PrayTheRosary Apostolate

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As we enter this season of Lent, Holy Mother Church impresses upon us the necessity of fasting. This term refers

not only to denying ourselves bodily food, but also in a broader sense to mortifying ourselves in any manner, that

is, of willingly embracing something hard for the love of God.

On Ash Wednesday the Church reminds us in the Gospel that we must do this willingly and joyfully, not slavishly and under a certain compulsion. Our Savior told us that unless we willingly enter by the “narrow gate” we shall hope in vain to conquer our rebellious nature. The mention of penance is not very pleasant to our slothful human nature. It tells of something that we would fain avoid. However, when we consider the reasons of penance, we are more willing to hear about it.

In the prayers for the blessing of the ashes we read the words: “We begin the exercises of Christian warfare with the

holy fasts of Lent, wherein we fight against the spirits of evil with the weapon of abstinence.” Here we are reminded of the importance of the weapons of prayer and fasting in our fight against the prince of this world.

          - Fr. John Fullerton

Laws of Fast (refrain from eating large amounts of food)

and Abstinence ( refrain from eating meat)

and Ember Days (voluntary fasting and prayer)

1. Everyone over 7 years of age is bound to observe the law of abstinence.

2. On ABSTINENCE days the faithful are obliged to abstain from flesh meat, and soups and gravy made from meat.

3. Everyone ages 18 to 59 inclusive is also bound to observe the law of FAST.

4. On the days of FAST, only one full meal is allowed. Two other meatless meals, sufficient to maintain strength, may be taken according to each one's needs, but together they should not equal another full meal. Eating between meals is not permitted; but liquids, including milk and fruit juices, are allowed.

5. Meat may be taken at the principal meal on a day of FAST, except on days of FAST and ABSTINENCE.

6. The current days of FAST and ABSTINENCE are: Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. These must be observed as such under pain of mortal sin unless one is dispensed. One may still observe the traditional days of FAST and ABSTINENCE on all the days of Lent except Sunday.

7. The current days of ABSTINENCE-----besides Ash Wednesday and Good Friday-----are all Fridays of Lent.

8. Formerly all Fridays of the year except those which fell on a holy day of obligation were days of ABSTINENCE. Today, Fridays remain a day of penitential observance but one is not obliged to abstain from meat other than on the Fridays of Lent. Formerly all weekdays of Lent were days of FAST.

9. EMBER DAYS are days of voluntary fasting and prayer for the special sanctification of the four seasons and for obtaining God's blessings on the clergy and religious. 

SPIRITUAL FAST

Saint John Chrysostom taught that the "value of fasting consists not so much in abstinence from food but rather in withdrawal from sinful practices."

Saint Basil the Great explains: "Turning away from all wickedness means keeping our tongue in check, restraining our anger, suppressing evil desires, and avoiding all gossiping and swearing. To abstain from these things----herein lies the true value of fast!"

Spiritual or Internal Fast Practices:

• Don't do any unnecessary talking; instead, say little aspirations throughout the day.
• Exercise your patience today in all things.
• Restrain any anger, and go out of your way to be kind to the person who caused your anger.
• Don't make any complaints today.
• Don't be distracted with someone else's business.
• Avoid any gossip today. Instead say an extra Rosary to overcome this great fault.
• When asked to do something extra do so with a joyful and pleasant attitude today.
• Speak in a pleasant tone to everyone today.
• Avoid using the phone today.
• Tell the truth in all your dealings today.
• Avoid any vanity or self-seeking today.

Spiritual Practice of virtues and good works:

• Practice humility today in all your actions.
• Be generous today; help someone in need.
• Look for ways to be helpful throughout the day.
• Do a job that needs to be done without being asked.
• Be courageous; walk away from any impure situations today.
• Don't be at all idle today. Always be doing something for others or for your spiritual growth.
• Go out of your way today to help or talk to someone who is usually difficult.
• Volunteer for an extra job today.
• Say an extra Rosary today for the conversion of a sinner.
• Visit someone who is sick or lonesome today. Offer to say the Rosary with them.

Are temptations pernicious and bad?

No; they are useful and necessary, rather. “Hard is the fight,” St. Bernard writes, “but meritorious, for although it is accompanied by suffering, it is followed by the crown;”

(Apoc. III. 12.) and Origen says, “As meat becomes corrupt without salt, so does the soul without temptations.” Temptations, then, are only injurious when consent is given, and we suffer ourselves to be overcome by them.

When do we consent to temptations?

When we knowingly and willingly decide to do the evil to which we are tempted; as long as we resist we commit no sin.

What are the best means of overcoming temptations?

Humility; for thus answered St. Anthony, when he saw the whole earth covered with snares, and was asked "Who will escape?" "The humble;" he who knows his own frailty, distrusts himself, and relies only on God who resists the proud and gives His grace to the humble; the fervent invocation of the Mother of God, of our holy guardian angels and patron saints; the pronouncing of the holy name of Jesus, making the sign of the cross, sprinkling holy water; the remembrance of the presence of God who knows our most secret thoughts, and before whom we are indeed ashamed to think or do that which would cause us shame in the presence of an honorable person; frequent meditation on death, hell, and eternal joys; fleeing from all those persons by whom, and places in which we are generally tempted; fervent prayers, especially ejaculations, as:

"Lord, save me, lest I perish! Lord, hasten to help me!" finally, the sincere acknowledgment of our temptations at the tribunal of penance, which is a remedy especially recommended by pious spiritual teachers.

PRAYER

O Lord Jesus! who spent forty days in the desert without food or drink, and didst permit Thy self to be tempted by the evil spirit, give me, I beseech Thee by that holy fast, the grace to combat, during this holy season of Lent, under Thy protection, against intemperance, and to resist the suggestions of Satan that I may win the crown of eternal life. Amen.

        - Rev. Fr. Leonard Goffine's The Church's Year

Lenten Prayer to St. Gabriel the Archangel, who strengthened Our Lord in His Agony

O holy Angel Gabriel, who didst strengthen Jesus Christ our Lord, come and strengthen us also; come and tarry not!

