Easter Vigil - Holy Saturday Night – April 11th, 2020 (For you at Home)

Easter Vigil - Holy Saturday Night – April 11^th, 2020
(For you at Home).
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Holy week liturgies which we feature here, are specially approved shortened and adapted liturgies for this time of difficulty. You will notice that some options are not featured this year. But we are still united in Spirit, in our Lord.

(Our apologies for a technical glitch in an earlier version of this link. It has now been fixed). Bless you and Happy Easter to everyone!

Image -Shutterstock stock illustration ID: 569517097. Easter candle - Abstract artistic pastel style Christian religious background. By Thoom

Easter Proclamation: (The Exsultet)
Old Testament Readings and Psalms
• Exodus 14:10-31; 15:20-21 and Exodus 15:1b-13, 17-18
• Isaiah 55:1-11 and Isaiah 12:2-6
New Testament Reading and Psalm
• Romans 6:3-11 and Psalm 114
- Gospel- Matthew 28:1-10
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Please listen to my audio recordings of the readings, prayers and reflections for the Easter Vigil 2020 by clicking this link here: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/faith-hope-and-love-ep-221-holy-saturday-vigil-in-absence-of-assembly-2020/s-rF23WEoU6ra (EPISODE:221 )
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The homily will be given by Surfers Paradise Parish Priest, Fr Peter Dillon.

Easter Vigil 2020

The famous Welsh poet Dylan Thomas wrote a poem when his father was going blind and nearing death. It was a protest against the double darkness. Its last verse runs: "And you, my father, there on the sad height, Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray. Do not go gentle into that goodnight. Rage, rage, against the dying of the light."

We can approach death differently because of this night. On this most holy night, we, Christian people, proclaim a song about the rising of the light. Jesus, the light of the world, was done to death, and in that death, the light truly died. A beautiful life ended, a good man died, death and darkness seemed to triumph. The hopes of all Jesus' followers were dashed, and, of all those who mourned his passing, none was more bereft than Mary of Magdala. Her life had been a struggle between beauty and tragedy. Tragedy had once again won, it would seem.

However, while it was still dark, as Easter morning approached, there is a glimmer of light. The light that everyone thought was extinguished re-ignites. Christ the light is risen. After the angel messenger has spoken to the women at the tomb, Jesus appears first to Mary of Magdala. She, the woman who has known such tragedy in her life, now becomes the first witness to the resurrection of the Lord.

This Easter, pilgrims from all over the world will this time sit close to the empty tomb. They shall do so within their own homes, within their own local communities. But they will remember the empty tomb first visited by Mary Magdalen, Peter and John. They will join that timeless queue reaching back to the first believers on Easter morning and stretching to the end of time, those who can accept in their hearts - He is risen just as he said! The one who lay stilled in death between Good Friday and Easter Day 'now lives no more to die'. They will hail him as the great trailblazer of human destiny: the conqueror of death, the one who more than any other assures us that we come from God, that our earthly journeys are journeys to a destination, voyages to a port, that someone and something awaits us at the end, that God is there, that heaven is there and that he, our risen Lord, awaits us.

The joy of the resurrection is a joy for all people, especially announced to those whose lives have known sorrow, disappointment, betrayal, suffering, hopelessness. We do not rage against the dying of the hope, we rejoice, rejoice, at the rising of the light!
 
Our Christian hope is not a thoughtless hope; it is a hope despite everything to the contrary. Through viruses, tsunamis, scandals, children dying, personal tragedies, and imperfect Church, wars and rumours of wars - And the yet the message of this day is that we can still trust our God who raised Jesus from the grave.

In the early 1920s, when Communism was in the ascendancy in Russia, a Communist leader called Bukharin was sent from Moscow to Kiev to address a rally. For nearly an hour he used every anti-God argument he could muster and then turned to abuse and ridicule of the Christian faith till it seemed that the whole structure of belief was in ruins. At the end, there was a deathly silence. Then he invited questions from the floor. Quietly one man rose to his feet. He was a priest of the Russian Orthodox Church. Standing beside Bukharin, he turned his face to the people and simply addressed them with the ancient liturgical greeting: 'Christ is risen'. Instantly the vast crowd rose to its feet, and the reply came thundering back like the crashing of breakers against a cliff face: 'He is risen indeed'. Bukharin remained silent. There was nothing he could say in the face of such strong faith. When every argument against God has been marshalled, there remains the colossal truth that Jesus is risen from the dead. He is Risen indeed!

