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| Holy Island |
| Reflection: A sandwich for St Cuthbert | ||||
| Posted: Monday, March 19, 2012 11:06 pm | ||||
| http://www.indcatholicnews.com/news.php?viewStory=20070 | ||||
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Tuesday 20 March 2012
St. Cuthbert - Independent Catholic News
http://vultus.stblogs.org/2008/01/i_love_them_that_love_me.html
January 26, 2008
I Love Them That Love Me
San Bernardo alle Terme
One of my favourite churches in Rome is San Bernardo alle Terme. It is a luminous round church, built in 1598 on the site of the hot steam baths of Diocletian. Immense paintings by an artist named Odazj dominate the two side altars: the one on the right is dedicated to Saint Bernard, the one on the left to Saint Robert of Molesmes, the first abbot of Cîteaux. The first time I visited the church of San Bernardo I was so taken by the magnificent painting of Saint Bernard in the embrace of Jesus Crucified that I failed to understand the significance of the one depicting Saint Robert. It was on a later visit that I discovered it. It has, with the passing of time, become rich in meaning for me.
Saint Robert of Molesmes and the Virgin Mother
Saint Robert, whom we celebrate today with his two immediate successors, Saints Alberic and Stephen, was the founding abbot of the “New Monastery” at Cîteaux in 1098. The painting in the church of San Bernardo alle Terme shows Saint Robert clothed in his white cowl. Abbot Robert’s face is entirely recollected; his head is bowed, illustrating the twelfth step of humility in Chapter Seven of the Holy Rule. At the center of the painting we see the Virgin Mother of God in all her beauty. Her face is radiant. She wears a rose coloured dress with a blue mantle and pale brown veil. The Infant Jesus, leaning on her knee, is in conversation with an angel. Angels surround the Queen of Heaven on all sides, fascinated and thrilled by what she is doing.
Mystical Espousal to the Virgin Mary
Our Lady is placing a wedding ring on Saint Robert’s finger. Robert, overwhelmed by so tender a love, offers her his right hand. The painting depicts the Mystical Espousal of Saint Robert to the Virgin Mary, a theme not often represented in art. Even in the annals of holiness, mystical espousal with the Virgin Mary is not encountered very frequently. We hear of it in the lives of Saint Edmund of Canterbury, of the Premonstratensian Saint Hermann–Joseph of Steinfeld, and of the Dominican Alain de la Roche. In the seventeenth century, Saint John Eudes wrote of Our Lady as the spouse of priests, and bound himself to her by means of marriage contract. Does not the liturgy attribute to Our Lady the words of Wisdom in the Book of Proverbs: “I love them that love me” (Prov 8:17)?
Saint Joseph
In the painting I am describing it is clear that the initiative is Our Lady’s. She appears to have drawn Saint Robert upward to herself to receive this ineffable grace binding him to her. Now, the most extraordinary detail, to my mind is this: just above Saint Robert and a little to his right, none other than Saint Joseph is looking on! He is pointing to his staff, the top of which has flowered into a pure white lily. What does this mean? Saint Joseph is saying that intimacy with the Virgin Mary is the secret of holy purity. He is pointing to his flowering staff to say that one bound to Mary, as if by a marriage bond, will be pure. She is the virginizing Bride. One who obeys the injunction of the angel to Joseph — “Joseph, son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife, for that which is conceived in her, is of the Holy Ghost” (Mt 1:15) — will find that she communicates the grace of a fruitful purity to those who bind themselves to her in a permanent and exclusive way.
Not Good for Man to Be Alone
Already in the second chapter of Genesis, God said to Adam, “It is not good for man to be alone; let us make him a help like unto himself” (Gen 2:18). The complement to this word of God to Adam is the word of Jesus Crucified to John: “After that, he saith to the disciple: Behold thy mother. And from that hour, the disciple took her to his own” (Jn 19:27). Every union of a man with a woman, even, and I would say especially, the union of hearts and souls, is ordered to a spiritual fecundity. “Whoso findeth me, findeth life,” says Our Lady, “and shall obtain favour of the Lord (Prov 8:35).
Saint Benedict
Perhaps this is why the artist shows the Patriarch Saint Benedict, the father of a progeny too great to be numbered, accompanied by an angel holding his pastoral staff and the open book of his Rule, in the lower left hand corner of the painting. Saint Benedict gazes upon what is happening to Saint Robert with an expression of gratitude and wonder.
New Beginning and Authentic Renewal
What exactly is the message of this extraordinary painting? You may recall what Pope Benedict XVI said on the occasion of his visit to the abbey of Heiligenkreuz last September: “Where Mary is, there is the archetype of total self-giving and Christian discipleship. Where Mary is, there is the pentecostal breath of the Holy Spirit; there is new beginning and authentic renewal.” Saint Robert’s mission was to launch a new beginning at Cîteaux; it was to foster an authentic renewal of life according to the Rule of Saint Benedict. He could not do this apart from Mary.
Mediatrix of All Graces
In the Gospel given us for this feast, Our Lord says: “ I have appointed you, that you should go, and should bring forth fruit; and your fruit should remain” (Jn 15:16). Robert’s mystical espousal with the Virgin Mother is the promise and guarantee of spiritual fruitfulness. The same Jesus who says, “Without me you can do nothing” (Jn 15:5), wants us to understand that, by reason of the Father’s mysterious over-arching plan, without Mary, the Mediatrix of All Graces, we can do nothing. “When the fulness of the time was come, God sent his Son, made of a woman” (Gal 4:4). Just as the first creation required the presence and collaboration of Eve at Adam’s side, so too does the new creation, and every particular manifestation of it, be it personal or corporate, require the presence and collaboration of Mary, the New Eve, at the side of Christ, the New Adam.
Our Lady and the Holy Spirit
Cîteaux was a new creation, a particular corporate manifestation of the Kingdom of God in all its newness. The same may be said of every authentic reform and renewal of monastic life in the history of the Church. Whenever and wherever the Blessed Virgin Mary is welcomed and loved, she attracts a mysterious descent of the Holy Spirit. Our Lady prays for us at every moment, saying, “Thou shalt send forth thy spirit, and they shall be created: and thou shalt renew the face of the earth” (Ps 103:30).
Saint Robert’s Legacy
In 1099, one year after the foundation of the New Monastery at Cîteaux, Saint Robert was obliged, by a bull of Pope Urban II, to return to the abbey of Molesme as abbot. He remained there until his death in 1111. Saints Alberic and Stephen Harding succeeded him as abbots of Cîteaux. Abbot Robert’s love for Our Lady, the Virgin Mother who had placed a ring on his finger, was part of his legacy. Cîteaux flourished because Mary was present there, present as she was in the house of Saint Joseph, her most chaste spouse; present as she was in the house of Saint John, the Beloved Disciple; and present as she was in the midst of the apostles on the first Pentecost.