I salute thee, holy Angel who didst comfort my Jesus in His agony, and with thee I praise the most holy Trinity for having chosen thee from among all the holy Angels to comfort and strengthen Him Who is the comfort and strength of all that are in affliction. By the honor thou didst enjoy and by the obedience, humility and love wherewith thou didst assist the sacred Humanity of Jesus, my Saviour, when He was fainting for very sorrow at seeing the sins of the world and especially my sins, I beseech thee to obtain for me perfect sorrow for my sins; deign to strengthen me in the afflictions that now overwhelm me, and in all the other trials, to which I shall be exposed henceforth and, in particular, when I find myself in my final agony. Amen.

Stations of The Cross

A Series of Meditations from THE PASSION,

by Rev Paul Wilhelm Keppler

Station I

PILATE CONDEMNS JESUS TO DEATH

1st Prelude: History.----"Then therefore Pilate delivered Jesus to them to be crucified. And after they had mocked Him, they took off the purple from Him and put on His own garments on Him. And there were also two other malefactors led with Him to be put to death. And bearing His own Cross, He went forth to that place which is called Calvary. And there followed Him a great multitude of people, and of women who lamented Him."

2nd Prelude: Composition of Place.----See the Praetorium of Pilate, and, to the west, at the distance of about a quarter of a mile, Calvary. See the streets through which the procession is to pass----dark, narrow, roughly paved with large stones, here and there crossed by arches. See the multitude lining the whole length of the road----sightseers on every roof and in every doorway. Watch the procession coming from the Praetorium----the Centurion on horseback taking the lead, a herald walking beside him; the thieves filled with rage and despair; our Lord tottering under His heavy load, His right hand trying to steady the Cross on His shoulder, His left to gather His long robe from under His feet. Around the prisoners: executioners, soldiers, Priests, Pharisees, a vast crowd insulting them.     See the ladders, ropes, and nails. Notice at the corner of the street the Blessed Mother, Magdalen, and John. Hear the babel of tongues----the herald proclaiming the sentence, the yells, jeers, blasphemy of the crowds; hear on every side the words "impostor," "seducer," "blasphemer."

3rd Prelude: Ask what I want.----Grace to realize the sufferings and sorrows of Jesus carrying His Cross to expiate my sins; anguish with Jesus in anguish; sympathy with my suffering Lord, Who loves me and delivers Himself for me; courage to follow Jesus closely and generously in this life that I may be a consolation to His loving Heart.

In vain does Pilate endeavour to stifle remorse by washing his hands before the people, saying: "I am innocent of the blood of this just Man; look you to it."

Vainly indeed does he pronounce these words; he cannot wash the Blood of the Saviour from his soul, he too is guilty of the death of our Lord. Those fearful words, "His blood be upon us and upon our children," had scarcely ceased to resound when Pilate commenced preparations for passing sentence. The place where the sentence was pronounced was a raised seat in the outer atrium, or court, which St. John calls the Lithostrotos, or court of the tessellated marble pavement. It was to this court that Pilate came out as often as he spoke to the Jews. How privileged are the Dames de Sion, whose chapel stands on a part of this very court where Pilate, when he uttered the words "Behold the Man," showed our Lord to the Jews! The Roman Governor always passed sentence in the open air, sitting on the judgment-seat, and with great solemnity. So Pilate, wearing the insignia of his office and accompanied by soldiers, went thither and mounted the judgment-seat. Our Lord was placed before him as a criminal. Then Pilate condemned Jesus to the death of the Cross: "I condemn Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews, to be crucified." And he ordered the executioners to bring the Cross. At once he prepared to write the sentence and also the inscription for the head of the Cross.

See the extreme dissatisfaction and anger of the Priests at the words of the sentence, which, they said, were not true. They clamorously surrounded the tribunal to endeavour to persuade Pilate to alter the inscription and to put, not "King of the Jews," but that He said, "I am King of the Jews!" Note Pilate's vexation as he answers impatiently: "What I have written, I have written."

Contemplate Jesus. No sooner had Pilate pronounced sentence than our Divine Lord is handed over to the soldiers, and His clothes, which had been taken off in the court of Caiphas, were brought for Him to put on again. Oh, watch our suffering, patient Jesus. His hands are untied. Then the old purple mantle which was put on in mockery is roughly dragged off. His Sacred Body is but one wound, not even the lightest and softest texture could touch it without causing Him intensest torture----all Its gashes are reopened. See Him as He tries to put on His own under-garment with trembling hands. Note the humble submission of Jesus to His cruel, heartless executioners. As the crown of thorns was too large to allow the seamless robe to pass over His head, they pull it off violently, heedless of the pain thus inflicted. His robe is put on, then His girdle and cloak, over which a rope is fastened round His waist with cords by which to lead Him----all being done with brutal cruelty.

See how they push Him: nothing but ignominy and outrage. Pity our Lord. Let us try to realize what our Lord suffers. Wonder how He could bear so much! How His love could go so far! Only the absolute determination of His Will could have enabled itself to undergo so willingly such awful torture.

How willingly my Jesus suffers for me! O Sacred suffering Body of Jesus, save me. Ah, dear Jesus, what was my share in Thy intolerable anguish? What has been my return of love to Thee for bearing so much for me?

Station II

THE CARRYING OF THE CROSS

"And bearing His Own Cross He went forth to that place which is called Calvary, but in Hebrew Golgotha."

1. Contemplate Jesus as He is led forth. The soldiers and officials assemble, the two malefactors are led out, and the crosses brought.

Criminals were executed by day and in public, and had to drag their crosses to the place of execution themselves, in order to increase their pain and disgrace, No exception is made in our Lord's case. Should one then seek exemption from little points of rule? Common life? Should anyone shun the humiliations and mortifications usual in a life meant to be the closest following of Jesus? Jesus was treated as a common criminal!

The upright part of the Cross was probably from eight to ten feet long, and to it the transverse part, probably about six feet long, was fastened.

And how did Jesus, our Lord and God, receive the Cross? Hardly without very great natural fear and shrinking. The Cross was the very embodiment of all suffering and shame. But see the love and reverence with which He embraces it----perhaps even kneels to receive it----for He looked beyond the shame and pain, and beheld in the Cross the Adorable Will of His Father, the instrument of our salvation and all our blessings, and the sceptre of the honour and power that was hereafter to be His. We read of St. Andrew that he greeted his Cross from afar with words of heartfelt love and longing: "O holy Cross! O blessed Cross! that will take me to my Master!"

