Last night, the Holy Father was present in the Colosseum for the Via Crucis. At the end of the meditation, he shared a few words with those who were gathered there.
O crucified and victorious Christ, your Way of the Cross is the culmination of your life; it is the icon of your obedience to the will of the Father; it is the realization of your infinite love for us sinners; it is the proof of your mission; it is the definitive accomplishment of the revelation and of the history of salvation. The weight of your cross frees us from all our burdens.
In your obedience to the will of the Father, we recognize our own rebellion and disobedience. In you, sold, betrayed and crucified by your own people and by those you loved, we see our daily betrayals and our habitual infidelities. In your innocence, O sacrificed Lamb, we see our guilt. In your wounded face, spat upon and disfigured, we see all the brutality of our sins. In the cruelty of your Passion, we see the cruelty of our hearts and of our actions. In your feelings of abandonment, we see all those who are abandoned by their families, by society, all those robbed of attention and solidarity. In your body, stripped, ripped and torn apart, we see the bodies of our brothers and sisters abandoned along the road, disfigured by our negligence and by our indifference. In your thirst, O Lord, we see the thirst of Your merciful Father who in You, wished to embrace, to pardon and to save all of humanity. In You, divine love, we see again today our persecuted brothers and sisters, decapitated and crucified for their faith in You, before our very eyes or even with our silent complicity.
Imprint, O Lord, within our hearts, sentiments of faith, hope and love, of sorrow for our sins and lead us to repent for our sins which have crucified you. Lead us to transform the conversions we speak of in words into true conversions of life and actions. Lead us to be attentive within ourselves to maintaining a living memory of your disfigured Face, so that we may never forget the immense price you paid in order to purchase our freedom. O crucified Jesus, strengthen within us the faith that will not crumble in the face of temptations; reinvigorate in us the gift of hope, so that we may not be distracted by the illusions of this world; protect within us the gift of charity, that we may not be fooled by corruption and worldliness. Teach us that the Cross is a path to the Resurrection. Teach us that Good Friday is a path to the light of Easter; teach us that God never forgets any of His children and never tires of forgiving us and embracing us with his infinite mercy. But also teach us to never tire of asking for pardon and of asking for the Father's limitless mercy.
Soul of Christ, sanctify us.
Body of Christ, save us.
Blood of Christ, inebriate us.
Water from the side of Christ, wash us.
Passion of Christ, comfort us.
O good Jesus, hear us.
Within your wounds, hide us.
Do not allow us to be separated from you.
From the evil one, defend us.
At the hour of our death, call us:
and command that we come to you,
that we may praise you with your saints,
for ever and ever. Amen.
Meditation shared by His Holiness, Pope Francis
after the Via Crucis at the Colosseum
O crucified and victorious Christ, your Way of the Cross is the culmination of your life; it is the icon of your obedience to the will of the Father; it is the realization of your infinite love for us sinners; it is the proof of your mission; it is the definitive accomplishment of the revelation and of the history of salvation. The weight of your cross frees us from all our burdens.
In your obedience to the will of the Father, we recognize our own rebellion and disobedience. In you, sold, betrayed and crucified by your own people and by those you loved, we see our daily betrayals and our habitual infidelities. In your innocence, O sacrificed Lamb, we see our guilt. In your wounded face, spat upon and disfigured, we see all the brutality of our sins. In the cruelty of your Passion, we see the cruelty of our hearts and of our actions. In your feelings of abandonment, we see all those who are abandoned by their families, by society, all those robbed of attention and solidarity. In your body, stripped, ripped and torn apart, we see the bodies of our brothers and sisters abandoned along the road, disfigured by our negligence and by our indifference. In your thirst, O Lord, we see the thirst of Your merciful Father who in You, wished to embrace, to pardon and to save all of humanity. In You, divine love, we see again today our persecuted brothers and sisters, decapitated and crucified for their faith in You, before our very eyes or even with our silent complicity.
Imprint, O Lord, within our hearts, sentiments of faith, hope and love, of sorrow for our sins and lead us to repent for our sins which have crucified you. Lead us to transform the conversions we speak of in words into true conversions of life and actions. Lead us to be attentive within ourselves to maintaining a living memory of your disfigured Face, so that we may never forget the immense price you paid in order to purchase our freedom. O crucified Jesus, strengthen within us the faith that will not crumble in the face of temptations; reinvigorate in us the gift of hope, so that we may not be distracted by the illusions of this world; protect within us the gift of charity, that we may not be fooled by corruption and worldliness. Teach us that the Cross is a path to the Resurrection. Teach us that Good Friday is a path to the light of Easter; teach us that God never forgets any of His children and never tires of forgiving us and embracing us with his infinite mercy. But also teach us to never tire of asking for pardon and of asking for the Father's limitless mercy.
Soul of Christ, sanctify us.
Body of Christ, save us.
Blood of Christ, inebriate us.
Water from the side of Christ, wash us.
Passion of Christ, comfort us.
O good Jesus, hear us.
Within your wounds, hide us.
Do not allow us to be separated from you.
From the evil one, defend us.
At the hour of our death, call us:
and command that we come to you,
that we may praise you with your saints,
for ever and ever. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment