Joint Project Commissariat of the Holy Land in Canada and Antennes de paix à Montréal
3rd station
Station 4: Jesus meets his mother
1st voice
“For Mary, she treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart.” (Lk 2, 19) Jesus, pathetic pilgrim, carries his cross in solitude and suffering. But here is his mother, his strongest bond with humankind. He cannot spare her the sight of a disfigured son, crowned with thorns, condemned to die unjustly, bearing the marks of an unspeakable violence.
In the eyes of his mother Jesus sees a heart pierced through by anguish. He sees at the same time the fear that wells up in us: fear of suffering alone, fear of dying alone, fear of having our world delivered into the hands of exploiters and tricksters. From his heart overwhelmed by this encounter rises the wish to unite us all in the immense family of God’s children.
2nd voice
We are not alone. Let us be won over by the eyes of Jesus. May we allow Him to make his way through our fears and our anguish. By letting him accompany us on our own stations of the cross, we will find peace.
May those seeking a haven, a homeland, a house of sharing and friendship find a place at Mary’s side.
As witnesses of fratricidal wars that rob countless numbers of human beings of a quiet family life, let us intercede with Christ, our Saviour, so that undertakings of peace gain ascendency over enterprises of destruction. Let us remain hopeful since, even when disfigured by the wounds of separation and exile, we remain united in the “one who is our peace.”
3rd voice
Let us pray:
O Jesus, we pray for mothers who can no longer bear the blood spilt, the killings and the taking up of arms. We pray for the families grieving loved ones. You, our sole Saviour, revive our hope so that we may become with Mary witnesses to a life stronger than death. Amen.