Note how Jesus accepts His Cross, and note His blessed words: "I have given you an example that as I have done, so do you also." Jesus accepts His Cross at the time and in the shape in which it is presented to Him. "Stand without choice or any self-seeking and thou shalt gain. Give up thyself and thou shalt find Me." Our Lord does not examine His Cross, but embraces it. He does not consider the cruelty of those who lay it upon Him, but the love of the Father Who has chosen it for Him, Does my way of bearing my cross show that I have studied my Master on His way to Calvary?

2. Jesus carries His Cross. See our dear Lord as He starts on His last and bitterest journey----from the citadel Antonia to the place of execution outside the city. The road is several hundred paces long, and is called the Via Dolorosa. Along this road the sad procession passes. A Roman centurion rides in front; then follow the condemned men, each accompanied by four soldiers: after these come the executioners and their assistants with the instruments of death and the penal title on poles; in the rear and on either side of the procession walk countless throngs of people, high and low, especially Pharisees----both strangers and those of the city. Oh, look with pity, love, attention, and sorrow at that Divine Figure in the midst of the crowd----He is bowed and tottering, scarcely visible under the heavy Cross and the overshadowing crown of thorns. It is Jesus, our dear Lord, our Saviour bearing His Cross.

Station III

JESUS FALLS THE FIRST TIME

And how does Jesus carry His Cross?

(1) He suffers great shame and ignominy. It is a criminal procession, and He is the principal culprit----condemned everywhere and by everyone as a false prophet and blasphemer. Crowds of people are awaiting Him. See how they stare at Him. Hear the jeers that reach Him from doors, windows, and roofs. Jesus traverses the same streets along which He formerly passed respected, sought after, and feared.

(2) Jesus bears His Cross painfully. The way was long, uneven, and steep, too, in parts. He was worn out with the ill-usage of that day and the previous night. Think of the state of His Sacred Body from the cruel scourging. One can well imagine how dreadful this journey must have been for Him under the weight of the Cross. We are told that Jesus fell from three to seven times. In all things like as we are, without sin. Was it not for our encouragement that in spite of His efforts to reach Calvary, Jesus fell again and again?

Is there anything so disheartening on the road to Heaven as the repeated falls that follow upon our best resolutions? We know they should not cast us down as they do----and that they are not without their advantages----since they teach us to know and distrust ourselves, and excite us to humility and contrition. They serve, too, as a stimulus to greater fidelity and fervour in the future. On the other hand, discouragement does more harm than the fall itself. Its source and its fruits are bad. It springs from pride, for if we knew ourselves better we should be less surprised to find ourselves weak. Discouragement aggravates the evil done in the past and weakens us for the future. All this we have been told a hundred times. We believe it, we have experienced it, and yet we remain discouraged. What is there that our dear Lord could have done for us that He has not done? Fall as we fall, He could not; but the contrivances of His love bring Him marvelously near to us. In His desire to show Himself like to us in all things excepting sin, Jesus takes appearances where He may not take the reality. He suffers the effects of guilt as He could not incur its stain.

Station IV

JESUS MEETS HIS HOLY MOTHER MARY

Our Blessed Lord did not carry His Cross alone; He was accompanied by many. Indeed, all who walked with the procession to the place of execution took part in the carrying of the Cross, each in his own way.

Here we gaze upon our Lord's own Mother, who (as Tradition says) also awaited Him on this painful journey. In the Via Dolorosa, or Way of the Cross, it is believed that there is a memorial of their sorrowful meeting. The new church of "The Lady of the Spasm," which belongs to the Armenian Catholics, stands over the place marked by Tradition as the Fourth Station of the Cross, and in a subterranean chapel belonging to this church the memorial may be seen. In the words of the learned Father Meistermann, O.S.F.: "In the crypt, level with the ancient street, some bits of the pavement of which have been found on the northern side, is a great piece of mosaic, which was discovered in digging the foundations for the new church. A square, framed in a rich border, bears in the centre two little shoes or sandals placed together, with their points turned to the northwest. This mosaic, which is prior to the seventh century, seems to mark the very spot where Tradition states that the Blessed Virgin stood when she exchanged with her Son a look which pierced her maternal heart like a sword." These words will help us in making our composition of place. "In death they were not divided."

Jesus, our dear and Blessed Master, on the way to Calvary must teach us at every turn, for His time is short. His most Blessed Mother, too, the first and most faithful of His disciples, is to serve us for an example on that way. Let us watch the meeting and see the kind of consolation they bring to one another in this hour of bitter anguish for both. What fortitude! What self-forgetfulness! What oblation of the strongest, holiest affection earth has ever seen! Mary's heart beats in perfect unison with the Heart of her Son. Like His, it throws itself into the Divine Will for the redemption of the world with a strength of purpose that sanctifies the instincts of nature.

There is no shrinking in their self-immolation at the sight of the anguish of the One dearer to each than life. The Son and the Mother meet, but it is as the Redeemer and the Co-Redemptrix of the world. The sacrifice that their mutual love increases occupies them entirely.

Contemplate the meeting of the Mother and Son. Their eyes meet.----Dimly, through the tears and blood that obscure His sight, Jesus discerns His Mother's face, and His glance carries strength to her soul. He summons her, His well-beloved, to ratify the oblation made at Nazareth in the hour of the Incarnation, when she consented to become the Mother of the Man of Sorrows, the oblation made solemnly in the Temple on the day of His Presentation, and renewed again and again as the time of the Passion drew near: "Behold the handmaid of the Lord." At every stage of His Redemption she has been, and is, His handmaid, waiting upon Him always, His solitary fellow-worker, on whose sympathy and absolute fidelity He can rely.

