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SEVENTH STATION

V. Adoramus te, Christe, et benedicimus tibi.

R. Quia per sanctam crucem tuam redemisti mundum.

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark (15:20)

And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak, and put his own clothes on him. And they led him out to crucify him.

Meditation

The Cross, that great symbol of Christianity, from being an instrument of shameful punishment has become a glorious victory banner.

There are courageous atheists who are ready to sacrifice themselves for the revolution: they are prepared to embrace the cross, but without Jesus. Among Christians there are de facto "atheists" who want Jesus, but without the Cross. Now without Jesus, the cross is unbearable, and without the Cross, no one can claim to be with Jesus.

Let us embrace the Cross and let us embrace Jesus, and with Jesus let us embrace all our suffering and persecuted brethren!

Prayer

O divine Redeemer, with what great joy you embraced the Cross, which you had desired for so long! It weighs heavily upon your wounded shoulders, but it is held up by a heart filled with love.

The great Saints understood the saving value of the Cross so deeply that they could cry out: "Either suffer or die!" Give us the grace at least to accept your invitation to carry our cross behind you. You prepared a personal cross for each one of us. We have before our eyes the image of Pope John Paul II, who climbed the "Mount of Crosses" in Lithuania. Every one of those crosses had a story to tell, a story of suffering and joy, of humiliation and triumph, of death and resurrection.

All:

EIGHTH STATION

V. Adoramus te, Christe, et benedicimus tibi.

R. Quia per sanctam crucem tuam redemisti mundum.

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark (15:21)

And they compelled a passer-by, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his Cross.

Meditation

Simon of Cyrene was coming in from the country. He stumbled upon the procession of death and was pressed into carrying the Cross together with Jesus.

At a later date, he confirmed this act of service, expressing his satisfaction at having been of assistance to the poor condemned prisoner, and he became one of the disciples in the early Church. He was surely the object of admiration and even envy for the special privilege of having comforted Jesus in his sufferings.

Prayer

Dear Jesus, you would have thanked Simon of Cyrene for his help, even though the Cross was actually owed to him and to each one of us. In this way, Jesus, you are grateful to us every time we help our brothers and sisters to carry their cross, although we are simply doing our duty in order to atone for our sins.

Jesus, you are at the origin of this cycle of compassion. You bear our cross, thereby enabling us to assist you in your brothers and sisters to carry the cross.

Lord, as members of your Body, we help one another to carry the cross, and we admire the great throng of "Simons of Cyrene" who, even if they do not yet have the faith, generously come to relieve your sufferings in your brothers and sisters.

When we come to the aid of our brethren in the persecuted Church, make us mindful that in reality it is we who, to an even greater extent, are being helped by them.

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