Fourth Station; Jesus meets Mother Mary

Photograph of Wall Art - with thanks to the Artist

Jesus meets His Mother. The woman who conceived Him. The woman who grew Him in her body, whose blood coursed through His veins through their shared placenta until He was ready for birth. The woman who birthed Him in the physical anguish all woman share when they give the gift of their child to the world. The woman who breastfed Him, cared for Him, fled with Him from soldiers who had been sent to kill Him. The woman who had picked Him up when He fell, nursed Him when He got sick, taught Him the Torah, the Word of God. The woman who had believed in Him at Cana, encouraging Him to start His Mission. The woman who had loved Him from the very first, and who now saw the results of hours of torture at the hands of a gang. The sword that Simeon had prophesied entered her soul. We who have suffered know that there is an emotional and spiritual pain from deepest suffering which causes actual physical pain; it constricts the chest, agonises the cardiac area, affects the breathing, constricts the throat muscles, weakens the knees. This is the suffering this brave woman went through. And this indeed was her finest hour; the mother of a criminal, shortly to be stripped completely naked to the gaze of gawking crowds as was the Roman custom at a crucifixion, she stood by Him. Now was the time He needed her most of all. And yet, unsettlingly, her pain served to make His even worse. Seeing her suffering, constricted His heart. And He needed all His strength to get through to the end of this desperate road. Jesus knew well that satan's hordes were all around; this was their hour, the hour of darkness as He proclaimed (Luke 22;53). And yet this gracious Lady, this mother, did not desert Him. Now another suffering clouded His mind - who would look after Her when He was gone? Widows in Israel needed male relatives . . . and the Plan which had begun in His mind as He saw John His disciple accompanying His Mother as they followed Him on the road to crucifixion began to take root. He who was soon to lose His earthly life would give her a new son to care for her; and a new mother to comfort John when He missed the companionship of His most beloved Messiah. As He shakily moved past His Mother towards His execution, He began to think; He must tell them . . . 'Mother, here is your son. Son, here is your mother' . . . He prayed for the physical strength to bear what lay ahead, and to still have sufficient strength to utter the words . . . 

And so this brave man stumbled forward past the woman who birthed Him to the hell that lay ahead in the wood, the thorn and the iron nail -

'Lord Jesus, thank You. Words cannot convey our gratitude to You for selflessly taking up the burden of this painful death to make things right between our race of humanity and Yours of Divinity. By giving up your Immortal status for a time and becoming a human like us, you made it possible for us to touch the Divine in a way we understand - your human hand, your prayer tassels on your robe. We could see your hair waving in the wind, hear your laughter at a joke. We could watch from the campfire as you hungrily ate your meal after a long day of ministry and healing. We could see the cracks and dust on your weary feet as you washed them after the long days of winding walking, bringing the message of hope and faith to all.

Let us be worthy of you. Let us be strong. Strengthen us with the power of your arm, the strength of your spirit, the love of your heart. Amen.'

Second Station of the Cross

Photograph of Wall Art - with thanks to the Artist 

Jesus accepts His Cross. He could have called on legions of angels to defend Him. He was terrified of the capture. He, together with all the tortured, suffered at the hands of others. He wept tears of humiliation and physical anguish. Yet this courageous spiritual Emperor, this warrior at the head of all the heavenly hosts, humbly and willingly accepted the only instrument that would win our salvation; an untimely and violent death. His death - so gently accepted, the injustice - so quietly endured, was the catalyst that has shamed us down the centuries. We saw, in this gentle GodMan, what we were capable of. And - aghast - we began the process of change. Beginning with Pilate - who regretted his bending to pressure to save his career. Continuing with Peter - who wept anguished tears of contrition at weakening - in the face of a very real threat to his life - to denying his relationship with Jesus. The river of grace and gentle agony on the cross quietly trickled through to a lonely field where a man rent with remorse and inner agony hanged himself for betraying his gentlest of friends, and Judas began his path towards repentance and reconciliation with the King of Forgiveness. The river of love and spiritual reform flowed on towards the soldiers who hammered iron into his body and stood as his life blood ebbed; until the men stood, and began their journey into faith, truly this man was the Son of God. The river flowed on, encompassing the Pharisees and crowd who stood jeering at his physical nakedness and torment of impending death, and surrounded them with forgiveness. The river of Jesus' inner gentleness and compassion eased the death throes of the justly condemned criminal who had inflicted torment and pain on others, easing him into forgiveness and the promise of a whole new life in Paradise. The river continued on as He died, flowing out to the whole world; bringing peace, gentleness, the hope of eternal life and friendship with Him towards me; and towards you . . . 

Jesus wants nothing more than to be our dearest Friend. Why not accept Him now, as you read these words. 'Dear Lord Jesus, I accept your love. Help me on my journey. Amen'.

It is only by accepting our own daily cross - and we all have our difficulties and trials - that we can accept just how heavy His Cross was. The Second Station ... the moment that started the cataclysm that shook our world as we knew it, and began the great process of downfall for satan and his followers . . .

FIRST STATION OF THE CROSS

First Station; Jesus is sentenced to execution 

Pilate is dismayed at Jesus' Fate; he protests by the symbolic 'washing of hands' . 
For the Roman Feast of Lemuria the pater familia got up at midnight, and washed his hands with pure water. After the ablution he would repeat a prayer nine times. 
It is probable that Pilate was ritually purifying his hands of the deed he was reluctantly pressurized into; and prayed that he was innocent of responsibility for Jesus' execution.

Third, Seventh and Ninth Stations of the Cross

Photograph of Wall Art - with thanks to the Artist   

The Third, Seventh and Ninth Stations of the Cross

Jesus falls under the heavy wooden load

Fifth Station of the Cross

Photograph of Wall Art - with thanks to the Artist

Fifth Station of the Cross; Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus with His burden

MOTHER OF THE MYSTICAL BODY

MOTHER OF THE MYSTICAL BODY

Canst thou forget that breathless day

when hidden in thy womb there lay,

("Ave" and Fiat" being said,)

we the members, Christ the Head?

Canst thou forget that happy morn

when thou didst see thy newly born

asleep within a manger bed

we the members, Christ the Head?

Canst thou forget the bitter woe

of that Good Friday long ago,

the cross where agonising bled

we the members, Christ the Head?

Oh Mother, thou canst not forget,

His suffering members bleeding yet,

till time to timelessness has fled,

we the members, Christ the Head

Sister M Aurea BVM

Sign. January 1961

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"Ave" - Hail

"Fiat" - Let it be done

From 'A Silence full of bells'