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Stations of the Cross I and II – 4th March

Jesus carried his cross through the crowded streets of Jerusalem. The streets of our towns

are filled with people who carry their personal crosses; people who are bruised, battered

and broken. Through these Stations of the Cross, Jesus is inviting us to journey with him

and to reflect on his suffering as it continues in the lives of his people. In solidarity with

all who suffer, let us pray that we will be open to whatever he wants us to see, hear and

understand as we pray The Stations on Thursdays and Fridays for the next three weeks.


We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you because by your Holy Cross you have redeemed

the world.


I love you, Lord Jesus, my love, above all things. I repent with my whole heart for having

offended you. Never permit me to separate myself from you again. Grant that I may love

you always and then do with me as you will.


I Jesus is judged and condemned


We remember the cross of Jesus

Jesus was captured at night, taken away by soldiers, stripped of his garments, interrogated, tortured, crowned with sharp thorns and handed over to be condemned to death by Pontius Pilate – death on a cross. We adore you …


We name the crosses of today: Jesus is condemned unjustly by those who did not understand him and by those who were frightened of what he did and said. Perhaps they sensed that this man could make a difference, that he could turn their world upside down. We continue to condemn people unjustly today. People are condemned because of the colour of their skin, their gender, their beliefs, because they are born with a disability, because they don’t conform to our way of thinking - the list is endless. There are also the people who have been justly condemned, who have been found guilty, served their sentence and asked for forgiveness. Does our society really forgive; really believe that people can change, or do we continue to condemn them over and over again?


We Pray: Give us the grace to see, respect and love you in all people, both innocent and guilty. Change our hearts that we may see with new eyes those we might otherwise condemn. I love you, Lord Jesus ….


II Jesus receives the cross


We remember the cross of Jesus

The man before our eyes is the Jesus who shed tears over Jerusalem, and he sheds tears over us – but he does not condemn. He only hopes that by his taking our weaknesses and failures on his shoulders, we will be able to find the yoke easier and the burden lighter. As the cross is laid on him, he lifts our sufferings and our sorrows from our shoulders onto his. His heart rejoices because he is finding the ones who are lost. He can now bring us to his Father and there will be great rejoicing. In the way that he carried all the burdens of his life but, in particular, the way in which he carries this awful, final burden, he transforms the cross from a symbol of

condemnation into one of liberation. We adore you …


We name the crosses of today: There are burdens that we all carry, some are very obvious and others we take great care to hide. There are the burdens of illness, pain and disability, of old age, dependence, and caring for someone who no longer knows who we are. There are the burdens of constant fear, of loneliness and of isolation. The invitation of Jesus on the cross is to hand over these burdens to him.


We Pray: May we see your presence Lord in all the burdens we carry today. Help us to share our burdens more freely, not to be afraid to acknowledge our fears and our pain. May we be more aware of the crosses that others bear and make time to alleviate their burden. May your face shine on each one of us through the crosses we bear. I love you, Lord Jesus…

 

1 Ken Cooke 2 St Mary of All Angels. Liturgy all weeks from Meditations by Bishop Crispian Hollis, St John’s Cathedral, Portsmouth & Stations of the Cross for Our Times by Faith Development Services Team, West Berkshire Pastoral Area.


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