Earthen Vessels
Weakness, fear, tribulation, and humiliations are unavoidable in the Christian life. Each of us carries the precious gifts of God in his own peculiar frailty. Saint Paul said it in the First Reading, “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency may be of the power of God, and not of us. In all things we suffer tribulation, but are not distressed; we are straitened, but are not destitute; we suffer persecution, but are not forsaken; we are cast down, but we perish not” (2 Cor 4:7-9). The Blessed Virgin Mary is accustomed to carrying earthen vessels. The secret of holiness is to place our weakness in her immaculate hands.
All Things Made New
She who placed a wedding ring on Abbot Robert’s finger will not deny us the grace of a fruitful intimacy with her Most Pure Heart. It is with His Mother, and through her, that Our Lord fulfills the promise made to Saint John on Patmos: “Behold, I make all things new” (Ap 21:5).
Already in the second chapter of Genesis, God said to Adam, “It is not good for man to be alone; let us make him a help like unto himself” (Gen 2:18). The complement to this word of God to Adam is the word of Jesus Crucified to John: “After that, he saith to the disciple: Behold thy mother. And from that hour, the disciple took her to his own” (Jn 19:27). Every union of a man with a woman, even, and I would say especially, the union of hearts and souls, is ordered to a spiritual fecundity. “Whoso findeth me, findeth life,” says Our Lady, “and shall obtain favour of the Lord (Prov 8:35).
Saint Benedict
Perhaps this is why the artist shows the Patriarch Saint Benedict, the father of a progeny too great to be numbered, accompanied by an angel holding his pastoral staff and the open book of his Rule, in the lower left hand corner of the painting. Saint Benedict gazes upon what is happening to Saint Robert with an expression of gratitude and wonder.
New Beginning and Authentic Renewal
What exactly is the message of this extraordinary painting? You may recall what Pope Benedict XVI said on the occasion of his visit to the abbey of Heiligenkreuz last September: “Where Mary is, there is the archetype of total self-giving and Christian discipleship. Where Mary is, there is the pentecostal breath of the Holy Spirit; there is new beginning and authentic renewal.” Saint Robert’s mission was to launch a new beginning at Cîteaux; it was to foster an authentic renewal of life according to the Rule of Saint Benedict. He could not do this apart from Mary.
Mediatrix of All Graces
In the Gospel given us for this feast, Our Lord says: “ I have appointed you, that you should go, and should bring forth fruit; and your fruit should remain” (Jn 15:16). Robert’s mystical espousal with the Virgin Mother is the promise and guarantee of spiritual fruitfulness. The same Jesus who says, “Without me you can do nothing” (Jn 15:5), wants us to understand that, by reason of the Father’s mysterious over-arching plan, without Mary, the Mediatrix of All Graces, we can do nothing. “When the fulness of the time was come, God sent his Son, made of a woman” (Gal 4:4). Just as the first creation required the presence and collaboration of Eve at Adam’s side, so too does the new creation, and every particular manifestation of it, be it personal or corporate, require the presence and collaboration of Mary, the New Eve, at the side of Christ, the New Adam.
Our Lady and the Holy Spirit
Cîteaux was a new creation, a particular corporate manifestation of the Kingdom of God in all its newness. The same may be said of every authentic reform and renewal of monastic life in the history of the Church. Whenever and wherever the Blessed Virgin Mary is welcomed and loved, she attracts a mysterious descent of the Holy Spirit. Our Lady prays for us at every moment, saying, “Thou shalt send forth thy spirit, and they shall be created: and thou shalt renew the face of the earth” (Ps 103:30).
Saint Robert’s Legacy
In 1099, one year after the foundation of the New Monastery at Cîteaux, Saint Robert was obliged, by a bull of Pope Urban II, to return to the abbey of Molesme as abbot. He remained there until his death in 1111. Saints Alberic and Stephen Harding succeeded him as abbots of Cîteaux. Abbot Robert’s love for Our Lady, the Virgin Mother who had placed a ring on his finger, was part of his legacy. Cîteaux flourished because Mary was present there, present as she was in the house of Saint Joseph, her most chaste spouse; present as she was in the house of Saint John, the Beloved Disciple; and present as she was in the midst of the apostles on the first Pentecost.
Earthen Vessels
Weakness, fear, tribulation, and humiliations are unavoidable in the Christian life. Each of us carries the precious gifts of God in his own peculiar frailty. Saint Paul said it in the First Reading, “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency may be of the power of God, and not of us. In all things we suffer tribulation, but are not distressed; we are straitened, but are not destitute; we suffer persecution, but are not forsaken; we are cast down, but we perish not” (2 Cor 4:7-9). The Blessed Virgin Mary is accustomed to carrying earthen vessels. The secret of holiness is to place our weakness in her immaculate hands.
All Things Made New
She who placed a wedding ring on Abbot Robert’s finger will not deny us the grace of a fruitful intimacy with her Most Pure Heart. It is with His Mother, and through her, that Our Lord fulfills the promise made to Saint John on Patmos: “Behold, I make all things new” (Ap 21:5).
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Comments (5)
your missouri friend:
That's really beautiful. I've never thought about spiritual espousal to the Blessed Mother before; rather, spiritual sonship has always been my thought. But you've explained the espousal in a very beautiful way. Thank you, Father.
patrick:
there was a very interesting book (WHEN SAINTS ARE LOVERS) that came out a few years ago on the spirituality of Fr. Thomas Price, one of the co-founders of Maryknoll. it gives a fascinating account of late 19th century and early 20th american catholic spirituality. it is hard to do justice to the account of Fr Price's spritual path in a few words without making it sound strange (which it is not, unique it is, but not strange or silly.) as part of his spiritual path he would write daily letters to the Blessed Virgin, through this special relationship he found with her through these letters, she introduced him to St Bernadette and they (Fr Price and St Bernadette entered into a special marriage/spousal relationship with an exchange of rings and vows and hearts. the book really develops this and shows how deep and real it was...not just a pious fantasy. this whole aspect of his spiritual life only came to light years after when old diaries and copies of his letters to Mary were found.....makes one wonder how many others have found this path of spousal spirituality among the hidden saints of the ages?
