The Ninth Station: Jesus Falls the Third Time
We adore you O Christ and we praise you.
Because by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the world.
Remember ‘The young may grow tied and weary, they stumble and fall,
but all who put their hope in God renew their strength’ (Isaiah 40:30).
In this station we remember all who suffer from any form of addiction.
Reflect
The Prophet Isaiah reminds us that though we may be tired,
God is never tired of us.
We may be trampling on God, wounding God, neglecting God, ignoring God, forgetting God, insulting God.
But He keeps coming back to us, despite the elaborate devices we construct to keep Him away.
Whatever you are, married, single, divorced, married again, consecrated, ordained, in ministry, on a sabbatical, God, without a trace of self-pity and with loving eyes, meets us in our falls, failures and feckless forgetfulness with the gracious gift of a forever forgiveness.
He will always be there no matter how much trouble we may be in – he will always be there to help. That is love and understanding.
Meditate
‘We hold a treasure, not made of gold,
in earthen vessels, wealth untold;
one treasure only:
the Lord, the Christ in earthen vessels.’
(‘Earthen Vessels’ by John Foley SJ)
Pray
Lord Jesus Christ, you said to your apostles,
‘I leave you peace,
my peace I leave you’ …
I do not give to you as the world gives.
Do not let your hearts be troubled
and do not be afraid, do not be afraid ever!
Amen
Sing
‘Christ be beside me, Christ be before me,
Christ be behind me, King of my heart.
Christ be within me, Christ be below me,
Christ be above me, never to part.’
(adapted from St Patrick’s Breastplate by James Quinn SJ)
