(8) Jesus Consoles The Women Of Jerusalem
As Our Lord is passing by a number
of women are unable to restrain their
compassion and break into tears. But
Our Lord wishes to channel their
weeping towards a more supernatural
motive, and he invites them to weep
for sins, which are the cause of the
Passion and which will draw down the
rigour of divine justice: Daughters of
Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves and
for your children.
(9) Jesus Falls The Third Time
Our Lord falls for the third time, on the
slope leading up to Calvary, with only
forty or fifty paces between him and the
summit. Jesus can no longer stay on
his feet: his strength has failed him, and
he lies on the ground in utter
exhaustion. He offered himself up
because it was his will; abused and ill-
treated, he opened not his mouth, as a
sheep led to the slaughter, dumb as a lamb before its
shearer (Isai 53:7)
(10) Jesus Is Stripped Of His Garments
When Our Lord arrives at Calvary,
he is given some wine to drink mixed
with gall, as a narcotic to lessen in
some way the pain of the crucifixion.
The executioners take his garments
and divide them into four parts.
Despoiled, stripped, left in the most
absolute poverty, Our Lord is left with
nothing, save the wood of the Cross.
(11) Jesus Is Nailed To The Cross
Now they are crucifying Our Lord, and
with him two thieves, one on his right
and one on his life. Jesus says:
Father, forgive them for they do not
know what they are doing. It is Love
that has brought Jesus to Calvary. And
once on the Cross, all his gestures and
all his words are of love, a love both
calm and strong. With a gesture befitting an Eternal Priest,
without father or mother, without lineage (cf. Heb7:3), he
opens his arms to the whole human race.
(12) Jesus Dies On The Cross
On the uppermost part of the Cross
the reason for the sentence is written:
Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews.
The sun's light is extinguished and the
earth is left in darkness. It is close on
three o'clock, when Jesus cries out: Eli,
Eli, lamma sabacthani? That is: My
God, my God, why hast thou forsaken
me? Then Our Lord says: I am thirsty.
The soldiers soak a sponge in vinegar
and, placing it on a reed of hyssop, they put it to his mouth.
Jesus sips the vinegar, and exclaims: It is accomplished.
The veil of the temple is rent, and the earth trembles, when
the Lord cries out in a loud voice; Father, into thy hands I
commend my spirit. And he expires.
(13) Jesus Is Laid In The Arms Of His Blessed Mother
Mary stands by the Cross, engulfed in
grief. And John is beside her. But it is
getting late, and the Jews press for
Our Lord to be removed from there.
Having obtained from Pilate the
permission required by Roman law for
the burial of condemned prisoners,
there comes to Calvary a councilor
names Joseph and with him
Nicodemus. Between the two of them
they take down the body of Jesus and place it in the arms
of his most holy Mother.
(14) Jesus Is Laid In The Tomb
Very near Calvary, in an orchard,
Joseph of Arimathea had had a
new tomb made, cut out of the
rock. Since it is the eve of the
solemn Pasch of the Jews, Jesus is
laid there. Then Joseph, rolling a
great stone, closes the grave door
and goes away. Jesus came into
the world with nothing; so too, with
nothing - not even the place where he rests - he has left
us. Night falls. Now it is all over. The work of our
Redemption has been accomplished. We are now children
of God, because Jesus has died for us and his death has
ransomed us.