And now His hour has come, the hour of which He had so often spoken to her at Nazareth, the hour that was the subject of such earnest prayer put up together, as they knelt side by side; the hour for which He had promised to strengthen her, that, first in privilege as in dignity, she might drink deeper than any other of His chalice. His glance recalls all this to her now, and it is met by a response such as that handmaid alone could give. No cry escapes her. To bring Him the only comfort in her power, the assurance that she accepts with Him every jot and tittle of the Father's Will; that she does not grudge one pang, that she is ready for more, for the consummation of the sacrifice, for Calvary----this is her one thought. Mary cannot speak her Ecce Ancilla, her heart would break with a word to Him; but her eyes, her quivering lip, her clasped hands speak for her.

It is by studying prayerfully this meeting of Jesus and Mary on the road to Calvary that I shall learn how true friendship comports itself in the hour of trial. What kind of consolation do I bring to others in the path of daily life that is for so many of God's servants the Way of the Cross? Is it a help and spiritual support to meet me ? Do I try to take the sting out of wounds, or are they the worse for my handling? Do I, by injudicious sympathy, accentuate vexations or misunderstandings?

Do I try to put a favourable construction on painful words or acts, and abstain from repeating what would work further mischief? Are others moved by my words and example to bear up bravely and trust in God.

Mary's was the noblest and most sublime participation in our Lord's Cross, because nothing could equal the courage and love of His Mother, and her desire to suffer with her Divine Son.

Is not our Blessed Mother here the highest model of all cross-bearing souls?

Station V

SIMON OF CYRENE HELPS JESUS TO CARRY HIS CROSS

Our Blessed Lord did not carry His Cross alone; He was accompanied by many. Indeed, all who walked with the procession to the place of execution took part in the carrying of the Cross, each in his own way. Here, we may distinguish two different groups among them: Those who load our Lord with the Cross and those who literally carry the Cross with Him.

First Group.----Those who load our Lord with the Cross. Those who lay the Cross upon our Lord's shoulders are the authors of His Passion----viz., the Jews, the Priests, the Pharisees, the soldiers, the executioners and their assistants. They are all guilty of His Passion, and increase it by their cruelty and mockery. They themselves carry a cross too----the cross of their evil passions and sins. They are the tools of Satan, and it is his yoke that they drag along. This is an inglorious cross----a fatal cross, which leads not to redemption, but to eternal death. Whoever does not embrace the Cross of Jesus must bear that of Satan.

And in a wider sense we and all men belong to those who load our Lord with the Cross. They are our sins that He is painfully carrying----our sins, that are pressing upon Him with such cruel weight----which of us has not contributed a share to weight the Cross laid on our dear Lord? How just and fitting, then, that we should accompany our Lord, and now at least make reparation to Him for the hardships and cruelties of this journey by the relief our compassion and gratitude can afford Him! As Jesus allowed Himself to be loaded with the Cross through love of me, so shall I accept each cross that is laid on me, through love for Him. When nature is ready to sink beneath the burden of the cross I shall look confidently to Jesus for grace to carry it patiently and meritoriously.

Many, says St. Alphonsus Liguori, love Jesus, as long as the breeze of heavenly consolation refreshes them; but if the clouds of adversity lower, if for their trial, Christ, our dear Lord, withdraws His sensible presence from them, they are sorely tempted to give up prayer, neglect self-denial, sink into despondency and tepidity, and finally turn for comfort to creatures and perishable things. Such souls love themselves more than Jesus Christ. Those who truly love our Lord are faithful in darkness and trial. Faith tells us that Jesus is as sovereignly amiable and good when He afflicts as when He consoles. Oh, how dear to the Heart of Jesus is the soul who suffers with loving submission! Precious, beyond all graces, is the grace to suffer and to love!

COLLOQUY.----O most sweet Jesus, draw me close to Thy Heart and help me to love the Cross, for without the Cross I know there can be no close union with Thee. "Master, I will follow Thee whithersoever Thou shalt go." I do want to be wholly Thine; take me, and dispose of me ever and always, according to the good pleasure of Thy Heart. May I at last, by likeness to Thee, and union with thee, become a true disciple of Thy Heart. "Thou art my God and my Eternal King!"

Second Group.----Those who literally carry the Cross with Jesus. The two malefactors are the first in this group. They go with Jesus and carry their crosses to the place of execution. But they do not carry them for Jesus, for faith and virtue, but on account of their crimes and misdeeds. Nor do they carry them as Jesus did His, but only under compulsion, raging and gnashing their teeth, and----one of them at all events, the thief on the left side----with evil consequences. For him it may have been the instrument of eternal damnation. But in the heart of the good thief the first emotions of the contrition and penance that he so touchingly completed on the cross, may have just begun to stir during the carrying of the cross.

Another who literally carries the Cross with Jesus is Simon of Cyrene, who actually carried it part of the way to Calvary. How did this happen? Simon was returning from the country, and, as it appears, just entering by the city gate; for we are told that the soldiers found him as they were going out, laid hold on Him, and forced Him to take up our Lord's Cross. Why? Because the weakness and exhaustion of Jesus was so great that they feared He would succumb on the way under its weight. They laid the Cross on him to carry after Jesus.

It was for Simon's sake much more than for His own that our Lord shared His Cross with him. The virtue that came from its contact with the Son of God went out to him who followed in His footsteps. Quickly Simon learned his lesson. From bearing the Cross reluctantly he came to bear it patiently, willingly, joyfully, reaching thus the highest perfection of which love is capable on earth. We may assume this in respect of Simon himself. And as regards Alexander and Rufus, his sons, the fact of their being mentioned by name in this place of St. Mark's Gospel may show that they received extraordinary graces through Simon's good deed.

To carry after Jesus.----What blessed words! I shall do well to hear them, as they apply to me just as truly as to Simon. There is rarely a day that I have not the privilege of bearing some cross for and after Jesus, my dear Master. What a loss for eternity if I neglect my opportunities. Do I? They laid the Cross on him. True, but did Simon stop at the instrument? When, after years spent in his Master's service, he looked back to the meeting on the road to Calvary, did he so much as think of the hands that constrained him? Was not the design of God too plain? Was it not God Who planned that meeting, who chose him for the honour of being the first to carry the Cross after Jesus.

