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THE THIRTEENTH STATION: Jesus’ Body Is Taken Down From the Cross Then he took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me.” —Luke 22:19 As we contemplate Jesus’ broken body, we are reminded of … Continue reading →

CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING: Global Solidarity “[Solidarity] then is not a feeling of vague compassion or shallow distress at the misfortunes of so many people, both near and far. On the contrary, it is a firm and persevering determination to commit oneself to the common good; that is to say, to the good of all and … Continue reading →

REFLECTING ON TODAY’S READINGS Isaiah reminds us that God gives us a “well-trained tongue … to answer the weary a word that will waken them.” Do we listen to God’s Spirit within us? How does the Spirit motivate us and guide our words as we work for a more just world? Jesus “emptied himself, taking … Continue reading →

THE TWELFTH STATION: Jesus Dies on the Cross “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” —Matthew 27:46 By human standards, the Crucifixion and Death of Jesus is the ultimate failure. Members of the Jewish community had waited so long for the Messiah, had put their faith and hope in a man they believed … Continue reading →

LIVES OF THE SAINTS: St. Josephine Bakhita We see in our Christian tradition a great concern for those bound in slavery. Through the leadership of Moses, God freed the Israelites from captivity in Egypt. The prophet Isaiah reminds us that God wishes the “releasing [of] those bound unjustly” (Isaiah 58:6). And Jesus himself tells us … Continue reading →

THE ELEVENTH STATION: Jesus Is Nailed to the Cross He replied to him, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” —Luke 23:43 We’ve all been there—stuck in a seemingly impossible situation, weighed down, perhaps, by financial burdens, family obligations and the opinions of others. We’ve all been nailed to … Continue reading →

THE FIFTH SORROW OF MARY: The Crucifixion And carrying the cross himself he went out to what is called the Place of the Skull in Hebrew—Golgotha. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, with Jesus in the middle. Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his … Continue reading →

THE TENTH STATION: Jesus Is Stripped of His Garments For creation awaits with eager expectation … in hope that [it] would be set free from slavery to corruption and share in the glorious freedom of the children of God. —Romans 8:19–21 When we think of those goods the poor are stripped of daily, there are … Continue reading →

CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING: Care for God’s creation “There exists a certain reciprocity: As we care for creation, we realize that God, through creation, cares for us.” —Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, World Day of Peace, January 1, 2010 As we walk through our days—past trees, along streams, in the heat of the sun or the chill … Continue reading →

REFLECTING ON TODAY’S READINGS Isaiah draws our attention to God at work in the natural environment. “See, I am doing something new! Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” Where do we encounter God in creation? Jesus says, “You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.” Indeed, … Continue reading →