Kathy:
John 14:1-31
And that fact that HE came through Mary OUR MOTHER...and then he had to leave so that the Holy Spirit could come...whoa...so that we are not left 'orphaned'. Not only did HE provide the Holy Spirit, HE provided a Mother - The Blessed Mother-
John 19:25-28...thereby fulfilling all things:
28"After this, aware that everything was now finished, in order that the scripture might be fulfilled,"
Deo Gratias
And that fact that HE came through Mary OUR MOTHER...and then he had to leave so that the Holy Spirit could come...whoa...so that we are not left 'orphaned'. Not only did HE provide the Holy Spirit, HE provided a Mother - The Blessed Mother-
John 19:25-28...thereby fulfilling all things:
28"After this, aware that everything was now finished, in order that the scripture might be fulfilled,"
Deo Gratias
Kathy:
+JMJ+
Thank you Fr. Mark. I hope to use this post during my preparation for my anniversary of my Consecration to Jesus through Mary. GOD is sooo very good!
God Bless
Thank you Fr. Mark. I hope to use this post during my preparation for my anniversary of my Consecration to Jesus through Mary. GOD is sooo very good!
God Bless
Kathy:
Fr. Please correct my above post...it should read my Consecration to Jesus through Mary! Not good to be posting late in the afternoon with other family responsibilities pressing.
Thank you and God bless you Fr. Mark.
Thank you and God bless you Fr. Mark.
Monday 19 March 2012
COMMENT Lent 4
----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Anne Marie ...
To: Fr Donald ...
Sent: Sunday, 18 March 2012, 13:15
Subject: Re: [Dom Donald's Blog] Homily - Saint John 3:14-21.
From: Anne Marie ...
To: Fr Donald ...
Sent: Sunday, 18 March 2012, 13:15
Subject: Re: [Dom Donald's Blog] Homily - Saint John 3:14-21.
Daffodils are such a simple sign of new life.
Sent from my iPhone
Anne Marie
Sent from my iPhone
Anne Marie
Sunday 18 March 2012
Homily - Saint John 3:14-21.
----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Fr. Raymond . . .
From: Fr. Raymond . . .
Sent: Sunday, 18 March 2012.
Subject: Sermon 4th Sun Lent
IF I BE LIFTED UP
“If I be lifted up from the earth I will draw all things to myself.”
- When Jesus spoke these words he was speaking, of course, about his passion, and his death on the cross. But, there is something more than that in these words: “If I be lifted up from the earth I will draw all things to myself.” The implications of the terms he uses: “lifted up” and “draw all things”, are very great. When he says about his passion that it will be something that will “lift him up”: he is not just referring to his passion and death as such; he is calling us to realise that his passion and death are something more than just a historic reality, a thing over and done with once and for all. His passion and death are meant to be a thing that is “lifted up” forever, lifted high up before the gaze of all mankind for all time to come. They are meant to be a constant background to the lives of all his brothers and sisters, all those he will win for himself by that same passion and death.
- And when he says that his passion and death “will draw all things” to himself, he implies that meditation on his passion and death, the fixing of our minds gaze on the Crucified One, will be a powerful force in our lives, a powerful force drawing our minds and hearts to love and gratitude towards him.
- We could well compare these words Jesus spoke about his passion and death to the words he spoke about his Eucharist: “If you do not eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of Man you cannot have life in you”, so also we might hear him say: “If you do not contemplate in your minds and hearts the greatness of the things I have suffered for you then you cannot have love in you.” Without the Eucharist there is no life; without the passion there is no love. Without sharing in the Eucharist we cannot have life; without sharing in the passion, we cannot have love.
- Our own St Bernard once said that a day without a thought on the passion of Christ is a day lost.
- When we come before the Lord for judgement we can’t presume to count on offering him our poor good works. We are, as he said himself: “unprofitable servants”, but the one thing we can offer to him, knowing that it has great weight with him is the memory of the times we spent with him in his agony in the Garden, the time we spent with him at the foot of the Cross, beside his Mother and St John.
Friday 16 March 2012
Stations of the Cross in the Church of Nunraw Abbey Lent 2012
Drawings of the Stations of the Cross by Fr. Gabriel Sherry, ocso
The pictures were first hung on the walls of the wooden hut first Chapel, as the fondation began at Nunraw Abbey.
The pictures were first hung on the walls of the wooden hut first Chapel, as the fondation began at Nunraw Abbey.
Father Gabriel Sherry
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Meditations for the Stations of the Cross
From The Twenty-Four Hours of the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Jesus Chris
Luisa Piccarreta t
Luisa Piccarreta t
Preparatory Prayer
O my Mother Mary, in looking at the face of sorrowful Jesus,
pale, sad, harrowing, the memory of the pains that He is about to suffer awakens
in You. You foresee His Face covered with spit and You bless it, His Head
pierced by the thorns, His eyes blinded, His Body tortured by the scourges, His
Hands and Feet pierced by the nails; and wherever He is about to go, You follow
Him with Your blessings. And I too will follow Him together with You. When
Jesus is struck by the scourges, crowned with thorns, slapped, pierced by the
nails, everywhere He will find my “I bless You” together with Yours.
pale, sad, harrowing, the memory of the pains that He is about to suffer awakens
in You. You foresee His Face covered with spit and You bless it, His Head
pierced by the thorns, His eyes blinded, His Body tortured by the scourges, His
Hands and Feet pierced by the nails; and wherever He is about to go, You follow
Him with Your blessings. And I too will follow Him together with You. When
Jesus is struck by the scourges, crowned with thorns, slapped, pierced by the
nails, everywhere He will find my “I bless You” together with Yours.
And now, O my Jesus, let my poor heart draw life from Your
Heart, that I may live only with Your Heart; and in each offense You will
receive, let me be ever ready to offer You a relief, a comfort, a reparation,
and an act of love, never interrupted.
Heart, that I may live only with Your Heart; and in each offense You will
receive, let me be ever ready to offer You a relief, a comfort, a reparation,
and an act of love, never interrupted.
I will follow You in everything, to keep You faithful company.
My afflicted Good, I offer You these Stations of the Cross in
memory of Your Passion and Death, to disarm the just wrath of God for so many
sins, for the triumph of the Holy Church, for the conversion of all sinners,
for peace among peoples, especially our country, for our sanctification, in
suffrage for the purging souls, and for Your Kingdom to come soon, and Your
Will to be done on earth as It is in Heaven.
memory of Your Passion and Death, to disarm the just wrath of God for so many
sins, for the triumph of the Holy Church, for the conversion of all sinners,
for peace among peoples, especially our country, for our sanctification, in
suffrage for the purging souls, and for Your Kingdom to come soon, and Your
Will to be done on earth as It is in Heaven.