Looking back on their lives, from the bed of death and from their place in Heaven, the servants of God see that what they could least spare out of their life would be its crosses. It is the Cross that has stamped them all with the mark special to the elect. For whom He foreknew He also predestinated to be made conformable to the image of His Son (Rom. viii). How wonderful are God's dealings with us. How continually He turns our days of trouble into times of the richest blessing. Little did Simon of Cyrene think that Friday morning as he went forth to his daily toil, that grace was lying in wait for him on the road to Calvary----that hidden in the Cross of pain and shame was laid up for him the highest honour and never-ending joy.

We rise in the morning and make our plans for the day. God has made His for us. Turning a corner, we find the Cross of Christ awaiting us, and with it the grace that with a little effort on our part will enable us to bear it bravely after our Master. How is it that whilst we have plenty of congratulations for Simon we have nothing but compassion for ourselves!

COLLOQUY.----Teach me, dear Lord, to bear my crosses with faith, and hope, and love. With faith----to believe that every cross comes from Thy hand----to cry out when I see it in the distance: It is the Lord. With hope----because, dear Jesus, if I follow Thee to Calvary now, I shall follow Thee into Thy Kingdom by-and-by. With love----that will make me glad to bear something for Thee Who hast borne so much for me. Mother, imprint deeply on my heart the wounds of Thy Crucified Son; Make me feel as Thou hast felt; Make my soul to glow and melt With the love of Christ thy Son.

Station VI

VERONICA WIPES THE FACE OF JESUS WITH HER VEIL

According to Tradition, our Lord was met on His way to Calvary by a woman named Veronica or Berenice. Veronica desired to give Jesus a proof of her attachment, love, and compassion at this moment of distress and abandonment. Her loving pity is practical, noble, and courageous.

See her as she pushes her way through the crowd to Him, and hands Him her veil that He may wipe His Divine Face. This act was a slight service, but a courageous confession of her faith in Jesus, of her loyalty and fidelity to Him. It was all she could do at this moment, and she did it with a generous and loving heart; and oh, how magnificently Jesus rewards her for her faith and love! See how gratefully and tenderly Jesus looks on Veronica as He takes the veil, wipes the blood and perspiration from His Sacred Face, and gives it back to her. How her heart overflowed with love when, having reached her home, she unfolded the veil and beheld the adorable face of Jesus miraculously imprinted on its folds.

"Magnet of souls!----O holy Face!

Draw us to Thee by Thy sweet grace,

That all we do, and think, and say,

May be for Thee alone today.

And through Thy boundless power and grace

Work wonders, O most holy Face!"

How sweetly our dear Lord rewards even the very smallest act of charity, and encourages us to give Him heartfelt proofs of our love, even though we can do so little.

Station VII

JESUS FALLS THE SECOND TIME

COLLOQUY.----O Son of Man, Thou art like us in our sorrows; like us, Holy One, in the sadness that comes of sinfulness; like us, O Mighty God, in our fears. O dear Lord Jesus, how touching is Thy faltering and falling on the uphill road. How reassuring is it for us to creep up to Thee after our own falls, to see Thee lying prostrate, spent, powerless! And, dear Lord, here is our example, whilst still trembling with the shock and pain of Thy fall, with all the weariness of failure upon Thee, with the knowledge that at no great distance Thy strength will give way anew----rising and struggling on----in no wise shaken in Thy resolve to pursue Thy way, and to prove by Thy very falls Thy incomparable love for us.

Ah, Lord Jesus, I humbly implore grace to reduce these salutary lessons to practice. Jesus, my dear Master, give me light. to understand the Mystery of the Cross----to love the Cross that will bring me so closely and securely to Thee----strengthen me to accomplish Thy holy Will perfectly under every variety of circumstances in which Thou art pleased to place me; but give me the surpassing treasure of Thy love----with that I shall want for nothing. I shall be able to attain the degree of sanctity Thou dost design for me. O my Jesus, grant me, then, Thy Divine love; strengthen me to suffer for and with Thee, and may my life be one continuous act of love.

Station VIII

THE DAUGHTERS OF JERUSALEM WEEP OVER JESUS

Our Blessed Lord did not carry His Cross alone; He was accompanied by many. Indeed, all who walked with the procession to the place of execution took part in the carrying of the Cross, each in his own way.

Here, we examine the women of Jerusalem, and other good people who compassionated our Lord's fate, and participate in spirit in our Lord's carrying of the Cross.

For a great multitude followed Him, says St. Luke. They commiserated Him, and gave vent to their pity and grief in loud lamentations. This expression of their grief was right, and required great courage, since it was made in the presence and the hearing of our Lord's triumphant foes.

What was imperfect about it was that they regarded our Lord's Passion as a pure misfortune, and bewailed it as such. Jesus rewards them for their compassion. He speaks to them, and in His turn offers His pity for them and their children. These women and other compassionate people are a type of the souls who feel pity for the sufferings of our Lord, but do not follow up their pity by deeds. But Jesus, the loving Lord and Master, accepts even this token of love graciously, and returns it in His Own way.

Station IX

JESUS FALLS THE THIRD TIME

COLLOQUY.----In many things I am too weak to follow Thee, dear Lord, but in the toilsome task of daily duty my very weakness makes me like Thee. I fall, oh, how many times! My falls bring with them soreness and dejection, the temptation to give up the struggle. But this, my dear Master, with the help of Thy grace I will never do----I will remember Thou art at hand still, the same Jesus yesterday, today, and for ever; indulgent, easily appeased, ready to forgive.

Ah, dear Lord, my God, my Jesus, Thou dost deplore far more than I do anything like estrangement between Thee and me----for Thou art my Father, and only waitest for me to turn to Thee with humble, sorrowful acknowledgment to put all right again. Tenderer far than a mother is the love of Thy Divine Heart----"I will have compassion on thee more than a mother."

This will be my consolation, dear Lord----I will think more of Thy Mercy than of Thy Justice, of having disappointed more than of having displeased Thee. Dear Jesus, by Thy weariness refresh me! Give me the trust in Thee that holds on its way, undismayed by slips and by bruises, fixed in its resolution to reach Thee at last. My Jesus!----Thou art watching, waiting, stretching out Thy arms to me. Draw me into Thy embrace when life is done, and, Jesus, my dear Master, reward me throughout eternity by possession of Thyself----a trust that has never failed. In Thee, O Lord, I have hoped, I shall never be confounded.

