A Miracle of the Crown of Thorns

Bishop Beschi announces the miracle

“The Holy Thorn of Jesus has flowered.”

Taken, and translated from Corriere della Sera.

Sprouts on the fragment of the crown of Christ, in Andria, in Puglia. It has not happened since 1932. According to Monsignor Beschi: we observed the phenomenon with seriousness, prudence and competence, the sign is evident

The relic from the Crown of Thorns of Christ, the "Sacred Spine" or thorn, which is conserved at San Giovanni Bianco has sprouted.

“Dear sisters and dear brothers,

the veneration of the relic of the Holy Thorn, kept in the church and by the parish community of San Giovanni Bianco , has historically been nourished by a particular sign, called ‘flowering', which would occur on the occasion of the 25th March, solemnity of the Annunciation of Mary, coinciding with the celebration of Good Friday. With great joy I can announce that the sign has manifested itself .”

That is how the bishop of Bergamo, Monsignor Francesco Beschi, announced on March 28, 2016, that the miracle of the Holy Thorn took place in San Giovanni Bianco. It had not happened since 1932 and before that since 1598. Moreover, the same event occurred simultaneously in Andria, in Puglia, where there is the other fragment of the crown of Jesus preserved in the basilica of San Nicola di Bari.

When Good Friday is March 25

The prodigy, according to the Church, can happen when March 25, the day of the Annunciation of the Angel to Mary, therefore the moment of the Incarnation of the Son of God, coincides with Good Friday, that is, the day of the celebration of the Lord’s Death and our Redemption. The extraordinary coincidence of dates took place in 2005, but then nothing happened. This year, however, two different coloured buds have appeared on the thorn.

The Holy Thorn has flourished: “There is a miracle”

The Bishop of Bergamo continued: “The prudence, the seriousness, the skills of those to whom I have entrusted the task of observing the Relic and the evidence of the sign lead me to confirm that this has happened. The veneration of the sacred relic by the parish community of San Giovanni Bianco, the communities of the Brembana Valley, the Diocese and beyond the borders of the Diocese, is renewed in the light of this sign that leads us back to the Passion and Cross of Jesus and to what that represents for the faith of Christians and for the salvation of humanity.”

“The fact that the sign takes place in conjunction with the celebrations of the Annunciation and the Passion and Death of Jesus and his Resurrection, challenges us to consider with the mind and heart, the manifestation of God’s love which was communicated in the story of Jesus of Nazareth, in the mystery of the Incarnation and of His Passion and Death. Christians testify with their faith, with community life and with their existence that the solidarity of God with men, becomes the source of a stronger hope than all evil and death itself, because they believe that the Crucified One has risen: He is the Living One, who gives life."

Conclusion of the Bishop

"Dear sisters and dear brothers - finally concludes the bishop - I know how many have waited with faith and prayer for this sign : now it has been given to us not only to be revered, but because our eyes open on the many thorns that still pierce the head of the Lord, in the poor, in the suffering, in the forgotten, in the abandoned, in the despised and our hearts are opened so that the strength of love that draws on the supreme gesture of the love of Christ and is manifested towards all our crucified contemporaries that the ‘flowering' Holy Thorn represents in such an engaging way. I join you all in thanking the Lord for this precious sign, aware with you that keeping it means nourishing our faith in Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world day by day and witnessing to Him with the gospel transparency of our humble existences."

The Original article in Italian.

By His Wounds Ours are Healed!

The following prayer was taught to St. Mechtilde

by Christ Himself as she went

to kiss the Cross one Good Friday

I THANK Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, for the painful Wound of Thy left foot, from which flowed the Precious Blood that washes away our sins. In it I sink and hide all the sins I have ever committed. Amen.

I thank Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, for the painful Wound of Thy right foot, from which the fountain of peace flowed to us. In its depths I sink and bury all my desires, that they may be purified and remain unspotted by any earthly stain. Amen.