First Station
Jesus is Condemned to Death
Jesus is Condemned to Death
Not knowing what else to do, for fear of being deposed, Pilate
has a bucket of water brought to him, and washing his hands, he says: “I am not responsible for the Blood of this just one.”..And he condemns You to death.
has a bucket of water brought to him, and washing his hands, he says: “I am not responsible for the Blood of this just one.”..And he condemns You to death.
But the Jews cry out: “May His Blood fall upon us and upon our
children!”..And in seeing You condemned, they make feast, they clap their
hands, they whistle and shout; while You, O Jesus, Repair for those who,
finding themselves in high positions, out of vain fear and in order not to lose
their places, break the Most Sacred Laws, not caring about the ruin of entire
peoples, favoring the evil and condemning the innocent. You Repair also for
those who, after sin, provoke the Divine Wrath to punish them.
children!”..And in seeing You condemned, they make feast, they clap their
hands, they whistle and shout; while You, O Jesus, Repair for those who,
finding themselves in high positions, out of vain fear and in order not to lose
their places, break the Most Sacred Laws, not caring about the ruin of entire
peoples, favoring the evil and condemning the innocent. You Repair also for
those who, after sin, provoke the Divine Wrath to punish them.
And now, my Crucified Good, in the name of all generations, past, present, and future, together with Your Mama and with all the Angels, I prostrate myself before You and say: “We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You, because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world.”
Second Station
Jesus is Made to Carry His Cross
Jesus is Made to Carry His Cross
You let the Cross be placed upon Your Most Holy Shoulders.
Ah, my Jesus, the Cross is too light for Your Love, but the weight of our sins
adds to that of the Cross—enormous and immense, as the expanse of the Heavens.
And You, my wearied Good, You feel crushed under the weight of so many sins.
Your soul is horrified at their sight, and feels the pain of each sin. Your Sanctity
remains shaken before so much ugliness, and as the Cross weighs upon Your
shoulders, You stagger, You pant, and a mortal sweat creeps through Your Most
Holy Humanity. O please, I pray You, my Love—I don’t have the heart to leave
You alone—I want to share the weight of the cross with You; and to relieve You
from the weight of sins, I cling to Your Feet. I want to give You, in the name of
all creatures, love for those who do not love You, praises for those who
despise You, blessings, thanksgivings, and obedience on behalf of all. I
promise that in any offense You receive, I intend to offer You all of myself in
reparation, to do the acts opposite to the offenses creatures give You, and to
console You with my kisses and continuous acts of love. But I see that I am too
miserable; I need You to be able to really Repair You. Therefore I unite myself
to Your Most Holy Humanity, and together with You I unite my thoughts to Yours
in order to Repair for the evil thoughts—mine, and of all; unite my eyes to
Yours, to Repair for the evil glances; my mouth to Yours, to Repair for the
blasphemies and evil discourses; my heart to Yours, to Repair for the evil
tendencies, desires and affections. In a word, I want to Repair everything that
Your Most Holy Humanity Repairs, uniting myself to the Immensity of Your Love
for all, and to the Immense Good You do to all.
Ah, my Jesus, the Cross is too light for Your Love, but the weight of our sins
adds to that of the Cross—enormous and immense, as the expanse of the Heavens.
And You, my wearied Good, You feel crushed under the weight of so many sins.
Your soul is horrified at their sight, and feels the pain of each sin. Your Sanctity
remains shaken before so much ugliness, and as the Cross weighs upon Your
shoulders, You stagger, You pant, and a mortal sweat creeps through Your Most
Holy Humanity. O please, I pray You, my Love—I don’t have the heart to leave
You alone—I want to share the weight of the cross with You; and to relieve You
from the weight of sins, I cling to Your Feet. I want to give You, in the name of
all creatures, love for those who do not love You, praises for those who
despise You, blessings, thanksgivings, and obedience on behalf of all. I
promise that in any offense You receive, I intend to offer You all of myself in
reparation, to do the acts opposite to the offenses creatures give You, and to
console You with my kisses and continuous acts of love. But I see that I am too
miserable; I need You to be able to really Repair You. Therefore I unite myself
to Your Most Holy Humanity, and together with You I unite my thoughts to Yours
in order to Repair for the evil thoughts—mine, and of all; unite my eyes to
Yours, to Repair for the evil glances; my mouth to Yours, to Repair for the
blasphemies and evil discourses; my heart to Yours, to Repair for the evil
tendencies, desires and affections. In a word, I want to Repair everything that
Your Most Holy Humanity Repairs, uniting myself to the Immensity of Your Love
for all, and to the Immense Good You do to all.
And now, my Crucified Good, in the name of all generations, past, present, and future, together with Your Mama and with all the Angels, I prostrate myself before You and say: “We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You, because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world.”
Third Station
Jesus Falls the First Time
Jesus Falls the First Time
My Most Patient Jesus, I see You take the first steps under the
enormous weight of the Cross, and I unite my steps to Yours. O Jesus, You look
at me, and I see that You Repair for those who do not carry their crosses with
resignation, but rather, they swear, get irritated, commit suicide, and commit
murders. And for all You impetrate Love and resignation to their crosses. But
Your pain is such that You feel crushed under the Cross. You have taken only the
first steps, and You already fall under It.
enormous weight of the Cross, and I unite my steps to Yours. O Jesus, You look
at me, and I see that You Repair for those who do not carry their crosses with
resignation, but rather, they swear, get irritated, commit suicide, and commit
murders. And for all You impetrate Love and resignation to their crosses. But
Your pain is such that You feel crushed under the Cross. You have taken only the
first steps, and You already fall under It.
My fallen Love, let me help You to stand, let me kiss You, dry Your Blood, and Repair together with You for those who sin out of ignorance, fragility and weakness. I pray You to give help to these souls.
And now, my Crucified Good, in the name of all generations, past, present, and future, together with Your Mama and with all the Angels, I prostrate myself before You and say: “We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You, because by Your Holy Cross You have
redeemed the world.”
redeemed the world.”
Fourth Station
Jesus Meets His Blessed Mother
Jesus Meets His Blessed Mother
Your Mama, who is searching for You like a moaning dove,
wants to tell You one last word, and receive Your last gaze; and You feel Her
pains, Her Heart lacerated in Yours, moved and wounded by Her Love and by
Yours. You notice Her now pushing Her way through the crowd, wanting at any
cost to see You, to hug You, to give You the last good-bye. But You are more
transfixed in seeing Her mortal paleness, and all of Your pains reproduced in
Her by force of Love. If She lives, it is only by a miracle of Your Omnipotence.