Station X

JESUS IS STRIPPED OF HIS GARMENTS

"And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all things to Myself."

See Jerusalem at the Crucifixion; about two millions of people are in and around the city. Look at the crowd winding through the dark, narrow thoroughfares, pouring through the judgment-gate, and congregating in vast masses round the place of execution. Watch the three condemned as they painfully toil up the little mound outside the walls known as "the place of Calvary".

The soldiers clear a space on the summit. The crosses are thrown on the ground. The executioners lay hands on our Lord. How tenderly we prepare for death those we love. Jesus is prepared by His executioners. He has been made to carry His Cross. All the dread preparations are made before His eyes and those of His Mother. There is no pity, no attempt to mitigate in the very least the awful sentence of crucifixion.

Contemplate with love and compassion our Blessed Lord, Whom the soldiers, as soon as the preparations were completed, drag to the place of crucifixion. See the agony of Jesus as they take off the crown of thorns. It has been so knocked about, so roughly removed and replaced, that His head is a mass of wounds. Note that Jesus will not drink the wine mixed with myrrh or gall, which it was customary to give the condemned, in order to deaden their pain. See His Sacred Body as these cruel men drag off His garments, thus scourging Him a second time, since all His gashes, to which His clothes adhered, were torn open afresh. His Sacred Body is but one wound; not the lightest texture could touch it without causing Him awful agony. It is in expiation of our vanity and self-indulgence that Jesus would have His vesture during the whole of His Passion a source of torture to Him! The sweat of Blood in the Garden, which trickled down to the ground, must have first saturated His garments. Think how hard and stiff they would become when dry, what agony they would occasion Him after the scourging and along the Way of the Cross, as they rubbed against the raw wounds when they were dragged off, and when He fell. What He suffers now as they are again torn off! Jesus our Saviour, our Lord and our God, has come to His death in a manner too horrible for description, yet not piteous enough to arouse compassion in the thousands that have come to see Him die.

How is it that we, His own chosen ones, can be so niggardly, so ungenerous in His service? That we seek so persistently all possible convenience, comfort, rest, variety in our life? How ashamed we shall be when we stand before Him in judgment----if we have not led a life of sacrifice and labour for His interests.

Station XI

JESUS IS NAILED TO THE CROSS

(excerpt)

Watch the perfect obedience of Jesus even unto death. The executioners order Him to lie down upon the Cross that they may take the measure for the nails. Jesus submits at once, and does exactly as they tell Him. This done, they thrust Him aside while they bore the holes in the wood. See Him pushed here and there, not knowing where to stand in His misery, as closer and closer, driven forward by the multitude pressing up the slope, crowds the coarse, cruel rabble. It is with difficulty the centurion and his band keep it back, and leave the executioners room to do their work. Ah, pity our dear and blessed Lord, try to realize what He suffers. Wonder how His love could go so far, how reverence due to His Majesty did not compel Him to prevent ignominy such as this!

"He loved me and delivered Himself for me. Who, then, shall separate me from the love of Christ?"

In our Lord's repugnance there was nothing inordinate, as unfortunately there sometimes is in ours. His was reasonable and arose exclusively from the objective difficulty or the awful degree of agony about to be endured. It was, moreover, brought on Him by His Own Will.

At the bidding of the executioner, Jesus lies down upon the Cross and stretches out His arms. They bind the upper part of His Body to the stem of the Cross. One executioner holds His right hand, another places the rough, three-sided nail, filed to a sharp point, in the palm, and drives it with powerful blows, through the tendons in the hollow of the hand into the hole already made for it in the Cross. A tremor of exquisite pain passes through our Lord's limbs, the blood spurts up and around about, and the fingers contract convulsively round the nail, the limbs contract, the knees are drawn up, the left hand will not reach the hole prepared for it. And then, oh, agony inexpressible. They draw a noose around the wrist and stretch the arm till the sinews give way and the joints are dislocated. At last they bring it to its place, and a blow nails it fast, the breast heaves and the muscles crack. Then the feet are violently pulled down, and with a spitting crackling sound the nail is driven through the instep into the hole in the place for the feet. Then the executioners rise and survey their work.

Ah! look long----and with deepest love and sympathy----at our dear Jesus, as He lies there, nailed to the Cross. His whole body is terribly distended; every nerve is twitching and quivering with intensest anguish. His face is deadly pale, and covered with blood; tears, sighs, and gentle moans mingle with the terrible blows of the hammer, while the blood pours from His gaping wounds. Can we not realize the horror and anguish of our Lord's Blessed Mother, St. John, Magdalen, and the holy women, who were close by and heard the strokes of the hammer and the groans of the innocent Victim? Ah, how different is the live Crucifix from the white figure, unscathed except for the wounds in the hands and feet, that we behold so often and so heedlessly! The form of Jesus crucified on Calvary is a sight almost too fearful to look upon. One alone of the many tortures inflicted on it was sufficient to cause death. The scourging, the thorny crown, the thirst, would certainly have killed the strongest man.

And what does our dear Jesus think? What does He feel? His own words tell us best. Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. Help me, my God, to understand what sin is----to hate it, because it grieves Thee. Plead for me, dear Lord, with the Father, that I may be forgiven for the past, and so enlighten and strengthen me that I may be kept from sin for the time to come. May I never, dear Jesus, never again grieve Thee, nor be disloyal to Thy loving Heart. They know not what they do. Ah, Lord, how different are my harsh judgments and my vindictiveness, from the charity of Thy Sacred Heart. How hard I find it to make excuses for those who injure or annoy me. a Jesus, make my heart like unto Thine, patient, kind, thinking no evil, bearing all things, believing all things, hoping all things, enduring all things! "Father, forgive them." a dear Jesus, offer this tender prayer for all near and dear to me who stand in need of Thy special mercy, for all who at this hour are crucifying again the Son of God. In Thy prayer, my Jesus, is my trust. Draw me close to Thee, my God, by the grace of perfect love and sorrow.