I thank Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, for the painful Wound of Thy left hand, from which the well of grace flowed to us. In it I enclose all my spiritual and bodily ills, that in union with Thy sufferings they may become sweet to me, and by patience become a fragrant odor before God. Amen.

I thank Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, for the painful Wound of Thy right hand, from which the medicine of the soul was poured forth. In it I hide all my negligences and omissions which I have committed in my virtuous exercises, that they may be atoned for by Thy zealous works. Amen.

I thank Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, for the healing Wound of Thy sweetest Heart, from which living Water and Blood and the riches of all good flowed to us. I place myself in this Wound, and there unite all my imperfect love to Thy Divine love, that thus it may be perfected. Amen

Promises of Our Lord Given

to St. Gertrude the Great

for those Who Honour His Holy Wounds:

One day as St. Gertrude was completing her prayers and salutations in honour of the Wounds of the Saviour, her compassion was rewarded by a vision of Our Lord, on whose Wounds rested golden roses. Our Lord said to her:

 

“Behold, I will appear to you in this refulgent form at the hour of your death, and I will cover all your sins, and adorn you with a glory like that with which you have adorned My Wounds by your salutations. All who do so shall receive the like favour.”

It was also revealed to St. Gertrude that reading and meditating on the Passion are far more useful and efficacious than all other spiritual exercises. As those who handle flour cannot avoid contracting some of the flour's powdery substance, so no one, however imperfect his devotion may be, can occupy his mind with the Passion of Our Lord without receiving some benefit therefrom. And, however cold and lukewarm our devotion, Our Lord will look upon us with greater long-suffering and mercy if we never omit the memory of His Passion.

Gangrene Reversed and Healed (Impossible!)

But nothing is impossible with God!

Father Louis Cestac

Born in Bayonne on January 6, 1801, died in the odor of holiness in Anglet on March 27, 1868 after a holy and inspiring life, Father Cestac was recognized "venerable" on April 8, 1908 by Saint Pius X, followed by a "Trial of fame of holiness ”by decree dated 1914. It is an essential step for a possible beatification which can only take place following a miracle, usually healing, due to his intercession.

A remarkable healing

However, in 1939, a remarkable healing took place, the healing of Mr. Francis Céby which occurred following the invocation of Father Cestac. Because of the war, the cause went no further.

The facts

Here, in summary, are the facts.

On October 30, 1939, Mr. Francis Céby, domiciled in Labenne (Landes), aged 89, exercising the profession of resinier (and wooden shoe maker in the evening), in excellent shape for his age, injured himself in the courtyard of his house at the left ankle. The wound, located on the path of a varicose vein, causes a heavy haemorrhage.

Gangrene!

Despite the intervention of his doctor, Dr. Fernand Ducournau, pain and extensive infection appeared within a few days with a marked odor of pus (installation of gangrene). The patient is in bed, his general condition worsens, he has heart failures. On November 2, the patient is considered lost by Dr. Ducournau who tells his priest son, Father François Céby, called to the spot from Buglose where he is in charge. He returns on November 9 at the call of his brother, given the desperate state of their father, and hears the doctor say that the patient would not last the night, telling them to prepare a coffin for a quick burial at the time of death.

However, on November 12, Dr. Ducournau is called back, and he is amazed to find the patient alive and notes the unexpected stop of the progression of the infection of the leg of the patient, which seems to be much better, while remaining pessimistic, "given the advanced age allowing no hope of defense of the organism or reaction against evil".

What happened?

On the night of 11 to 12, Francois Céby, his priest son, seeing his father unconscious, in a state of apparent death, called the parish priest to administer the Extreme Unction (Sacrament of the Sick) to him. The priest son began to pray the De profundis, which is prayed for the souls of those who have died.

At this moment, an interior inspiration pushes him to formulate, with a particular confidence, a prayer of intercession calling on Father Louis-Edouard Cestac:

“ My God, I ask you nothing; I thank you for having kept my father until this advanced age; however, if you want the glorification of Father Louis Edouard Cestac, may it please you, with his intercession, to heal my old father ”.