You move Your steps toward Hers, but You can hardly exchange a glance!
wants to tell You one last word, and receive Your last gaze; and You feel Her
pains, Her Heart lacerated in Yours, moved and wounded by Her Love and by
Yours. You notice Her now pushing Her way through the crowd, wanting at any
cost to see You, to hug You, to give You the last good-bye. But You are more
transfixed in seeing Her mortal paleness, and all of Your pains reproduced in
Her by force of Love. If She lives, it is only by a miracle of Your Omnipotence.
You move Your steps toward Hers, but You can hardly exchange a glance!
O, pang of Your two Hearts! The soldiers notice it, and with blows and shoves prevent the Mama and Son from exchanging the last good-bye. The torment of both is such that Your Mama remains petrified by the pain, and is about to die.
My suffering Jesus, I too unite with the pierced Mama. I make all Your pains, and every drop of Your Blood my own; in each Wound I want to act as a Mama for You, and together with Her and with You, I Repair for all the dangerous encounters, and for those who expose themselves to occasions of sin, or, forced by necessity to be exposed, remain entangled in sin.
And now, my Crucified Good, in the name of all generations, past, present, and future, together with Your Mama and with all the Angels, I prostrate myself before You and say: “We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You, because by Your Holy Cross You have
redeemed the world.”
redeemed the world.”
Fifth Station
Simon of Cyrene Helps Jesus to Carry the Cross
Simon of Cyrene Helps Jesus to Carry the Cross
Your enemies, for fear that You may die under the Cross, force
the Cyrenean to help You carry the Cross. Unwilling and complaining, he helps
You—not out of love, but by force. Then all the complaints of those who suffer,
the lack of resignation, the rebellions, the anger and despising in suffering,
echo in Your Heart. But You remain even more pierced in seeing that souls
consecrated to You, who You call to be Your help and companions in Your suffering,
escape You; and if You hug them to Yourself through suffering—ah, they wriggle
free from Your arms to look for pleasures, and so they leave You alone,
suffering!
the Cyrenean to help You carry the Cross. Unwilling and complaining, he helps
You—not out of love, but by force. Then all the complaints of those who suffer,
the lack of resignation, the rebellions, the anger and despising in suffering,
echo in Your Heart. But You remain even more pierced in seeing that souls
consecrated to You, who You call to be Your help and companions in Your suffering,
escape You; and if You hug them to Yourself through suffering—ah, they wriggle
free from Your arms to look for pleasures, and so they leave You alone,
suffering!
My Jesus, while I Repair with You, I beg You to hold me in Your
arms, but so tightly that there may be no pain that You suffer in which I do
not take part, so as to be transformed in them and make up for the abandonment
of all creatures.
arms, but so tightly that there may be no pain that You suffer in which I do
not take part, so as to be transformed in them and make up for the abandonment
of all creatures.
And now, my Crucified Good, in the name of all generations, past, present, and future, together with Your Mama and with all the Angels, I prostrate myself before You and say: “We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You, because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world.”
Sixth Station
Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus
Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus
My Jesus, overcome with weariness, all bent over, You can hardly
walk; but I see that You stop and try to look. My Heart, what is it? What are
You looking for? Ah, it is Veronica, who, fearless and courageous, with a cloth
dries Your Face all covered with blood, and You leave Your Face impressed on
it, as a sign of gratitude. My generous Jesus, I too want to dry You, but not
with a cloth; I want to expose all of myself to relieve You, I want to enter into
Your interior and give You, O Jesus, heartbeat for heartbeat, breath for
breath, affection for affection, desire for desire. I intend to dive into Your
Most Holy Intelligence, and making all these heartbeats, breaths, affections,
and desires flow in the immensity of Your Will, I intend to multiply them to
the infinite. I want, O my Jesus, to form waves of affections and desires to
cast away all evil affections and desires that might, even slightly, sadden
Your Heart. Still more, O my Jesus, I intend to form waves of breaths and
thoughts, to cast away any breath or thought that could slightly displease You.
I will be on guard, O Jesus, so that nothing else may afflict You, adding more
bitterness to Your interior pains. O my Jesus, O please, let all of my interior
swim in the immensity of Yours; in this way I will be able to find enough love
and will, so that no evil love may enter Your interior, nor a will which may displease
You.
walk; but I see that You stop and try to look. My Heart, what is it? What are
You looking for? Ah, it is Veronica, who, fearless and courageous, with a cloth
dries Your Face all covered with blood, and You leave Your Face impressed on
it, as a sign of gratitude. My generous Jesus, I too want to dry You, but not
with a cloth; I want to expose all of myself to relieve You, I want to enter into
Your interior and give You, O Jesus, heartbeat for heartbeat, breath for
breath, affection for affection, desire for desire. I intend to dive into Your
Most Holy Intelligence, and making all these heartbeats, breaths, affections,
and desires flow in the immensity of Your Will, I intend to multiply them to
the infinite. I want, O my Jesus, to form waves of affections and desires to
cast away all evil affections and desires that might, even slightly, sadden
Your Heart. Still more, O my Jesus, I intend to form waves of breaths and
thoughts, to cast away any breath or thought that could slightly displease You.
I will be on guard, O Jesus, so that nothing else may afflict You, adding more
bitterness to Your interior pains. O my Jesus, O please, let all of my interior
swim in the immensity of Yours; in this way I will be able to find enough love
and will, so that no evil love may enter Your interior, nor a will which may displease
You.
And now, my Crucified Good, in the name of all generations, past, present, and future, together with Your Mama and with all the Angels, I prostrate myself before You and say: “We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You, because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world.”
Seventh Station
Jesus Falls the Second Time
Jesus Falls the Second Time
Meanwhile, You moan, fallen under the Cross. The soldiers fear that You may die under the weight of so many martyrdoms, and from the shedding of so much Blood. In spite of this, by lashes and kicks, with difficulty, they manage to put You on Your feet again. So You Repair for repeated falls into sin, for mortal sins committed by every class of
people, and You pray for obstinate sinners, shedding tears of Blood for their
conversion.
people, and You pray for obstinate sinners, shedding tears of Blood for their
conversion.
The Cross, with its heavy weight, digs into Your shoulder, to the extent of forming a Wound so deep that the bones are exposed. At every step, it seems that You are dying, and unable to move any further. But Your Love, which can do everything, gives You Strength, and as You feel the Cross penetrate into Your shoulder, You Repair for the
hidden sins; those which, not being Repaired, increase the bitterness of Your
spasms. My Jesus, let me place my shoulder under the Cross to relieve You and Repair
with You for all hidden sins.
hidden sins; those which, not being Repaired, increase the bitterness of Your
spasms. My Jesus, let me place my shoulder under the Cross to relieve You and Repair
with You for all hidden sins.
