Jesus is condemned to death

© PFARRKIRCHEN STIFTUNG ST. LAMBERT SEEON
Via Crucis, Felix Anton Scheffler - 1757
Church of Saint Martin - Ischl, Seeon (Diocese of München) - Germany

FIRST STATION
Jesus is condemned to death

V/. Adoramus te, Christe, et benedicimus tibi.
R/. Quia per sanctam crucem tuam redemisti mundum.

From the Gospel according to Matthew 27:22-23,26

Pilate said to them:
Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?
All of them said:
Let him be crucified!
Then he asked:
What evil has he done?
But they shouted all the more:
Let him be crucified!
So he released Barabbas for them; and after flogging Jesus,
he handed him over to be crucified.

MEDITATION

We know this scene of condemnation all too well:
we see it played out daily!
But one question troubles our hearts:
why does God allow himself to be condemned?
Why does God, the Almighty,
show himself clothed with weakness?
Why does God let himself be attacked by pride, insolence
and human arrogance?

Why does God remain silent?

Gods silence pains us,
it is our testing and trial!
But it is also what purifies
our hasty judgments,
and heals our thirst for revenge.

Gods silence
is the soil in which our pride dies
and true faith springs up,
a humble faith,
a faith which does not challenge God,
but surrenders to him with childlike trust.

PRAYER

Lord,
how easy it is to condemn!
How easy to throw stones:
the stones of judgement and slander,
the stones of indifference and neglect!

Lord, you chose to stand
on the losing side,
on the side of the ignominious and the condemned! [1]

Help us never to cause pain
to our vulnerable brothers and sisters.
Help us to take a courageous stand
in defense of the weak.
Help us to reject the water of Pilate,
which does not cleanse our hands
but sullies them with innocent blood.

[1] Mt 25:31-46.

All:

Pater noster, qui es in cælis:
sanctificetur nomen tuum;
adveniat regnum tuum;
fiat voluntas tua, sicut in cælo, et in terra.
Panem nostrum cotidianum da nobis hodie;
et dimitte nobis debita nostra,
sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris;
et ne nos inducas in tentationem;
sed libera nos a malo.

Stabat mater dolorosa,
iuxta crucem lacrimosa,
dum pendebat Filius.