The dying man suddenly wakes up, and is able to join the prayers for the “agonizing” or dying, said by his Parish Priest (Curé) who had just arrived!

This sudden return to life had occurred when the gangrene was not yet healed ("the stench was terrible") and the leg still in a state of advanced decomposition ("to the bone"). But the gangrene disappears "Visibly" within three days, "the dressings are removed, the budding of the flesh begins and continues in such a way that the doctor seems out of his mind, while the family is seized with a deep emotion". November 20: “… not only is the flesh remade, but the varicose veins no longer exist; the knee and thigh are healed; the leg is normal with a slight indication of the previous ailment ”.

More prayers

The same day, his priest son returned to Labenne carrying a relic of Father Cestac, whom the patient "kept calling upon". On November 26, his son came back to him again to see an "even more noticeable" improvement, having asked, in the meantime, the Servantes de Marie de Buglose, to make a novena to the good Father Cestac.

Very quickly the patient regains his vigour with a recovery in appetite and sleep. His general condition continues to improve and Mr. Céby resumes the course of his life as before, always to the doctor's surprise.

Patient had a vision - confirmed!

After his recovery, the patient claimed to have seen beautiful ladies on several occasions during his illness and these words written before him: " courage and patience ". He would later learn that this was one of Father Cestac's familiar expressions.

According to the various testimonies, for the family and the neighbourhood, there was no doubt that this healing was the fruit of a miracle operated by the intercession of Father Cestac whom they continued to thank for a long time.

In September 1941, a year and five months after healing, the general and local condition of the patient is excellent, he resumed his work with resin. The sick leg is as strong as the other. "He still walks like a solid man of seventy years ."

If I lived for 300 years...

Dr. Ducournau comes to consider that it was indeed an extraordinary healing. “The doctor above all highly recognizes the reality of the above facts and declares himself ready to testify before the Ecclesiastical Court. He too believes that this fact goes beyond the forces of nature; what he says by saying "that he has never seen such a thing and that he will never see it again, even if he lived 300 years".

Tough Criteria for Miracles

This healing fully meets the required criteria necessary for canonical recognition of miraculous healing:

• the disease in question is well known in medicine;

• it has an obvious grave character;

• it is purely organic, physical lesion (and not psychological);

• there was no treatment that could contribute to healing;

• this took place instantaneously at the very last extremity, at the very moment of the invocation, taking place in an extremely rapid and surprising manner;

• there is a complete return to the previous state of health;

• it is not a temporary remission but a complete recovery.

Medical authorities’ conclusion was:

"There can be no doubt that the healing of Mr. Francis Céby was completely unexpected compared to usual medical forecasts. His recovery can be considered highly unlikely. It is related to an invocation to Father Louis Edouard Cestac ”.

And so, on June 13, 2014 Pope Francis authorized the promulgation of “the miracle attributed to the venerable Servant of God Louis Edouard Cestac, diocesan priest, founder of Notre-Dame of the Refuge and the Institute of the Servants of Mary ”.

A Talk on Divine Providence

Click here for the catechesis

A commentary on the opening paragraph of the article "Providence" in the 1918 Catholic Encyclopedia.

Litany for All the Dying, English Translation

Litany for the All the Dying

Lord have mercy.

Christ have mercy.

Lord have mercy.

Holy Mary, pray for us

All holy Angels & Archangels, pray for us

Holy Abel, pray for us.

All the choir of the Just, pray for us

Holy Abraham                        "

Saint John the Baptist             " 

Saint Joseph                           "

All you holy

    Patriarchs and Prophets     "

Saint Peter                              "

Saint Paul

Saint Andrew                         "

Saint John                               "

All you holy

    Apostles & Evangelists      "

All you holy

    Disciples of the Lord         "

Holy Innocents                       "

Saint Stephen                         "

Saint Lawrence                       "

All you holy Martyrs              "

Saint Sylvester                        "

Saint Gregory                         "

Saint Augustine                      "

All you holy Pontiffs              "

Saint Benedict                        "

Saint Francis                           "

All holy Monks & Hermits    "

Saint Mary Magdalen             "

Saint Lucy                              "

All holy Virgins & Widows   "

Be merciful, spare them O Lord.