Station XII

JESUS DIES ON THE CROSS

1st Prelude: History.----In addition to all His physical pain, our Lord had also to endure the mental suffering of mockery and derision. "And they that passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads and saying: Vah, Thou that destroyest the Temple of God, and in three days buildest it up again; save Thyself, coming down from the Cross. In like manner also the Chief Priests, mocking, said with the Scribes one to another: He saved others, Himself He cannot save. Let Christ, the King of Israel, come down from the Cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with Him reviled Him." (Mark xv.)

Whilst all around were deriding and mocking our dying Saviour, the thief on His right hand began to reflect and repent. Rebuking his companion, he said: "Neither dost thou fear God, seeing thou art under the same condemnation. And we justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds----but this Man hath done no evil. And he said to Jesus: Lord, remember me when Thou shalt come into Thy Kingdom. And Jesus said to him: Amen, I say to thee, this day thou shalt be with Me in Paradise."

"Now, there stood by the Cross of Jesus, His Mother, and His Mother's sister Mary of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalen. When Jesus therefore had seen His Mother and the disciple standing whom He loved, He saith to His Mother: Woman, behold thy Son. After that, He saith to the disciple: Behold thy Mother. And from that time the disciple took her to his own."

2nd Prelude: Composition of Place.----The summit of Calvary----the foot of the Cross. See the crowd of Priests, Scribes, and Ancients pushing their way through the people to get in sight and within hearing of Jesus. They stand triumphant before the Cross to mock Him in His misery. Note how the darkness deepens. With it comes fear over the souls of men. See the Immaculate Mother, Magdalen, and John close to the Cross. I shall take my place with them close to Jesus.

Heartbroken, Mary is standing at the foot of His Cross, with the disciple whom Jesus loved. Who can fathom her sorrow? Never was there a mother whose heart was capable of a greater, deeper, or more comprehensive love----and therefore also of greater pain----than the heart of the Mother of Jesus. The whole awful scene was enacted before her eyes; she saw it all----the nails, the wounds; she heard it all----the strokes of the hammer, the imprecations against her Son, and His own words and sighs. She stood close to the Cross, and looked into His blessed, dying face. Who can form any idea of her pain! And Mary suffered all this voluntarily. No one, nothing but her own intense love could impose upon her the sacrifice of being present in person at the death of Jesus. She made it courageously and undauntedly----in spite of the threats and invectives of His foes. She held up until the day with all its horrors was over, and accompanied it all with the most magnificent acts of adoration, love, compassion, and all other virtues.

Here on the Cross, Jesus merited for us the strength not to despond when we stand in the midst of the desert of darkness and solitude----and not to despair even in our last hour. We are not alone there----Jesus our Saviour has been there before us and erected His Cross to be a comfort to us. This cry, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" is like the voice of a friendly guide and powerful helper, proclaiming His presence in the pathless desert waste, and offering His aid. Jesus loves to call Himself the "Son of Man," and truly there is none among His many titles to which He has more fully proved His claim.

"It is consummated." All the enemies of God and man are conquered. (1) Satan is prostrate beside the Cross, with his head crushed under the foot of the Blessed Mother. (2) The world, Satan's great ally, without whose aid he can do nothing, is also conquered----Have confidence, I have overcome the world. (3) The lust of the flesh, of the eyes, and the pride of life: Jesus' most patient Body has conquered all. Body of Christ, save me. Passion of Christ, strengthen me. "He humbled Himself, becoming obedient unto death, even to the death of the Cross"----and so has triumphed over pride.

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, help me by the contemplation of Thy Sacred Passion to love Thee ardently, to give Thee of my best, to give fearlessly, perseveringly, and from love. O my Mother, keep me close to thee, then I shall be true to Jesus and value and love the Cross of Christ.

Station XIII

THE DEPOSITION FROM THE CROSS

(excerpt)

See with what ardour and reverence they approach the Sacred Body of Jesus. They salute the Mother of Sorrows, but neither can speak, their hearts are full of emotion and deepest sympathy for the Mother and Son. The beloved disciple joins them----all prostrate and adore Jesus on the Cross. Then the ladders are placed against the Cross and they begin the most sacred of duties.

Note how lovingly and reverently they touch the Sacred Body. First, the crown of thorns is removed----kissing it reverently they give it to the Immaculate Mother, who stretches out her hands to receive it, and she, too, kisses it and presses it to her heart. With the tenderest care the nails are drawn out, and passed one after another to the heroic Mother. See how gently and with what reverent love Joseph and Nicodemus wind linen bands around the limbs and then lower the Sacred Body to the ground. John holds the Adorable Head, Joseph and Nicodemus support the Body, and Mary Magdalen----always at her chosen place----takes the Sacred Feet of the Divine Master. No priest can treat the Blessed Sacrament with more care and reverence than these holy men of high degree treated the Body of Jesus. How dear they must be to us for their love of our Lord, and His Holy Mother, and for the generosity with which they give not only their property, Nicodemus his wealth and Joseph his sepulchre, but also themselves, the personal service of their hands; and lastly, for their courage.

It is not without significance that we are told that Joseph went "boldly" to Pilate. It really needed courage to do this, seeing the fanatical hatred borne by the Chief Priests and Rulers to Jesus, and the victory they had gained over Him. Joseph's and Nicodemus' sympathy for the fate of the Crucified----their intervention for Him----and the public burial they gave Him----might well be regarded as a demonstration of opposition, and might have the worst consequences for themselves. But they care nothing for all this. They came to know Jesus, they love Him, and everything must be done to serve and honour Him----Love is proved by deeds! These noble-minded men and their act is the first victory of the Death of Jesus, and a fruit of our Lord's gentleness and patience. "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth"----by being crucified----shall draw all to Myself." He did not take it amiss that they kept the fact of their discipleship secret for a time. Jesus waited patiently, and now His patience has borne fruit. And this is all the more wonderful----seeing that they were the only ones of all the disciples and Apostles, except St. John, who openly declared themselves for Jesus and espoused His cause.

