Third Station, Way of the Cross 2012

WAY OF THE CROSS
2012

THIRD STATION

Jesus falls for the first time

V. We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
R. Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

From the Gospel according to Matthew 11:28-30

“Come to me, all you who labour, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Jesus falls. His wounds, the burden of the Cross, the steep and uneven road. And the press of the crowd. But it is not only all this that brought him down. Perhaps it is the weight of the tragedy that has appeared in his life. We can no longer see God in Jesus, this man who seems so frail, who stumbles and falls.

Jesus, there, on that road,
amid that shouting and noisy crowd ,
you fall to the ground,
get up, and try to continue the ascent.
In the depth of your heart you know that this suffering has a purpose,
You sense that you have taken up the burden
of our many failings, betrayals and sins.

Jesus, your fall pains us,
for we know that we are its cause,
or perhaps our weakness,
the weakness not only of our bodies, but of our whole being.
We would like never to fall;
yet all it takes is a tiny obstacle,
a temptation or an accident:
we let ourselves go, and we fall.

We have promised to follow Jesus, to respect and to care for those persons with whom he has surrounded us. Yes, we really love them, or at least we think we do. If they were to leave us, we would suffer greatly. But then, in real everyday situations, we fall.

How frequently do we fall in our families!
How many separations, how many betrayals!
And divorces, abortions, desertions!
Jesus, help us to understand the meaning of love,
teach us to ask for forgiveness!

All:

Pater noster, qui es in caelis:
sanctificetur nomen tuum;
adveniat regnum tuum;
fiat voluntas tua, sicut in caelo, 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.

O quam tristis et afflicta
fuit illa benedicta
mater Unigeniti!