Be merciful, hear them, O Lord.

Be merciful, free them O Lord.

From Thy wrath, free them O Lord.

From the danger of death, free them O Lord.

From a bad death, free them O Lord.

From the punishments of Hell, free them O Lord.

From every evil, free them O Lord.

From the power of the devil, free them O Lord.

By Thy Nativity, free them O Lord.

By Thy Cross and Passion, free them O Lord.

By Thy Death and Burial, free them O Lord.

By Thy glorious Resurrection, free them O Lord.

By Thy wonderful Ascension, free them O Lord.

By the grace of the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, free them O Lord.

In the Day of Judgment, free them O Lord.

We sinners, we ask Thee, hear us.

That you spare them, we ask Thee, hear us.

Lord have mercy.

Christ have mercy.

Lord have mercy.

From the Manuel de l’archiconfrérie du Cœur Agonisant de Jésus, 1868, by Fr. Marin de Boylesve, s.j., with ecclesiastical approbation of Blessed Pope Pius IX.

Have mercy on the dying!

Everyday around 150,000 people die, from all causes, and enter eternity. They meet Christ the Judge of the living and the dead. If they have come to the use of reason, there are only two possibilities. Either they have responded to and cooperated with the grace and mercy of God, or, they have refused Him to the end.

Have mercy on yourself too!

One day you and I will die. If we have practised mercy for the dying ourselves, then according to the word of Christ, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy”, we will

have an abundance of grace, light and mercy in our own last hour. This is a case of a legitimate, “enlightened self interest.”

A great act of charity and mercy

The most urgent thing to pray for is for the poor sinners, and even more so, the poor unbelievers, who must soon die. Using the Church’s own prayers for them is very powerful. So here is the Litany for the Dying taken from the Last Rites of the traditional Roman Liturgy, with one small change.

The official, liturgical Litany for the dying says “for her” or “for him” but since this is intended for all the dying of the whole world it says “for them”, as in, all the dying of the next twenty four hours. When it is one saint, we say in the singular, pray for them, ora pro eis and when it is more than one, we say orate pro nobis.

Litany for the Dying

Kyrie, eleison. Christe, eleison. Kyrie, eleison.

Sancta Maria, ora pro eis.

Omnes sancti Angeli et Archangeli, orate pro eis.

Sancte Abel. ora.

Omnis chorus iustorum, ora pro eis.

Sancte Abraham

Sancte Joannes Baptista

Sancte Ioseph

Omnes sancti Patriarchae et Prophetae,

Sancte Petre

Sancte Paule

Sancte Andrea

Sancte Joannes

Omnes sancti Apostoli & Evangelistae

Omnes sancti Discipuli Domini

Omnes sancti Innocentes,

Sancte Stephane

Sancte Laurenti

Omnes sancti Martyres

Sancte Silvester

Sancte Gregori

Sancte Augustine

Omnes sancti Pontifices

Sancte Benedicte

Sancte Francisce

Omnes sancti Monachi et Eremitae

Sancta Maria Magdalena

Sancta Lucia

Omnes sancte Virgines etViduae

Omnes Sancti et Sanctae Dei, intercedite pro eis

Propitius esto, parce eis, Domine.

Propitius esto, exaudi eos, Domine.

Propitius esto, libéra eos, Domine.

Ab ira tua, libera eos, Domine.

A periculo mortis, libera eos, Domine.

A mala morte, libera eos, Domine.

A poenis inferni, libera eos, Domine.

Ab omni malo, libera eos. Domine.

A potestate diaboli, libera eos, Domine.

