Opening Devotion

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

Our Father, who art in heaven,
  hallowed be thy Name,
     thy kingdom come,
     thy will be done,
      on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
     as we forgive those
     who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
     but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
     and the power, and the glory,
     for ever and ever. Amen.

We will glory in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ:
In whom is our salvation, our life, and our resurrection.

Let us pray.

Assist us mercifully with your help, O Lord God of our salvation, that we may enter with joy upon the contemplation of those mighty acts, whereby you have given us life and immortality; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The First Station: Jesus Prays

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you:
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray." He took along Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and agitated. Then he said to them, “I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and stay awake with me." And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not what I want but what you want.” Then he came to the disciples and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, “So, could you not stay awake with me one hour? Stay awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:36-41)

Reflection

Jesus is vulnerable, anxious, and asking for the support of his closest friends, those who claim to follow him and to love him. We see raw humanity in Jesus as he prays in agony to God, his Father. Jesus shows us that even in his most anxious time, he longs for connection and support, he wants to be seen by God and to know that someone cares enough to stay awake and pray for him.

What can we do as followers of Christ? Many of our neighbors live with this anxiety, this lack of support, this longing to be seen and heard in our society today. Perhaps, we start by waking up or striving to acknowledge and own the injustices in our world today.

Let us pray.

Almighty God, whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified: Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross, may wake up and find that it is none other than the way of life, justice, and peace; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord. Amen

Holy God,
Holy and Mighty,
Holy Immortal One,
Have mercy upon us.

The Second Station >>