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References:
Fr Peter Dillon PP.

We acknowledge the beautiful chanting of the Exsultet (the Easter proclamation ), the Gloria and the Easter Alleluia; chants from the Roman Missal edition 3, recorded by www.CCwatershed.org media COPYRIGHT @ 2018 CORPUS CHRISTI WATERSHED especially at http://www.ccwatershed.org/blog/2012/feb/23/video-recording-paschal-proclamation-exsultet-plus/ and also specifically at http://www.ccwatershed.org/media/audio/14/12/08/19-00-19_0.mp3 

Image -Shutterstock stock illustration ID: 569517097. Easter candle - Abstract artistic pastel style Christian religious background. By Thoom
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Archive of homilies and reflections: http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au
To contact Fr. Paul, please email: paulwkelly68@gmail.com

To listen to my weekly homily audio podcast, please click this link here.
NB - It is often a week or so Ahead: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/tracks

You are welcome to subscribe to Fr Paul's homily mail-out by sending an email to this address:paulkellyreflections+subscribe@googlegroups.com


Further information relating to the audio productions linked to this Blog:
"Faith, Hope and Love - Christian worship and reflection" - Led by Rev Paul Kelly

Prayers and chants — Roman Missal, 3rd edition, © 2010, The International Commission on English in the liturgy. (ICEL)

Scriptures - New Revised Standard Version: © 1989, and 2009 by the NCC-USA. (National Council of Churches of Christ - USA)

"The Psalms" ©1963, 2009, The Grail - Collins publishers.

Prayers of the Faithful - " Together we pray" by Robert Borg'. E.J. Dwyer, Publishers, (1993). (Sydney Australia).

{ "Mass In Honour of St. Ralph Sherwin" -published 2011, Composed and Sung by Jeffrey M. Ostrowski
Featuring the….Gloria, plus also the Alleluia, Exsultet: http://www.ccwatershed.org/chabanel/ ]]] ] COPYRIGHT @ 2018 CORPUS CHRISTI WATERSHED. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. www.ccwatershed.org/vatican/Ralph_Sherwin_Videos/

"Today I Arise" - For Patricia Kelly.  Original words and music by Paul W. Kelly. Inspired by St Patrick's Prayer.  Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2019.

[ Production - KER - 2020]

May God bless and keep you.

Good Friday of the Passion of the Lord. April 10th 2020.(For you at Home)

Good Friday of the Passion of the Lord

April 10^th 2020.

(For you at Home).

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Holy week liturgies which we feature here, are specially approved shortened and adapted liturgies for this time of difficulty. You will notice that some options are not featured this year.  But we are still united in Spirit, in our Lord.

Image: by  Shutterstock photo ID: 44203843. Crown of thorns hung around the Easter cross. By Anneka

Please listen to my audio recordings of the readings, prayers, and reflections for Good Friday Passion -  by clicking this link here:   https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/good-friday-3pm-passion-of-our-lord-shortened-in-absence-assembly-2020/s-ysgQ3vxhOUc  (EPISODE:220 )

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LITURGY OF THE WORD
First Reading: Isaiah 52:13 - 53:12
Psalm: Ps 30:2. 6. 12-13. 15-17. 25. "Father, I put my life in your hands"
Second Reading: Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9
Gospel Acclamation: Philippians 2:8-9
Passion: John 18:1 - 19:42
Homily
Solemn Intercessions
Spiritual Veneration of the Cross
Communion
Departure in Silence

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The homily will be given by Surfers Paradise Parish Priest, Fr Peter Dillon.

THE LORD'S PASSION - GOOD FRIDAY

Despite what the papers want us to believe, we do live in
a lucky country in a very fortunate era.
So many choices are available to many people.
We may not have all we want but we certainly have all we
need, at least materially.

Even without lots of money, we can still take in our country's beauty and its benefits. And still, we want more.
One of the downsides of such a plentiful society is that we have forgotten the concept of "enough". We are no longer comfortable with words like sacrifice and discipline.
They are too distressing in a world that says we don't have to put up with the uncomfortable. We have gradually moved away from the idea of putting up with the uncomfortable in order to attain the important things of life.

That is why the idea of Christ's suffering for the sake of others is fast becoming a foreign and unfamiliar concept. It is too jarring and counter-cultural.
In a world that promotes comfort and satisfaction at all costs, why would someone willingly endure suffering if it could be avoided?

Self-sacrifice really only makes sense to people who know what "compassion" feels like. The word means "with passion". To give and receive it.

When words are not enough to express the depth of our love or concern for someone we have to move to action to show the strength of our feelings.
When people refuse to listen to how they can help themselves they need to be shown in the most profound way.
Parents know what I mean, and some children come to understand it.

We see it from time to time in our world, but often fail to recognise it.

It is there in the life of Saint Theresa of Calcutta, in Doctor Fred Hollows, the monks of Tibet.

Jesus came to discover his words were falling on deaf ears. Even his own followers had become immune to the richness of what he was telling them. They had become seduced by their perception of comfort and safety.

We gather today to hear the story of self-sacrifice because we need to be reminded that our world cannot blindly accept that we can have and do what we want without care or responsibility.

While we do not actively seek suffering, we know that is a reality in all lives. Running from it leaves us exhausted and defenceless.
If there was another way to impress upon us the truth of what he wanted us to know don't you think this wise man Jesus would have found a way?
There was only one way for him to press the importance of his message

.
This was a necessary loss in order to gain much, a sublime example of how much we needed to know what he knew about the human condition and its possibilities.

And still, we resist - looking for an easier way. If you are looking for an example of unselfish love, an example of how to commit yourselves with passion to what you know to be true, we do not need to die for it, but rather live for it but endurance, perseverance and sometimes to suffer for it.

There is a fresh urgency in our world because people have neglected to connect their personal crosses to the. one Christ died on.

There will always be crosses, sometimes they are almost unbearable. Even Jesus discovered that. But we cannot make the cross unbearable by coming down from it. It becomes bearable when we are crucified with Christ. There is purpose, then there is hope, then there is resurrection.

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References:
Fr Peter Dillon pp.

Image: by  Shutterstock photo ID: 44203843. Crown of thorns hung around the Easter cross. By Anneka

 +++
Archive of homilies and reflections:  http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au
To contact Fr. Paul, please email:  paulwkelly68@gmail.com

To listen to my weekly homily audio podcast, please click this link here.
NB - It is often a week or so Ahead:  https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/tracks
You are welcome to subscribe to Fr Paul's homily mail-out by sending an email to this address: paulkellyreflections+subscribe@googlegroups.com

Further information relating to the audio productions linked to this Blog:
"Faith, Hope and Love - Christian worship and reflection"  - Led by Rev Paul Kelly
Prayers and chants  — Roman Missal, 3rd edition, © 2010, The International Commission on English in the liturgy. (ICEL)
Scriptures - New Revised Standard Version: © 1989,  and 2009 by the NCC-USA. (National Council of Churches of Christ - USA)
"The Psalms" ©1963, 2009,  The Grail - Collins publishers.
May God bless and keep you.  

STATIONS OF THE CROSS 2020. GOOD FRIDAY MORNING (FOR YOU AT HOME)

THE STATIONS OF THE CROSS 2020

GOOD FRIDAY MORNING (FOR YOU AT HOME)

(Traditional with Scriptural connections).

 

(Image Photo By Inked Pixels Picture ID 140313439. Wooden cross on an isolated background. Shutterstock licensed image).

 

Please listen to my audio recordings of the readings, prayers and reflections for the Good Friday Stations of the Cross- by clicking this link here: 

https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/stations-of-the-cross-good-friday-covid-19-reference-2020-full-edite-process-click/s-6o4zP3Hyfct

 

THE STATIONS OF THE CROSS - Good Friday

 

LEADER: (GOES TO THE LECTERN AND BEGINS)

LEADER:
Let us pray
(that the Lord will teach us his ways, through this prayer journey to Calvary).
Lord Jesus, as we begin this journey of the Stations of the Cross, help us to see that, for you, it was a journey of love. May we learn from this journey how to follow you more closely. We ask that you help us to accept the love for all people that you bear. Who live and reign forever and ever.

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 STATION NUMBER: ONE

The First Station: Jesus is condemned to death.