Per Nativitatem tuam, libéra eos, Domine.

Per crucem et passionem tuam, libera eos, Domine.

Per mortem et sepulturam tuam, libera eos, Domine.

Per gloriosam resurrectionem tuam, libera eos, Domine.

Per admirabilem ascensionem tuam, libera eos, Domine.

Per gratiam Spiritus Sancti Paracleti, libéra eos. Domine.

In die iudicii, libera eos, Domine.

Peccatores, te rogamus, audi nos.

Ut eis parcas, te rogamus, audi nos.

Kyrie, eleison. Christe, eleison. Kyrie, eleison.

Manuel de l’archiconfrérie du Cœur Agonisant de Jésus, 1868, by Fr. Marin de Boylesve, s.j., with ecclesiastical approbation of Blessed Pope Pius IX.

Peace through the Blood of His Cross

Put a drop of the

Precious Blood of Jesus Christ on your heart

and fear nothing.

Love the Truth! Glory to the Blood of Jesus!

On January 1, 1874, around noon Blessed Pope Pius IX received, in the Consistory Hall, good wishes from all foreign seminarians then in Rome. He gave them this talk:

Yes, it is a very just thought that you have just expressed to me; yes, it is very true that the Church is founded supra firmam petram. This is an indisputable fact and a striking proof that the Church is the work of God. This foundation of solidity, strength and firmness is of her character and shines at all ages, especially in times of persecution and tyranny.

Example of St. Stephen, the first Martyr

If you want proof, you have it in the saint whom we were honouring a few days ago. Saint Stephen was one of the first children of the Catholic Church, and we know that he had nothing more at heart than to announce and defend the truth. But the truth, oh my children, was already fought by the Pharisees, as it always has been and is in the present day by the successors of the Pharisees: the truth we do not want to hear. The first martyr Saint Stephen was the first victim of love for the truth; he was sacrificed by unbelievers and enemies of the truth, and while he was subjected to the punishment of cast stones, and even at the moment when he gave his soul to God, he prayed for his executioners.

The Church is perpetually persecuted

There is no doubt: the Church has always won; oppositions, oppressions, tyranny could not tame it. The stones that were thrown nineteen centuries ago at the First Martyr, people still throw them today at the defenders of the truth. The ministers of God, the members of the regular or secular clergy are exposed to all the insults: to the blows of the stone, to the blows of the stick, to the blasphemies. Sad show! The very people who should put a stop to these disorders do like Saul, they guard the cloaks of the attackers, thus giving an encouragement, or at least a greater freedom of movement to those who want to throw stones at the anointed of the Lord.

            But all this produces something very comforting: everywhere there is a great awakening of faith, which gives the faithful the holy courage to address themselves with a trusting love to Jesus Christ and to speak to the powerful of the earth with all the strength of their convictions. May God be praised and blessed in all the holy provisions of His Providence!

Miracles of virtue are greater

Imitate, my children, Saint Stephen, I recommend it ; you will not do miracles like him, signa multa et prodigia, but you can imitate him in a certain way which can also produce miracles. Yes, there are miracles available to everyone, and I will give you an example: that of overcoming your passions. A proud young man who becomes a lamb of humility is a miracle; another, subject to distractions, having little taste for study, becomes applied, recollected, regular in the performance of his duties, that is another miracle. It is these wonders that I wish you to do; by this you will prove to modern society which hardly believes in miracles that, by means of the grace of God, one can change one's character, that the lion can become a lamb, the eagle a dove. And these are great miracles.

The Precious Blood is the Source of our Peace

To be able to better reach the goal, I will remind you of an exhortation that Saint Francis de Sales made to someone on the day of Circumcision. He said: Let each one seek to take some small drop of this Precious Blood which comes out for the first time from the most holy body of Jesus Christ and that let each one place this Precious Blood on his heart; for when the exterminating angel presents himself, seeing this Blood, he will continue on his way and will not touch those who carry It within them.