And now, my Crucified Good, in the name of all generations, past, present, and future, together with Your Mama and with all the Angels, I prostrate myself before You and say: “We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You, because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world.”
Eighth Station
Jesus Speaks to the Women of Jerusalem
Jesus Speaks to the Women of Jerusalem
In the meantime, the enemies, disapproving of this act of Veronica,
flog You, push You, and shove You on the way! A few more steps and You stop
again. Even under the weight of so much suffering, Your Love does not stop, and
on seeing the pious women weeping because of Your pains, Your forget Yourself
and console them, saying: “Daughters, do not weep over My pains, but over your
sins and over your children.”..What a sublime Teaching, how Sweet is Your
word! O Jesus, with You I Repair for the lack of charity, and I ask You for the
grace of making me forget myself to remember nothing but You alone.
flog You, push You, and shove You on the way! A few more steps and You stop
again. Even under the weight of so much suffering, Your Love does not stop, and
on seeing the pious women weeping because of Your pains, Your forget Yourself
and console them, saying: “Daughters, do not weep over My pains, but over your
sins and over your children.”..What a sublime Teaching, how Sweet is Your
word! O Jesus, with You I Repair for the lack of charity, and I ask You for the
grace of making me forget myself to remember nothing but You alone.
And now, my Crucified Good, in the name of all generations, past, present, and future, together with Your Mama and with all the Angels, I prostrate myself before You and say: “We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You, because by Your Holy Cross You have
redeemed the world.”
redeemed the world.”
Ninth Station
Jesus Falls the Third Time
Jesus Falls the Third Time
On hearing You speak to the pious women, Your enemies become
furious, they pull You by the ropes, and push You with such rage as to make You
fall. As You fall, You knock against the stones, the weight of the Cross
crushes You, and You feel Your are dying! Let me sustain You, and protect Your
Most Holy Face with my hands. I see You touch the ground and gasp in Your
Blood. But Your enemies want to make You stand; they pull You by the ropes, they
lift You by Your hair, they kick You—but all in vain. You are dying, my Jesus!
What pain—my heart breaks with grief! Almost dragging You, they take You up to
Mount Calvary. As they drag You, I hear You Repair for all the offenses of
souls consecrated to You, which weigh upon You so much that, as much as You try
to stand, You cannot! And so, dragged and trampled upon, You reach Calvary,
leaving behind You the red trace of Your precious Blood.
furious, they pull You by the ropes, and push You with such rage as to make You
fall. As You fall, You knock against the stones, the weight of the Cross
crushes You, and You feel Your are dying! Let me sustain You, and protect Your
Most Holy Face with my hands. I see You touch the ground and gasp in Your
Blood. But Your enemies want to make You stand; they pull You by the ropes, they
lift You by Your hair, they kick You—but all in vain. You are dying, my Jesus!
What pain—my heart breaks with grief! Almost dragging You, they take You up to
Mount Calvary. As they drag You, I hear You Repair for all the offenses of
souls consecrated to You, which weigh upon You so much that, as much as You try
to stand, You cannot! And so, dragged and trampled upon, You reach Calvary,
leaving behind You the red trace of Your precious Blood.
And now, my Crucified Good, in the name of all generations, past, present, and future, together with Your Mama and with all the Angels, I prostrate myself before You and say: “We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You, because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world.”
Tenth Station
Jesus is Stripped of His Garments
Jesus is Stripped of His Garments
But new sufferings await You on Calvary. They strip You again,
tearing off both garment and crown of thorns. Ah, You groan in feeling the
thorns being torn from inside Your Head; and as they pull Your garment, they
tear also the lacerated Flesh attached to it. The Wounds rip open, Your Blood
flows to the ground in torrents; the pain is such that, almost dead, You fall. My
stripped Jesus, allow me to hold You to my heart to warm You, as I see that You
are shivering and an icy mortal sweat invades Your Most Holy Humanity. How I
would want to give You my life—my blood to take the place of Yours, which You
have lost to give me life!
tearing off both garment and crown of thorns. Ah, You groan in feeling the
thorns being torn from inside Your Head; and as they pull Your garment, they
tear also the lacerated Flesh attached to it. The Wounds rip open, Your Blood
flows to the ground in torrents; the pain is such that, almost dead, You fall. My
stripped Jesus, allow me to hold You to my heart to warm You, as I see that You
are shivering and an icy mortal sweat invades Your Most Holy Humanity. How I
would want to give You my life—my blood to take the place of Yours, which You
have lost to give me life!
In the meantime, barely looking at me with His languishing and dying eyes, Jesus seems to tell me: “My child, how much souls cost Me! This is the place where I wait for everyone in order to save them, where I want to Repair for the sins of those who arrive at degrading themselves lower than beasts, and are so obstinate in offending Me as to reach the point of not being able to live without committing sins. Their minds remain
blinded, and they sin wildly. This is why they crown Me with thorns for the
third time. And by being stripped, I Repair for those who wear luxurious and
indecent clothing, for the sins against modesty, and for those who are so bound
to riches, honors, and pleasures, as to make of them a god for their hearts.
Ah, yes, each one of these offenses is a death that I feel; and if I do not
die, it is because the Will of My Eternal Father has not yet decreed the moment
of My death!”
blinded, and they sin wildly. This is why they crown Me with thorns for the
third time. And by being stripped, I Repair for those who wear luxurious and
indecent clothing, for the sins against modesty, and for those who are so bound
to riches, honors, and pleasures, as to make of them a god for their hearts.
Ah, yes, each one of these offenses is a death that I feel; and if I do not
die, it is because the Will of My Eternal Father has not yet decreed the moment
of My death!”
My stripped Good, while I Repair with You, I pray You to strip
me of everything with Your Most Holy Hands, and not to allow that any bad
affection enter into my heart. Watch over it; surround it with Your pains; fill
it with Your Love. May my life be nothing but the repetition of Yours;
strengthen my stripping with Your Blessing; bless me from Your Heart, and give
me the strength to be present at Your sorrowful crucifixion, to remain
crucified with You!
me of everything with Your Most Holy Hands, and not to allow that any bad
affection enter into my heart. Watch over it; surround it with Your pains; fill
it with Your Love. May my life be nothing but the repetition of Yours;
strengthen my stripping with Your Blessing; bless me from Your Heart, and give
me the strength to be present at Your sorrowful crucifixion, to remain
crucified with You!
And now, my Crucified Good, in the name of all generations, past, present, and future, together with Your Mama and with all the Angels, I prostrate myself before You and say: “We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You, because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world.”
