“Truly, truly, I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the earth and perishes, it remains only a kernel of wheat; but if it perishes, it yields a great harvest.”Jn 12:24)

Bruised and fatigued, he falters. He collapses. The cross crashes down, forcing his cherished body against the ground. Yet there was a prior fall. There was a descent before this one. The fundamental reason we require a savior is the fall of Eden, the downfall in the garden when our original ancestors fell from favor.

The grain drops to the earth. Jesus, as well, falls. In the natural order, a seed lands on the ground and perishes so that it can produce fruit. The seed’s death results in the harvest. And to save us, Jesus falls to the ground and sacrifices his life so that we may experience life in abundance. Our Lord has secured for us the supreme harvest.

The Eucharist serves as the nourishment for our salvation, the result of the seed that has been buried in the earth and has perished.

Fourth Station: Jesus encounters his mother

R. We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you. (Genuflect)
V. Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

“(And you yourself a sword will stab) in order that the intentions of numerous hearts may be disclosed”Lk 2:35).

She was the initial one to follow him. And along the path to the cross, she continues to follow him.

Does Mary utter words as she gazes at her son? How many times has she looked upon his sacred face? And now she watches her cherished son bearing a cross, sentenced to die.

Her heart is shattered by grief, pierced as foretold by Simeon. Nevertheless, she embraces the unfolding tragedy with a resilience that stifles any outcry of dissent.

The Virgin Mary and her son are unbreakable. Following his passing, what brought her solace? The Eucharist. She was the initial tabernacle, the first to have carried his sacred body, and in the Eucharist, she continued to be connected to him.

Her mother’s heart was filled with sorrow. How she must have cried! Yet both mother and son understand the Father’s purpose. His anguish was shared with hers. His torment was hers. And his affection was hers. That same affection is concealed in the offering of the small host.

Fifth Station: Simon assists Jesus in bearing the cross

R. We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you. (Genuflect)
V. Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

“As they were exiting, they encountered a Cyrenian by the name of Simon; this individual they compelled to assist in bearing his cross” (Mt 27:32).

It is evident to all that the cross is excessively burdensome for him to bear alone. He has already collapsed once. Who will come forward to assist Jesus? No one is willing to take a step forward.

Soldiers seize Simon of Cyrene and compel him to assist Jesus in carrying the cross. He could have borne it by himself. God could have orchestrated events differently. However, in His wisdom, it was destined that Simon would aid Jesus.

Each one of us is summoned to be servants, to carry Jesus, to take the cross into the world. What greater service exists than living in dedication to the Blessed Sacrament? Christ resides within us! Every Christian, through Baptism, is marked for Christ and devoted to this calling.

Sixth Station: Veronica cleanses the face of Jesus

R. We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you. (Genuflect)
V. Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

“He was rejected and shunned by people, a man acquainted with grief, experiencing anguish, Like someone from whom you avert your gaze, dismissed, and we regarded him with no respect”Is 53:3).

Joseph and Mary looked in amazement at his face in Bethlehem. The woman at the well realized the truth when she met his gaze. Zaccheus ascended a tree to catch a sight of him. His nearest disciples were awestruck when they witnessed the brilliance of his face on Mount Tabor.

And what now? His visage, battered and sore, is a distressing sight. Veronica rushes to clean the bloodied forehead. And his face印记 is left on her sacred cloth.

The Eucharist enhances that likeness of Christ within us. Individuals ought to observe us and recognize him. We are summoned to be other Christs, and through the grace bestowed in the sacred sacrament, this is achieved. The veil serves as an authentic image, a genuine icon. However, an even more profound icon is the heart shaped in love to him.

Seventh Station: Jesus stumbles a second time

R. We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you. (Genuflect)
V. Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

“He poured himself out, adopting the shape of a servant, appearing in human form; and recognized as human in looks, he lowered himself, becoming submissive to death, even death on a cross” (Phil 2:7-8).

Our Lenten journey starts in dust. “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return,” we recite while distributing ashes. And now, Jesus stumbles once more. The cross collapses. Simon leaps aside. Our Lord is sprawled face down, his cheek resting on the dust. The Word that formed the earth encounters it once more.

Before the entirety of creation existed, the Son delighted in fellowship with the Father and the Holy Spirit. “All things came into existence through him” (Jn 1:3). This same Son consented to the Father’s intention to become part of that creation. He has humbled himself so much that his face now lies upon the earth and rock.

And even that was not near enough. In his humility, he agrees to approach us in the guise of bread and wine. His genuine essence concealed from our senses, the Lord continues to humble himself. He arrives to us in complete modesty in the sacred Eucharist.

Eighth Station: Jesus encounters the women of Jerusalem

R. We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you. (Genuflect)
V. Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

“A substantial assembly of individuals accompanied Jesus, among them numerous women who were mourning and grieving for him. Jesus addressed them, saying, ‘Daughters of Jerusalem, do not cry for me; rather, weep for yourselves and for your offspring’”Lk 23:27-28).

Jesus hugs his mother. He welcomes Simon’s assistance. He permits Veronica to clean the sweat and blood from his visage. However, when he sees his friends mourning for him, he declines their sympathy. “Do not cry for me,” he instructs.

Is that it, though? Weep for your own, he states, for your offspring. What might this signify?

In these statements, Jesus cautions the holy women that the cross will also touch their hearts. Evil and affliction will recur time and again. We should mourn for ourselves and for those dear to us, so that we may accept the cross when it arrives. We need to lament our sins and pursue absolution and transformation.