Peace of heart

I address the same exhortation to you: put on your heart a drop of the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ and fear nothing: the exterminating Angel will not dare to touch you: you will not have to fear his sword; but you will overcome it and you will be able to repeat these miracles for yourselves about which I have just spoken to you. In this case, oh my children, you will be able to nourish the sweet hope of imitating Saint Stephen also in the consoling visions of the last hour, you will be able to repeat with the first martyr: Ecce video coelos apertos and Iesum stantem ad dexteram virtutis Dei. I see the sky open, and while men persecute and torment me, Jesus Christ stretches his arms towards me from the height of paradise and sends His angels to meet me: the angels come to me, so that after I will be separated from this material envelope which is called the body, I can fly with them to heaven.

            I am far from affirming that you will all be able to see, at the time of your death, the sky open before your eyes; but after the miracles that I have just advised you, it is certain that you will have at this supreme hour a clear conscience, a soul filled with calm. You can say to God: Fidem servavi. O my God, I have not been unfaithful: Cursum consummavi: in reliquo reposita est mihi corona iustitiae, quam das, iuste iudex, non solum mihi qui nunc morior, sed omnibus illis qui diligunt adventum tuum .

Good wishes and final blessing

These are the wishes that I make for you, this first day of the year, and that I will accompany with my blessing. I bless you, so that you can make this precious end. I bless you in your studies, in your prayers and even in your recreations, in a word, in all that you can accomplish in life for the glory of God. Standing, dear children, standing; do not fall asleep, because the times are evil: tempus faciendi, Domine: dissipaverunt legem tuam. It is up to us, it is to the clergy, that it is up to defend the rights of the Church, to work for the salvation of souls, to extend to all the earth the reign of Jesus Christ.

God calls you to this high mission, and it is a great honour for you to be able to accomplish it. So fix your eyes, full of faith, to heaven and see Jesus Christ raising his arm, at this very moment, and blessing you by supporting the weak arm of his unworthy Vicar.

Benedictio Dei, etc.

Glory to the Blood of Jesus!

There is no remission of sin and no eternal life without Christ Precious Blood.-HERE-

The one, true and living God

A little something from another time, before I came to Chippawa parish, but always important.HERE

An Atmosphere of Unbelief

We live immersed in an atmosphere of unbelief.

It is extremely harmful to the spiritual life.

War is being waged on

     •  every idea of superior authority

     •  every idea of GOD

     •  every idea of Revelation

     •  every idea of a future life

     •  every idea of mortification

For this reason all the Faithful must learn, meditate on

and be strongly grounded in

the fundamental truths of the Faith.

We must be inspired by

     • the Christian concept of life or "world view"

     •  the sense of having to answer for our every deliberate act, to the Supreme Judge, who is everywhere, who knows everything and sees everything

we must root in our hearts,

     • the holy fear of God,

     • the love of Christ

     • the love of the Church

     • a taste for charity and for solid piety

     • esteem for the virtues and for Christian practices.

If we do NOT do this,

we build our lives on the shifting sands of changeable ideas and on human respect.

If we DO carry this all out,

we build our lives on the rock of supernatural convictions: they wont let us down throughout our whole life, no matter what storms may come.

The Prayer Stella Caeli against the Epidemic

Stella Coeli

The Star of Heaven that nourished the Lord

drove away the plague of death which the first

parents of man brought into the world. May

this bright Star now vouchsafe to extinguish

that foul constellation whose battles have

slain the people with the wound of death.

O most kind and loving Star of the Sea,

preserve us from pestilence;

hear us, O Lady, for Thy Son honours

Thee by denying Thee nothing.

Save us, O Jesus, for whom Thy Virgin Mother supplicates Thee.

V: Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God.