As soon as the Sacred Body is lowered, going a few steps they place the "World's Treasure" in the winding-sheet that our Lady has spread on her knees. Then all prostrate and adore. I also will kneel and adore, fixing my eyes alternately on the Sacred Body of Jesus and on Mary. Contemplate lovingly, and mark how all who surround the Sacred Body of Jesus preserve a religious silence! How the Blessed Mother's heart speaks to her Beloved Son as she gazes on His bleeding face, His glazed eyes, His mangled body, His pierced hands and feet, His opened side. She speaks to the Eternal Father, the Holy Angels, the faithful friends of her adorable Son, she looks over the whole human race for whose redemption Jesus has suffered and died. She prays for all----for me!

What were the Holy Mother's thoughts as she gazed into the five Wounds and sees the Sacred Body covered with gaping wounds and bruises, battered out of all shape by the cruelty of man! O Mother of Sorrows, great as an ocean is thy sorrow! What must be thy hatred of sin, when thou seest what it has wrought in the Divine beauty of thy spotless Son! What a mixture of agonizing compassion and mournful sorrow, of hope and consolation, gratitude and triumphant joy, fills her holy soul while she looks on the dead Body of her Son. The day on which Jesus died is indeed well called Good Friday. It is the day when Jesus consummated His victory over death.

Station XIV

THE BURIAL OF JESUS

The evening shadows grew longer and the Parasceve was drawing rapidly to a close----so the men see haste must be made to bury Jesus. Joseph, John, and Nicodemus beg the Holy Mother to allow them to complete the embalming of the Sacred Body. They reverently lift the Sacred Body of Jesus from His Mother's knee, and carry it to the stone of anointing, which is still shown and venerated in the Church ot the Holy Sepulchre. There they prepared it for burial according to Jewish custom.

They wrapped the Body of Jesus in fine linen cloths and bands, and placed spices and sweet-smelling herbs between it and the linen; sprinkled the linen itself with sweet perfumes----covered the Sacred Head with a napkin. See Mary herself performing this last duty. Oh, with what woe she gazes for the last time on the dead face of her beloved Son! The sun of her life has set with the covering of Jesus' face!

The preparation of the Body for burial was such as rich and respected men received. The preparations being completed, they proceed to inter the Body. It was already late, probably about five o'clock in the evening. The site where our Lord was to be buried was situated about fifty paces northwest of the place where the Cross stood. It was fortunate that the distance was so short, on account of the nearness of the Sabbath. The sepulchre was in a garden, and was hewn in the rocks and thus protected by nature against violation and profanation. It was quite new and unused, as befitted our Lord in regard to Whom everything must be pure and inviolate, as had been the womb of His Mother----to which the Holy Sepulchre is often compared. As a Joseph had once helped Mary to lay the Infant Saviour in the manger, so it is now a Joseph, too, who helps her to lay Him in the grave. Follow the little procession of mourners as they go down the hill, through the ravine, straight across to the garden, the three or four men bearing the Sacred Body of Jesus----His Mother, Magdalen, the Holy Women, and a few servants follow closely. When they reach the sepulchre our Blessed Lady spreads a white cloth in the tomb. Then the Body of Jesus is placed on the stone----there to remain until the hour of its joyful Resurrection.

Contemplate It as It lies there----disfigured by countless wounds and scars----apparently lifeless----yet nevertheless the joy of God and worthy of our highest adoration. Passive and cold and motionless----but soon to be radiant with the most dazzling beauty----dead but belonging to a Divine Person. From this we may learn (1) the glory of suffering, (2) the power of apparent helplessness when God is with us, (3) the beauty of passive obedience, (4) the true life of those who are dead to the world.

Mark how, before closing the entrance to the tomb, all fall on their knees and adore the Sacred Body, shedding many tears----in spirit I can unite with all these loyal, devoted servants of our Lord, and adore, love, and thank my dear Master for all His goodness to me. Then they lead the Mother of God back to the Cenacle----leaving their hearts where their Treasure rests. In passing before the Cross our Blessed Lady prostrates, and is the first to adore the Sacred Sign of our Redemption. All who accompany her follow her example. Watch----and listen----as the Holy Mother and Jesus' devoted servants reach the Cenacle. Our Lady, before entering with John, Magdalen, and the Holy Women, thanks most tenderly the faithful friends of Jesus----she blesses them for the love with which they have rendered Him the last duties, and says with fullest confidence: "The God of our Fathers will not permit His Holy One to see corruption."

What was our Lord doing while thus apparently inactive in the silent tomb? He was beginning His work of triumph; announcing the glad tidings of salvation to the holy souls in Limbo, among whom soon appeared the penitent thief, in fulfillment of His promise, "This day shalt thou be in Paradise"; dethroning Satan and changing the kingdoms of this world into the Kingdom of God and of His Christ. So it is with us. When we seem useless and apparently doing nothing, we are often doing great things for God! Our tabernacles are so many tombs where the Body of Jesus is buried. What is my assiduity in visiting the Hidden God? What is my devotion, my respect in His Divine Presence? Are not our hearts so many tombs into which Jesus deigns to descend? Is mine a garden enclosed?----cultivated----adorned with flowers of virtue, especially purity, love, humility, desire? Is this garden of my soul silent from all din of earthly, worldly things and dedicated to Him alone? Is His Sacred Body embalmed by my love, and wrapped in the clean winding-sheet of purity of intention? If this be so, His Presence in my soul when I have received Him in Holy Communion will be the pledge of my glorious resurrection with Him. The rock signifies stability in good----"He ye steadfast and immovable."

COLLOQUY.----O Jesus, would that all might know and love Thee! Would that I never displeased Thee! Now, dearest Jesus, I begin. I must serve Thee with all my heart's love, with all my strength. Would that I possessed the hearts of all, that I might consecrate them to Thy love! Help me, dear Lord, to make some return for all Thy loving patience with me in the past. O Jesus, the life and delight of my soul! How unutterable is the love wherewith Thou hast loved me! Grant, Lord Jesus, that from this day I may begin to serve Thee in earnest----give of my best----give fearlessly----and from purest love. Grant that my life may bear much fruit of holiness, and so show forth the Divine power of Thy grace and love, and promote Thy greater glory.

O Mary, Mother of God, my Mother, for the love of thy Divine Son, keep me always close to thy pure heart----shield me from the devil, the world, and my own evil nature----that I may become thy true child and the devoted Spouse and Apostle of Jesus. O Mother, I have need of thee; Mary, be propitious to me!