The Eucharist leads to remorse for our transgressions. We ought to then run to the confessional, purify our souls, and, after acknowledging our sins, be prepared to welcome Our Lord.

Ninth Station: Jesus stumbles for the third time

R. We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you. (Genuflect)
V. Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

“I exist, not I anymore, but Christ resides in me; to the extent that I currently live in the body, I live through faith in the Son of God who has loved me and sacrificed Himself for me” (Gal 2:20).

Jesus is now far outside the confines of the Holy City. He ascends Golgotha, the hill where he will take his final breath. A multitude has assembled, trailing Jesus since Pilate delivered him. Each step moves him nearer to the site of his execution. He trips on the irregular ground. He falls for the final time.

Why three falls? Our thoughts reflect on the three trials Jesus encountered in the desert. The devil’s enticement presented power and satisfaction. And three times Jesus triumphs over his attraction. Three times Our Lord reaffirms his strength, rising to conquer defeat.

We are frequently inclined to doubt the words of Jesus. He has communicated to us the Eucharist is his own very flesh. Time and again, we face the urge to think differently, to forsake him, to question what he has vowed. Time and again we need to stand, positioning ourselves before him, declaring our belief in this holy enigma.

Tenth Station: Jesus is divested of his clothing

R. We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you. (Genuflect)
V. Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

“When I am raised up from the ground, I will attract all people to myself”Jn 12:32).

Upon reaching the site of the crucifixion, the soldiers stripped away his tunic. The injuries from his flogging became visible to everyone. He stood vulnerable and unprotected in front of the bloodthirsty mob.

How utterly he connects with us! He stands, exposed, in support of every sinner whose hidden disgrace has come to light.

Did the audience scoff? Was he ridiculed even more? Were any hearts stirred with empathy?

In our time, we need to inquire, how frequently is the holy Eucharist deprived of its significance? How frequently is Jesus overlooked, disregarded, and disrespected? How often does he appear before us in the sacred host, vulnerable, exposed, simply to be abandoned?

Eleventh Station: Jesus is fastened to the cross

R. We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you. (Genuflect)
V. Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

“He himself carried our sins in his body on the cross, so that, liberated from sin, we may live for righteousness. Through his injuries you have been healed” (1 Pt 2:24).

His shattered form is sprawled across the immense tree of Calvary. His outstretched arms, reaching to the farthest corners of the world, symbolize the completeness of his offering.

How wholeheartedly he dedicates himself! He commits himself for each disciple, every convert who embraces his teachings, every sinner who approaches him.

“He rescued others; he is unable to rescue himself,” the masses shouted. Yet, he had not arrived to save himself. He came to offer himself. This is the profound significance of the Eucharist, the gift of himself, poured out for us.

Twelfth Station: Jesus passes away on the cross

R. We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you. (Genuflect)
V. Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

“Greater love has no one than this, to give up one’s life for one’s friends” (Jn 15:13).

The moment has arrived. The crucial point of history is finally here for all of mankind. The curtain of the temple is torn apart. The ground shakes. Jesus shouts with a powerful voice, “Father, into your hands I entrust my spirit,” and Our Lord takes his final breath.

This is not a time of loss. Just when it appears his vision of love has crumbled, the ultimate results have been achieved. This is the offering he had envisioned. This is the profound moment of love!

In the Eucharist, we are present. We tap into the blessings of Calvary. Sacramentally, we stand again at the foot of the cross when our esteemed high priest is presented as the sacrifice on the altar.

Through his death, we have been freed from sin. Each of our communions represents a union with him, the individual who sacrificed himself for our sake.

Thirteenth Station: Jesus is removed from the cross

R. We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you. (Genuflect)
V. Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

“Following this, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a covert follower of Jesus due to his apprehension of the Jews, requested Pilate for permission to take down the body of Jesus. Pilate granted his request. Thus, he went and retrieved the body.”Jn 19:38).

He has sacrificed his life for us. And now his exhausted body, removed from the cross by Joseph of Arimathea, is placed in the arms of his mother. How gently she must have welcomed her son. She embraced him like an infant, and now she draws him near again.

Picture the way she cried and prayed for him. She embraced him for all of us, with deep respect, overflowing with affection. And as she pulls him close, she brings us closer, uniting us, through him, to her heart.

In our gatherings, we also partake of the body of Jesus. Do we welcome him with the same affection that his mother displayed at the base of the cross?

Fourteenth Station: Jesus is placed in the grave

R. We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you. (Genuflect)
V. Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

“Joseph took the body, wrapped it [in] clean linen, and placed it in the new tomb he had carved out of the rock. After that, he rolled a large stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and left. However, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary stayed there, sitting and looking at the tomb.”Mt 27:59-61).

John softly guides the Virgin Mary away. Mary Magdalen and the other Mary stay behind. They remain with Jesus.

Were they merely stunned? Unable to accept what they had witnessed firsthand, were they enveloped in their sorrow? Were they anticipating something? Through their tears, could they catch glimpses of the remarkable occurrence ahead?

Maybe they understood that they just had to be in proximity to Jesus, to be as close to Our Lord as possible.

We must also stay with him. For our benefit, he was prepared to confront even death and be placed in a grave. Now he conceals himself in the form of bread. Close to him, let us remain vigilant and pray.