We adore you O Christ and we praise you
R/ Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

Reading
Many gave false testimony against Jesus, and their testimony did not agree. But he was silent and did not answer. Again the high priest asked him, "Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?" Jesus said, "I am; and
'you will see the Son of Man
seated at the right hand of the Power,'
and 'coming with the clouds of heaven.' "
 Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, "Why do we still need witnesses? You have heard his blasphemy! What is your decision?" All of them condemned him as deserving death.[1][2]

(Jesus was unjustly judged. He was innocent. He was declared innocent even by Pilate. But he was condemned unjustly. There is only one true judge and that is God……… Have there been times that I have rushed to judgement against others. Have I spoken about others in ways that lead to them being rejected and treated in ways that do not respect their human dignity)? 
ALL: O Jesus, who for love of me, didst bear thy cross to Calvary. In thy sweet mercy grant to me, to suffer and to die with thee.

***(sung) Jesus has given his life for us.

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 STATION NUMBER: TWO
THE SECOND STATION: JESUS TAKES UP HIS CROSS.

We adore you O Christ and we praise you

R/ Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

Reading
Jesus called the people and his disciples to him and said, "If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let them renounce themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For anyone who wants to save their life will lose it; but anyone who loses their life for my sake, and for the sake of the Gospel, will save it".[3]

(Our Lord took up his cross and carried it for us all. How can we carry our burdens and struggles in ways that give hope and encouragement to others? Do we take our burdens and worries to the Lord? Do we help others by offering encouragement and support, in their times of struggle? How do we ensure that we do not overburden others with unnecessary personal demands and optional needs? - to lighten other's load, and not lay unnecessary burdens on them?).

ALL: O Jesus, who for love of me, didst bear thy cross to Calvary. In thy sweet mercy grant to me, to suffer and to die with thee.

***(sung) Jesus has given his life for us.

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 STATION NUMBER: THREE

LEADER: THE THIRD STATION: JESUS FALLS THE FIRST TIME.

We adore you O Christ and we praise you
R/ Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

Reading
He has broken my teeth with gravel, pressed my face in the dust; My soul is deprived of peace, I have forgotten what happiness is. [4]
………
Jesus said to his disciples: "I have told you all this so that you may find peace in me. In the world you will have troubles but be brave: I have conquered the world."[5]

(Our Lord fell from exhaustion. Can we share our failures and struggles with Jesus, because he has shared in our physical frailty and knows our temptations and understands our weakness and pain? Are we gentle around others whose frailty and weakness visible? Are we gentle on ourselves in our own frailty? For all those who experience weakness in body, mind or spirit, may the Lord help them and lift them up. May we be willing to help up those who have fallen in one way or another).
ALL: O Jesus, who for love of me, didst bear thy cross to Calvary. In thy sweet mercy grant to me, to suffer and to die with thee.

***(sung) Jesus has given his life for us.

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 STATION NUMBER: FOUR

LEADER: The Fourth Station: Jesus meets his mother.

We adore you O Christ and we praise you
R/ Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

Reading
As the child's father and mother stood there wondering at the things that were being said about him, Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, "You see this child: he is destined for the fall and for the rising of many in Israel, destined to be a sign that is rejected - and a sword will pierce your own soul too - so that the secret thoughts of many may be laid bare."[6]

(The Blessed Virgin Mary pondered and worried about Jesus all her life. Mary treasured all these events of Our Lord life, storing them up in her heart. Our Lady remained faithful to her beloved Son in good times and bad. Are we prepared to say "yes" to Our Lord and what he asks of us, (even if it leads to suffering and pain)? Can we draw strength from Mary who experienced confusion and wonder during her life, and also suffered the unimaginable pain of accompanying her son along his Passion? Mary suffering emotionally and spiritually at the foot of Our Lord's cross).

ALL: O Jesus, who for love of me, didst bear thy cross on Calvary. In thy sweet mercy grant to me, to suffer and to die with thee.

***(sung) Jesus has given his life for us.

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 STATION NUMBER: FIVE

LEADER: The Fifth Station: Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus to carry the cross.