R: That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray

O God of mercy, God of pity, God of benign clemency,

Thou Who hast had compassion on the affliction of Thy

people, and hast said to the angel striking them, “Stop thy

hand;” for the love of this glorious Star, whose breasts

Thou didst sweetly drink as antidote for our crimes,

grant the assistance of Thy grace, that we may be safely freed

from all pestilence, and from unprovided death; and mercifully

save us from the gulf of eternal perdition: through Thee,

Lord Jesus Christ, King of Glory, who livest and reignest,

world without end. Amen.

STATIONS of the CROSS with Thoughts from ST. PAUL of the CROSS

STATIONS of the CROSS

with Thoughts from

ST. PAUL of the CROSS

First Station: Jesus is condemned to Death

“It is necessary that we accept the cross of tribulation willingly, at least with the higher part of our soul, as Jesus accepted His condemnation in perfect conformity to the will of the Father”

Prayer: O Jesus! so meek and uncomplaining, teach me resignation in trials.

One Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be...

Second Station: Jesus Carries His Cross

“Most fortunate is the soul who walks by the way of Calvary, following Jesus our Redeemer, for if we suffer with Christ now with Christ we shall reign in the glory of the Father.”

 My Jesus, this cross should be mine, not Thine; my sins crucified Thee.

Third Station: Jesus Falls for the First Time

“Come and see our Savior enduring so much suffering, so many insults, and oppressed with the heavy burden of the cross, for love of us. Contemplate the Son of God, Redeemer of the world, and how much He is suffering. O Jesus in Your sufferings I see the gravity of my sins. Lord have mercy!”

O Jesus! by the first fall, never let me fall into mortal sin.

Fourth Station: Jesus Meets His Mother

“The Sorrowful Mother seeks her Divine Son, Jesus; she meets him on the way to Calvary; she sees Him bound, crowned with thorns, with the cross on his shoulders. O Queen of Martyrs, we also have been your sorrow that, like a sharp and unrelenting sword has pierced your soul.”

O Jesus! may no human tie, however dear, keep me from following the road of the Cross.

Fifth Station: Simon Helps Jesus Carry His Cross

“Those who suffer tribulations, suffering, persecutions, and are despised for the love of God are helping Jesus Christ carry His cross. If they persevere, they will be partakers of His glory in heaven.”

Simon unwillingly assisted Thee; may I, with patience, suffer all for Thee

Sixth Station: Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus

“The remembrance of the most holy Passion of Jesus Christ is the door through which the soul enters into intimate union with God, interior recollection and most sublime contemplation. It must be impressed deeply on our souls as we allow ourselves to be immersed in His bitter sufferings, for through these the love of God is enkindled in us and we will then be plunged in the abyss of the divinity.”

O Jesus! Thou didst imprint Thy Sacred features upon Veronica's veil; stamp them also indelibly upon my heart.

Seventh Station: Jesus Falls for the Second Time

“The greater number of Christians live unmindful of all that Jesus, our Life, has done and suffered. That is why they live on, sleeping in the night of iniquity.”

By the second fall, preserve me, dear Lord, from relapse into sin.

Eighth Station: Jesus Consoles the Women of Jerusalem

“The most holy Passion of Jesus Christ is the most efficacious means to convert obstinate sinners, because meditation on the sufferings of our Savior has power to root out vice and implant love and holy fear of God in the soul.”

My greatest consolation would be to hear Thee say: “Many sins are forgiven thee, because thou hast loved much.”

Ninth Station: Jesus Falls for the Third Time

“Let us be glad when we are afflicted and the cross is most heavy on our shoulders, because then if we suffer with the patience of Christ we will begin to be His disciples.”

O Jesus! When weary upon life's long journey, be Thou my strength and perseverance.

Tenth Station: Jesus is Stripped of His Garments

“Jesus permitted Himself to be despoiled of His garments on Calvary in order to teach us to renounce our own will when it is not conformable to the will of the Father. He wants us to strip ourselves of earthly affections and all inordinate love of the things of this world, so that we may clothe ourselves with the virtues of Christ.”

My soul has been robbed of its robe of innocence; clothe me, dear Jesus, with the garb of penance and contrition.

