain of the temple was torn in the middle. Jesus cried out with
a loud voice and said, "It is finished. Father, into Your hands I commend my spirit.' Then, bowing
His head, he died. (Lk. 23:44-46, Jn 19:30b)

Meditation:
My people, what have I done to you ?
Or in what way have I offended you?
Answer me.
What more should I have done, and did not do?
I led you out of the land of Egypt, and you prepared a cross for Me.
I opened the Red Sea before you and you opened My side with a lance.
I gave You a royal sceptre, and You have given me a crown of thorns.
With great power I lifted you up, and you have hung Me upon a cross.
My people, what have I done to you, or in what have I offended you>
Answer me. (from the Reproaches of Good Friday)

Pray:
Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be 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. Amen (stand)

Sing: (in preparation for the Thirteenth Station).

Stunned and stricken. Mary, Mother in your arms was placed our Brother,

Full of grace" now filled with grief.



The Eleventh Station:

Jesus is Nailed to the Cross

We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (genuflect)

Because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world.

Reflection:
When they came to Golgotha, the place called the Skull, they crucified Jesus and the robbers, one on
His right and the other on His left. And Jesus said, “ Father, forgive them, for they do not know what
they are doing.” (Lk. 23:33-34; Jn. 19:18)
Meditation:
My God. My God, why have You forsaken Me,

Far from my prayer, far from the words of my cry?
O my God, I cry out by day, and You answer not;
I cry out by night, and there is no relief for Me.
All my bones are racked.
My heart has become like wax melting away within My chest.
My throat is dried up like baked clay, My tongue cleaves to My jaws;
They have pierced My hands and My feet;
I can count all My bones. (Ps. 22: 2-3, 15-16, 17b)
Pray:
Let us pray. Lord and Savior, You have told us that we too must accept crucifixion if we are to accept resurrection with You. Help us to rejoicein the sufferings that come with the fulfillment of our daily duties, seeing in them the royal road of the cross to the resurrection.
Amen.

Sing (in preparation for the Twelfth Station):
Life eternal, death defiant,
Bowed his head — the world was silent,
Through His death came life anew.



The Tenth Station: Jesus is Stripped of His Clothes

The Tenth Station:

 Jesus is Stripped of His Clothes

We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (genuflect)

Because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world.

Reflection:
They gave Jesus wine to drink mixed with sail but when He had tasted it, He would not drink. Then
after they had crucified him, they divided His clothes, casting lots, to fulfill what was spoken
through the prophet, "They divided my clothes among them, and upon my garments they cast lots "
(Mt. 27:34-35)
Meditation:
Happy is the man whom God chastises!
Do not reject the punishment of the Almighty.
For He wounds, but He binds up; He smites, but His hands give healing.
Insult has broken My heart, and I am weak;
I looked for comforters, and I found none.
Rather they put gall in My food, and in My thirst they gave Me vinegar to drink (Job 5:17-18; Ps. 69:21-22).
Pray:
Lord Jesus Christ, stripped of everything, You stood exposed to the jeers and contempt of the people whom You loved. Clothe us with genuine love of others, so that nothing we suffer may ever fill our hearts with hatred or bitterness.
Amen.
Sing (in preparation for the Eleventh Station):
Pierced the hands that blessed and cured us,
Pierced the feet that walked to free us,
Walked the hill of Calvary.

The Ninth Station: Jesus Falls a Third Time

The Ninth Station:

Jesus Falls a Third Time

We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (genuflect)

Because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world.

Reflection:
I lie prostrate in the dust; give Me life according to Your word. I declared My ways, and You answered Me; teach Me your commands. Make me understand the way of Your precepts, and I will mediate on Your wondrous deeds. My soul weeps for sorrow; strengthen Me with Your words (Ps. 119:25- 28).

Meditation:
The Lord is my light and my salvation;
Whom should I fear?
The Lord is my life's refuge,
Of whom should I be afraid?
When evildoers come at Me to devour My flesh.
My foes and My enemies themselves stumble and fall .
Though an army encamp against Me,
My heart will not fear;
Though war be waged upon Me, even then will I trust. (Ps. 27:I- 3)

Pray.
Almighty and eternal God, You permitted your Son to be weakened, crushed, and profaned so that He might rise from the dead freed from ravages of sin. Help us to accept weaknesses and failings as forerunners of our glorious resurrection in union with your Son.
Amen.



Sing (in preparation for the Tenth Station):
Stripped and jeered by his own nation,
Jesus stood m desolation,
Giving all He bad to give.

The Eighth Station

Jesus Meets the Women of Jerusalem

We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (genuflect)

Because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world.

Reflection:
There was following Jesus a great crowd of people, and among them were some women who were be-
wailing and lamenting Him. Jesus turning to them said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me,
but weep for yourselves and for your children (Luke 23:27-28)."
Meditation:
Come, all you who pass by the way,
Look and see whether there is any suffering like My suffering,
Suffering with which the Lord has afflicted Me on the day of his blazing wrath.
At this I weep, My eyes run with tears:
Far from Me are all who could console Me,
Far away are any who might revive Me (Lam. 1:12-16).

Pray:
Beloved Jesus, with tears of pity these women of Jerusalem responded to You, broken, bruised, and beaten, on the road to Calvary. Deepen our faith, we beg Vow. so that we may see You in our brothers and sisters, bruised by our envy, beaten down by injustice, and broken by our greed and our indifference. Amen.

Sing (in preparation for the Ninth Station):
Jesus fell again in weakness,
Stumbling as we do, to lead us,
Through our sorrow and our pain.