SIXTH STATION: Jesus Falls under the weight of the Cross

Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.

All: Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

As he staggered along the road to Calvary, Jesus felt crushed by the cross he was carrying on his shoulders. Much more, perhaps, he felt overwhelmed by the savage jeering of the mob that kept insulting him as if he were a criminal… Exhausted by the sleepless night and the tortures he had already endured, Jesus fell to the ground under the weight of the cross and the moral tortures he had suffered.

(Pause for silent reflection)

Prayer

The distance from the Praetorium to Calvary was not long – just a few hundred meters. But it took you long, Lord, to walk that stretch, staggering painfully and groping in vain for help … Your strength had long deserted you. The road was uneven. The crowd was merciless. The cross was becoming heavier and heavier, till it weighed you down… down to the dust! Like you, Lord, so many of us stagger and fall along the hard way of the cross that life becomes when trials and failures overwhelm us and crush us to the ground. When we stumble and fall, Lord, be our support! And when our brothers and sisters seem unable to carry the burden of their trials, Lord, give us a compassionate heart, that we may not add insult to injury.

Our Father | Hail Mary | Glory Be

Leader: Jesus Christ, Crucified.

All: Have Mercy on us.

Leader: May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

All: Amen.