Eleventh Station: Jesus is Nailed to the Cross

“We must glory in nothing else but in being crucified with Jesus and in bearing the marks of His wounds in our body. We must strive for great detachment from creatures in order to be united only with the Creator, through the various sufferings and pains of life, endured for the love of God, in patience, silence in the midst of all the sacrifices demanded by our state in life, and by practicing the virtues taught by our Divine Savior.”

Thou didst forgive Thy enemies;my God, teach me to forgive injuries and FORGET them.

Twelfth Station: Jesus Dies on the Cross

“Jesus died to give us life: all creatures are in sorrow: the sun is darkened, the earth trembles, the rocks split, the veil of the temple is rent; will only our heart remain harder than the rock? Let us be immersed in a sea of sorrow over the death of Jesus and let us say to Him: "Lord, we thank you for having died on the cross for our sins."”

Thou art dying, my Jesus, but thy Sacred Heart still throbs with love for Thy sinful children.

Thirteenth Station: Jesus is Taken Down from the Cross

“If we go to the crucifix, we find our Mother of Sorrows, for where the Mother is, there also is the Son. Dear Mother, what sorrow you experienced in receiving your dead Son into your arms! We beseech you, Holy Mother, grant that the Passion of our Lord may be for us a fountain of sorrow, of pardon, of love and of life.”

Receive me into Thy arms, O Sorrowful Mother; and obtain for me perfect contrition for my sins.

Fourteenth Station: Jesus is Laid in the Tomb

“Devotion to the Passion of Jesus is the easiest way to be saved. The crucifix is a book wherein we learn every virtue, we learn the science of the saints, and therein we find all.”

When I receive Thee into my heart in Holy Communion, O Jesus, make it a fit abiding place for Thy adorable Body.

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A brief guide to meditation on Jesus’ Passion by St. Paul of the Cross

The spiritual master provides four thought-provoking questions

that help a person dive deeper into Jesus’ Passion.

St. Paul of the Cross, a holy priest of the 18th century, was deeply devoted to the Passion of Jesus Christ during his lifetime. He possessed a deep spiritual life, which can clearly be seen in his many letters. St. Paul took what he received from God and distributed it generously to anyone who would listen.

             In particular, St. Paul gave a few helpful tips on how to meditate on Jesus’ Passion. He provides thought-provoking questions that dig deep into the soul and give a person ample material to meditate on.

 

 •   Retire, if possible, to some place where you can pray in silence and recollection. Kneel down and recollect yourself in the presence of God; adore His infinite majesty; humble yourself before Him; beg pardon for your sins; implore His grace, saying some prayer like the following:

 

 •   Grant me, O Lord, through Thy bitter Passion and death, the grace to know and love Thy infinite goodness; to thank Thee and have compassion for Thee for Thy sufferings in my behalf. Awaken in me a lively sorrow for my sins and help me for the future to do Thy holy will.

 

 •   Now read or recall to mind some part of the Passion on which you wish to meditate, such as the agony of Our Lord in the garden, the crowning with thorns, the scourging, or the crucifixion.

 

 •   Consider, then, Our Lord's sufferings, comprising them under the following simple questions:

 

 •   Who is it that suffers? (That He is God —Lord of all, Creator of all, God incarnate, Redeemer, infinitely perfect, good, kind, just, loving, etc.)

 

 •   What does He suffer? (Consider the cruelty, shamefulness, length, excess of suffering, etc., and make repeated acts of regret, sorrow, compassion, etc.)

 

 •   Why does He suffer? (Reflect that it is not for His own sake, but for men, His creatures, for sinners especially, and therefore for you in particular.)

 

 •   How does He suffer? (Consider how, or in what manner, Jesus suffers. Reflect on the special virtues of which He gives you an example: His meekness, silence, obedience, patience, etc. ; and see how you can imitate Him, or receive encouragement from Him.)

 

 •   Dwell for some time on each one of these points.