Station Nine - Jesus Falls the Third Time
This last fall is devastating. Jesus can barely proceed to the end. Summoning all this remaining strength, supported by his inner trust in God, Jesus collapses under the weight of the cross. His executioners look at him as a broken man, pathetic yet paying a price he deserves. They help him up so he can make it up the hill of crucifixion.
We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
I pause to contemplate him there on the ground. The brokeness that makes me whole. The surrender that gives me life.
I pause to experience and receive how completely he loves me. He is indeed completely poured out for me.
As I treasure this gifted experience, I express what is in my heart.
The Tenth Station - Jesus is Stripped
Part of the indignity is to be crucified naked. Jesus is completely stripped of any pride The wounds on his back are torn open again. He experiences the ultimate vulnerability of the defenseless. No shield or security protects him. As they stare at him, his eyes turn to heaven.
We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
I pause to watch the stripping. I contemplate all that is taken from him. And, how he faces his death with such nakedness.
I reflect upon how much of himself he has revealed to me. Holding nothing back.
As I look at him in his humility, I know that this is for me, and I share my feelings of gratitude.
This last fall is devastating. Jesus can barely proceed to the end. Summoning all this remaining strength, supported by his inner trust in God, Jesus collapses under the weight of the cross. His executioners look at him as a broken man, pathetic yet paying a price he deserves. They help him up so he can make it up the hill of crucifixion.
We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
I pause to contemplate him there on the ground. The brokeness that makes me whole. The surrender that gives me life.
I pause to experience and receive how completely he loves me. He is indeed completely poured out for me.
As I treasure this gifted experience, I express what is in my heart.
The Tenth Station - Jesus is Stripped
Part of the indignity is to be crucified naked. Jesus is completely stripped of any pride The wounds on his back are torn open again. He experiences the ultimate vulnerability of the defenseless. No shield or security protects him. As they stare at him, his eyes turn to heaven.
We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
I pause to watch the stripping. I contemplate all that is taken from him. And, how he faces his death with such nakedness.
I reflect upon how much of himself he has revealed to me. Holding nothing back.
As I look at him in his humility, I know that this is for me, and I share my feelings of gratitude.