Eleventh Station
Jesus is Nailed to the Cross
Jesus is Nailed to the Cross
Meanwhile, my Jesus, You look at the Cross that Your enemies are preparing for You. And I now hear you say: “O please, O Cross, receive Me soon into your arms, I am impatient of waiting! Holy Cross, upon you I will come to give completion to all. Hurry, O Cross, fulfill the burning desire that consumes Me, to give Life to souls. Delay no
more; I anxiously yearn to lay Myself upon you in order to open the Heavens to
all My children.”
more; I anxiously yearn to lay Myself upon you in order to open the Heavens to
all My children.”
“O cross, it is true that you are My Martyrdom, but in a little while you will also be My
Victory and My Most Complete Triumph; and through you I will give abundant Inheritances, Victories, Triumphs, and Crowns to My children.”
Victory and My Most Complete Triumph; and through you I will give abundant Inheritances, Victories, Triumphs, and Crowns to My children.”
As Jesus is saying this, His enemies command Him to lay Himself
upon it; and promptly He Obeys, to Repair for our disobediences.
upon it; and promptly He Obeys, to Repair for our disobediences.
My Love, before You lay Yourself on the Cross, allow me to hold You more tightly to my heart, and to kiss Your Loving and bleeding Wounds. Hear me, O Jesus, I do not want to leave You; I want to come with You, to lay myself on the Cross and remain nailed to It with You. True love does not tolerate separation, and You will forgive the daring of my love. Concede that I be crucified with You. See, my tender Love, I am not the only one to ask this of You, but also Your sorrowful Mother, inseparable Magdalene, faithful John: we all say to You that it would be more bearable to be nailed with You to Your
Cross, than to see You crucified alone! Therefore, together with You I offer
myself to the Eternal Father—identified with Your Will, with Your Heart, with
Your Reparations, and with all Your pains.
Cross, than to see You crucified alone! Therefore, together with You I offer
myself to the Eternal Father—identified with Your Will, with Your Heart, with
Your Reparations, and with all Your pains.
Ah, it seems that my adored Jesus says to me: “My child, you have anticipated My Love; this is My Will: that all those who love Me be crucified with Me. Ah, yes, you
also come and lay yourself on the Cross with Me; I will give you Life with My
Life, I will hold you as the beloved of My Heart.”
also come and lay yourself on the Cross with Me; I will give you Life with My
Life, I will hold you as the beloved of My Heart.”
[And the executioners crucify You.]
O Jesus, do not disdain anyone! May Your nails nail our powers, so that they may not move away from You; may they nail our hearts, so that they may always be fixed in You alone; may they nail all our feelings, so that they may have no taste which does not come from You. O my Crucified Jesus, I see You all bleeding, as though swimming in a bath of Blood, which continuously asks for souls. So, by the power of this Blood, I ask You, O Jesus, that not one of them may escape You ever again!
O my Jesus, alas, how tortured is Your poor Heart! How to comfort so much pain? I will diffuse myself in You; I will place my heart in Yours, my ardent desires in Yours, so that any evil desire may be destroyed. I will diffuse my love in Yours, so that by means of Your Fire, the hearts of all creatures may be burned, and the profane loves destroyed. Your Most Sacred Heart will be comforted, and from now on I promise You, O Jesus, always to remain nailed to this most loving Heart, with the nails of Your desires, of Your Love, and of Your Will. O my Jesus—Crucified You; crucified me in You. Do not allow
me, even slightly, to unnail myself from You, but let me always be nailed to
You to be able to love You and Repair for all, and to soothe the pain that
creatures give You with their sins.
me, even slightly, to unnail myself from You, but let me always be nailed to
You to be able to love You and Repair for all, and to soothe the pain that
creatures give You with their sins.
My crucified Jesus, may Your nails be driven into my heart, so that there may be no heartbeat, affection, or desire which does not feel their pricking; and may the blood which this heart of mine will shed, be the balm that soothes all Your wounds.
And now, my Crucified Good, in the name of all generations, past, present, and future, together with Your Mama and with all the Angels, I prostrate myself before You and say: “We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You, because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world.”
Twelfth Station
Jesus Dies on the Cross
Jesus Dies on the Cross
My dying Crucified, Jesus, You are now about to give the last
Breaths of Your Mortal Life; Your Most Holy Humanity is already stiffened; Your
Heart seems to beat no longer. With Magdalene I cling to Your Feet and, if it
were possible, I would like to give my life to revive Yours.
Breaths of Your Mortal Life; Your Most Holy Humanity is already stiffened; Your
Heart seems to beat no longer. With Magdalene I cling to Your Feet and, if it
were possible, I would like to give my life to revive Yours.
Meanwhile, O Jesus, I see that You open Your dying eyes again,
and You look around from the Cross, as though wanting to give the last good-bye
to all. You look at Your dying Mama, who no longer has motion or voice, so many
are the pains She feels; and You say: “Good-bye Mama, I am leaving, but I will keep You in My Heart. You, take care of My children and Yours.”
and You look around from the Cross, as though wanting to give the last good-bye
to all. You look at Your dying Mama, who no longer has motion or voice, so many
are the pains She feels; and You say: “Good-bye Mama, I am leaving, but I will keep You in My Heart. You, take care of My children and Yours.”
You look at crying Magdalene, faithful John, and Your very enemies,
and with Your Gazes You say to them: “I Forgive you; I give you the Kiss of Peace.”..Nothing escapes Your Gaze: You take leave of everyone and forgive everyone. Then, You gather all Your Strengths, and with a loud and
thundering Voice, You cry out: “Father, into Your hands I commend My Spirit.”
And bowing Your head, You breathe Your last.
and with Your Gazes You say to them: “I Forgive you; I give you the Kiss of Peace.”..Nothing escapes Your Gaze: You take leave of everyone and forgive everyone. Then, You gather all Your Strengths, and with a loud and
thundering Voice, You cry out: “Father, into Your hands I commend My Spirit.”
And bowing Your head, You breathe Your last.
My Jesus, at this cry all nature is shaken and cries over Your
death—the death of its Creator! The earth trembles strongly; and with its
trembling, it seems to be crying and wanting to shake up souls to recognize You
as True God. The veil of the Temple is torn, the dead are risen; the sun, which
until now had cried over Your pains, has withdrawn its light with horror. At
this cry, Your enemies fall on their knees, and beating their breasts, they
say: “Truly He is the Son of God.”..And Your Mother, petrified and dying, suffers pains harder than death.
death—the death of its Creator! The earth trembles strongly; and with its
trembling, it seems to be crying and wanting to shake up souls to recognize You
as True God. The veil of the Temple is torn, the dead are risen; the sun, which
until now had cried over Your pains, has withdrawn its light with horror. At
this cry, Your enemies fall on their knees, and beating their breasts, they
say: “Truly He is the Son of God.”..And Your Mother, petrified and dying, suffers pains harder than death.
