Friday, March 19, 2004

Short Meditations on the Stations of the Cross
by Venerable John Henry Newman, C.O.
The Seventh Station
Jesus falls a second time


"V. Adoramus te, Christe, et benedicimus tibi.
R. Quia per sanctam Crucem tuam redemisti mundum.

Satan had a second fall, when our Lord came upon earth. By that time he had usurped the dominion of the whole world-and he called himself its king. And he dared to take up the Holy Saviour in his arms, and show Him all kingdoms, and blasphemously promise to give them to Him, His Maker, if He would adore him. Jesus answered, 'Begone, Satan!'-and Satan fell down from the high mountain. And Jesus bare witness to it when He said, 'I saw Satan, as lightning, falling from heaven.' The Evil One remembered this second defeat, and so now he smote down the Innocent Lord a second time, now that he had Him in his power. O dear Lord, teach us to suffer with Thee, and not be afraid of Satan's buffetings, when they come on us from resisting him.

Pater, Ave, &c.

The Eighth Station
The Women of Jerusalem mourn for Our Lord


V. Adoramus te, Christe, et benedicimus tibi.
R. Quia per sanctam Crucem tuam redemisti mundum.

Ever since the prophecy of old time, that the Saviour of man was to be born of a woman of the stock of Abraham, the Jewish women had desired to bear Him. Yet, now that He was really come, how different, as the Gospel tells us, was the event from what they had expected. He said to them 'that the days were coming when they should say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that have not borne, and the breasts which have not given suck.' Ah, Lord, we know not what is good for us, and what is bad. We cannot foretell the future, nor do we know, when Thou comest to visit us, in what form Thou wilt come. And therefore we leave it all to Thee. Do Thou Thy good pleasure to us and in us. Let us ever look at Thee, and do Thou look upon us, and give us the grace of Thy bitter Cross and Passion, and console us in Thy own way and at Thy own time.

Pater, Ave, &c. "

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