We adore you O Christ and we praise you

R/ Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

Reading
As they were leading him away they seized a man, Simon from Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and made him shoulder the cross and carry it behind Jesus.[7]

(Simon was a traveler who was forced to help carry Our Lord' cross. How can we willingly help others in their burdens and struggles, to ease the pain? As a community, no one person is isolated from others. We are one people of God. We need to support and help each other. We are all the body of Christ and individually members of the Body. If one member suffers, all members suffer. Do we acknowledge our responsibility to the church and the wider community, as brothers and sisters in one family of God? Do we voluntarily do what is right and good – are we proactive- or do we often only respond when asked or when it is demanded of us? Can we be more open to respond willingly to the needs of others and our Christian calling).

ALL: O Jesus, who for love of me, didst bear thy cross to Calvary. In thy sweet mercy grant to me, to suffer and to die with thee.

***(sung) Jesus has given his life for us.

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 STATION NUMBER: SIX

LEADER: The Sixth Station: Veronica wipes the face of Jesus.
We adore you O Christ and we praise you

R/ Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

Reading

"Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father."[8]

"For I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you made me welcome; naked and you clothed me, sick and you visited me; in prison and you came to see me. I tell you solemnly, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to me."[9]

"Even as many were amazed at Him — so marred was His look beyond that of person, and His appearance beyond that of mortals — So shall He startle many nations, because of Him kings shall stand speechless."[10]

(Veronica wiped the face of Jesus. Can we recognize the face of Our Lord in everyone we meet, especially those most in need? Do we serve Jesus by the way we treat those around us? In what ways do we offer comfort and strength to those who are struggling? Veronica means "true face" – do we seek, in our lives and our prayer, the true face of Christ in others and in the world. Do we live our lives so that others can recognize the face of Christ in us and our actions).

ALL: O Jesus, who for love of me, didst bear thy cross to Calvary. In thy sweet mercy grant to me, to suffer and to die with thee.

***(sung) Jesus has given his life for us.

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 STATION NUMBER: SEVEN

LEADER: The Seventh Station: Jesus falls the second time

We adore you O Christ and we praise you
R/ Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

Reading
"Yet he was pierced through for our faults, crushed for our sins. On him lies a punishment that brings us peace and through his wounds we are healed. We had all gone astray like sheep, each taking his own way, and the Lord burdened him with the sins of all of us."[11]

I was hard pressed and was falling, but the Lord helped Me.[12]

We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin.[13]

(Our Lord fell the second time. We know weakness and struggle in our lives. Can we share our fears and failures with Our Lord? And can we trust in his love, his hope, and his forgiveness and strength. Are we patient with our own infirmities and weaknesses? Are we patient with the weaknesses of others? How do we react when others fall – emotionally, morally or spiritually? Are we there to support and help them up? At times, rather than help and support, do we condemn and let people fall lower in confidence and hope)

ALL: O Jesus, who for love of me, didst bear thy cross to Calvary. In thy sweet mercy grant to me, to suffer and to die with thee.

***(sung) Jesus has given his life for us.

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 STATION NUMBER: EIGHT
LEADER: The Eighth Station: The women of Jerusalem mourn for Jesus.

We adore you O Christ and we praise you
R/ Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Reading
A great number of the people followed him, and among them were women who were beating their breasts and wailing for him. But Jesus turned to them and said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. …For if they do this when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?"[14] [15]

(Even in the midst of Our Lord' unimaginable suffering and pain, he stops to show concern for the women and their families. He never stops thinking of others even when he is enduring terribly suffering? Do I focus on the needs of others or do my needs demand most of the attention? Even in this terrible suffering, Jesus reminds us and the women of Jerusalem that there are many different things to cry about, but he (incredibly) is saying that we shouldn't weep about his suffering but rather all the other things that are in need of change and justice. He wants them to weep for change and for conversion of heart, that would do some good. How can we make sure that our lives help to spread the good news of Jesus? How can we ensure that our attitudes and actions do not prove an obstacle in the path of what God wants to do in the world? We have come here today to commemorate and worship our Lord, who died to save us…. We mourn for his suffering, but Our Lord, again turns to us, and says, weep not for me… weep for yourselves and your ways… make a change.. change your heart. your attitudes… your condemnations.. your double standards… your selfishness.. we can start this new path here and now…)

ALL: O Jesus, who for love of me, didst bear thy cross to Calvary. In thy sweet mercy grant to me, to suffer and to die with thee.

***(sung) Jesus has given his life for us.
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 STATION NUMBER: NINE
LEADER: The Ninth Station: Jesus falls the third time.