My dead Jesus, with this cry You also place all of us into the
Hands of the Father, because You do not reject us. Therefore You cry out
loudly, not only with Your Voice, but with all Your Pains and with the voices
of Your Blood: “Father, into Your hands I commend My spirit and all souls.”..My Jesus, I too abandon myself in You; give me the Grace to die completely in Your Love—in Your Will, and I pray that You never permit me, either in life or in death, to go out of Your Most Holy Will. Meanwhile I intend to Repair for all those who do not abandon themselves perfectly to Your Most Holy Will, therefore losing or lessening the Precious Gift of Your Redemption. What is not the sorrow of Your Heart, O my Jesus, in seeing
so many creatures escaping from Your arms and abandoning themselves to
themselves? Have pity on all, O my Jesus—have pity on me.
Hands of the Father, because You do not reject us. Therefore You cry out
loudly, not only with Your Voice, but with all Your Pains and with the voices
of Your Blood: “Father, into Your hands I commend My spirit and all souls.”..My Jesus, I too abandon myself in You; give me the Grace to die completely in Your Love—in Your Will, and I pray that You never permit me, either in life or in death, to go out of Your Most Holy Will. Meanwhile I intend to Repair for all those who do not abandon themselves perfectly to Your Most Holy Will, therefore losing or lessening the Precious Gift of Your Redemption. What is not the sorrow of Your Heart, O my Jesus, in seeing
so many creatures escaping from Your arms and abandoning themselves to
themselves? Have pity on all, O my Jesus—have pity on me.
And now, my Crucified Good, in the name of all generations, past, present, and future, together with Your Mama and with all the Angels, I prostrate myself before You and say: “We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You, because by Your Holy Cross You have
redeemed the world.”
redeemed the world.”
Thirteenth Station
Jesus is Taken Down from the Cross
Jesus is Taken Down from the Cross
My dead Jesus, I see that Your disciples hasten to depose You from the Cross. Joseph and Nicodemus, who have remained hidden until now, with courage and without fearing anything, now want to give You an honorable burial. And so they take hammers and pincers, to perform the sacred and sad unnailing from the Cross, while Your Pierced Mama stretches out Her maternal arms to receive You on Her lap.
My Jesus, while they unnail You, I too want to help Your disciples to sustain Your Most Holy Body; and with the nails they remove from You, nail me completely to Yourself. And with Your Holy Mother, I want to adore You and kiss You, and then enclose myself in Your Heart, never to leave again.
And now, my Crucified Good, in the name of all generations, past, present, and future, together with Your Mama and with all the Angels, I prostrate myself before You and say: “We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You, because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world.”
Fourteenth Station
Jesus is Laid in the Tomb
Jesus is Laid in the Tomb
My sorrowful Mama, I see that You dispose Yourself to the final sacrifice of having to give burial Your lifeless Son, Jesus. Most perfectly resigned to the Will of God, You accompany Him, and You place Him in the sepulcher with Your own Hands. And now, my afflicted Mama, allow me to kiss His Heart and to lap up His Most Precious Blood; and You Yourself, enclose His Heart in mine, that I may live of His Love, of His desires, of His pains. Lastly, take the stiffened right hand of Jesus, that He may give me the last Blessing.
The stone closes the sepulcher. My pierced Mama, together with You, I say good-bye to Jesus; and crying, I want to compassionate You and accompany You in Your bitter desolation. I want to place myself at Your side to give You a word of comfort, a gaze of compassion at each sigh, strain, and sorrow of Yours. I will gather Your tears, and I will sustain You in my arms, if I see You faint.
And now, Desolate Mama, I thank You in the name of all for everything You have suffered; and I ask You, for the sake of Your bitter desolation, to come to my assistance at the moment of my death. When I find myself alone and abandoned by all, in the midst of a thousand anxieties and fears—come then, to return to me the company that I have given You so many times in life. Come to my assistance; place Yourself beside me, and put the enemy to flight. Wash my soul with Your tears, cover me with the Blood of Jesus, clothe me with His Merits, embellish me and heal me with Your Sorrows and with all the Pains and Works of Jesus; and by virtue of them, let all my sins
disappear, giving me total forgiveness. And as I breathe my last, receive me
into Your arms, place me under Your mantle, hide me from the gaze of the enemy,
take me straight to Heaven, and place me in the arms of Jesus. Let us make this
agreement, my Dear Mama!
disappear, giving me total forgiveness. And as I breathe my last, receive me
into Your arms, place me under Your mantle, hide me from the gaze of the enemy,
take me straight to Heaven, and place me in the arms of Jesus. Let us make this
agreement, my Dear Mama!
And now, I pray You to return the company I have given You to all those who are agonizing. Be the Mama of all; these are extreme moments, and great aids are needed. Therefore, do not deny Your Maternal Office to anyone.
One last word: as I leave You, I pray You to enclose me in the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus; and You, my Sorrowful Mama, be my Sentry, so that Jesus may not put me out of it; and I, even if I wanted, may not be able to leave. So I kiss Your Maternal hand; and You, bless me.
And now, my Crucified Good, in the name of all generations, past, present, and future, together with Your Mama and with all the Angels, I prostrate myself before You and say: “We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You, because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world.”
Closing Prayer
O my Jesus, not one act escapes You that does not keep me present and that does not intend to do me a special good. So I pray You that Your passion be always in my mind, in my heart, in my gazes, in my steps, and in my pains, so that, wherever I turn, inside and outside of myself, I may always find You present in me. And You, give me the grace never to forget what You have borne and suffered for me. May this be my magnet, which, drawing my whole being into You, will never again allow me to go far away from You. Amen.
Fifteenth Station: Look at Jesus
What a wonderful surprise for his friends when they see that he is alive. His body is like a new kind of body -- full of light! And he is no longer tired, sad, or suffering. He has no more pain.Yes, he is alive in a new and special way. Jesus will live forever, now, in this new and special way.
Look at Your Heart
Have you ever taken time to thank God for your life, for some of the good things you have been able to do, for some of the people in your life, or for some of the good things that people have done for you? When you get up in the morning, do you say “Thanks” to God for your life and for the wonderful things you can see, hear, feel, taste, or smell?How does your heart look when your heart is full of thanks? Take time to show your thankful heart to Jesus, and let Jesus let his love touch you.
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