Stations
of the Cross |
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Station 8 -
Jesus greets the women of Jerusalem |
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| The Scripture Reading | |
| Genesis 19:17-26 17: And when they had brought them forth, they said, "Flee for your life; do not look back or stop anywhere in the valley; flee to the hills, lest you be consumed." 18: And Lot said to them, "Oh, no, my lords; 19: behold, your servant has found favour in your sight, and you have shown me great kindness in saving my life; but I cannot flee to the hills, lest the disaster overtake me, and I die. 20: Behold, yonder city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one. Let me escape there -- is it not a little one? -- and my life will be saved!" 21: He said to him, "Behold, I grant you this favour also, that I will not overthrow the city of which you have spoken. 22: Make haste, escape there; for I can do nothing till you arrive there." Therefore the name of the city was called Zo'ar. 23: The sun had risen on the earth when Lot came to Zo'ar. 24: Then the LORD rained on Sodom and Gomor'rah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven; 25: and he overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. 26: But Lot's wife behind him looked back, and she became a pillar of salt. |
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| The Mediation & Prayer | |
| The women wept for Jesus.
Seeing the condemned man go past the women wept for His life; for
His suffering; for His failure. But it was fort his that He came into
the world. He reproved them, “Weep rather for yourselves and
for your children.” His life is offered for their lives; His
suffering allows them to come to the bliss of heaven; His failure
is their gateway to success. But only if they turn from their complacent
ideas of what is meaningful life; what is comfort; what is success.
Through all the los of life, the suffering of the world, the needless waste and failure of human endeavour, the guardian angels watch still. But see where they watch: they do not watch over us; they gaze on the face of the Father: their work is not to protect from calamity, but to pray for salvation. Jesus, when He walked by with His cross did not promise the women that they would have an end to weeping; but He told them to weep for the right things: to gaze steadfastly on the Face of the father and to weep for sin and to repent with wailing. This is weeping worth the tears; weep for yourselves; and your angel, his face turned always to that of the Father will see your face reflected in His eyes, your tears dried by the warmth of His loving gaze. Father when we suffer in this world, teach us to turn to
your face and find there comfort and healing for our souls.
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