We adore you O Christ and we praise you

R/ Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Reading
Jesus exclaimed, "Come to me, all you who labour and are over-burdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden is light![16]

I am like water poured out; all My bones are racked. My heart has become like wax. My throat is dried up like baked clay, my tongue cleaves to My jaws; to the dust of death, you have brought Me down. [17]

Have among yourselves the same attitude that is also yours in Christ Jesus. He emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave. He humbled Himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. [18]
Everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled, and he who humbles himself shall be exalted.[19]
(Jesus was now totally exhausted. His physical energy almost completely gone. Can we imagine the incredible strength needed to keep going after this third fall, and after enduring so much already? It is clear that Our Lord gave himself utterly and totally for us. Christ gave himself to us all without any reservation or holding back in any way. How can we show generosity and love to those around us? How can we give generously of our gifts to help others?)

ALL: O Jesus, who for love of me, didst bear thy cross to Calvary. In thy sweet mercy grant to me, to suffer and to die with thee.

***(sung) Jesus has given his life for us.

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 STATION NUMBER: TEN
LEADER: The Tenth Station: Jesus is stripped of his Garments

We adore you O Christ and we praise you
R/ Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Reading
"They took his clothing and divided it into four shares, one for each soldier. His undergarment was seamless, woven in one piece from neck to hem; so they said to one another, "Instead of tearing it, let's throw dice to decide who is to have it". In this way the words of scripture were fulfilled: 'They shared out my clothing among them. They cast lots for my clothes.'"[20]

You have stripped off your old behaviour, and have put on a new self which will progress towards true knowledge the more it is renewed in the image of its creator; in that image there is no room for distinction between Greek and Jew, the circumcised and uncircumcised, the barbarian and Scythian, the slave and free person. There is only one Christ; he is everything and he is in everything.[21]

(Our Lord suffered every indignity out of love for others. He was completely humble and let go of everything because of his gospel message. He let nothing come between him and his total self-gift to the Father and to all people. Are there possessions, attitudes or ways of thinking that we hold on to, that stop us from being totally open to God and to others? What do we need to do to "strip away from our lives" all that is false, so we can be completely open to God and to others?).

ALL: O Jesus, who for love of me, didst bear thy cross to Calvary. In thy sweet mercy grant to me, to suffer and to die with thee.

***(sung) Jesus has given his life for us.

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 STATION NUMBER: ELEVEN

LEADER: The Eleventh Station: Jesus is nailed to the cross.
We adore you O Christ and we praise you
R/ Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Reading
When they reached the place called The Skull, they crucified him there and the two criminals also, one on the right, the other on the left. Jesus said: "Father, forgive them: they do not know what they are doing."[22]
They have pierced My hands and My feet; I can count all My bones. [23]
"I have come down from heaven, not to do My will, but the will of Him Who sent Me."[24]
"Jesus said to Nicodemus: "No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man who is in heaven: and the Son of Man must be lifted up as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him." [25]
Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. Seeing his mother and the disciple he loved standing near her, Jesus said to his mother, "Woman, this is your son." Then to the disciple, he said, "This is your mother."[26]
(Our Lord suffered terrible pain. Let us pray for and think of those who are suffering pain at this time. For all those suffering from: persecution, from injustice, from prejudice, from being wrongfully accused, from poverty, from illness (and we particularly keep in our prayers people all around the world, suffering in so many ways from the pandemic, - that the Lord will be a source of strength, healing and hope for all in need), from bereavement, from loneliness, from unemployment… //from any thing at all..// For all who suffer – physical, emotional or spiritual PAIN. (pause) May God help them, and be with them. May we help them in any way we can. May they know that Christ is with them in the midst of their suffering).
ALL: O Jesus, who for love of me, didst bear thy cross to Calvary. In thy sweet mercy grant to me, to suffer and to die with thee.

***(sung) Jesus has given his life for us.

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 STATION NUMBER: TWELVE

LEADER: The Twelfth Station: Jesus Dies on the Cross.

We adore you O Christ and we praise you

R/ Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

Reading
It was now about the sixth hour and with the sun eclipsed, a darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. The veil of the temple was torn right down the middle; and when Jesus cried out in a loud voice, he said, "Father, into your hands, I commit my spirit." With these words, he breathed his last.[27]
…….. "If we live, we live for the Lord, if we die, we die for the Lord."

(Our Lord died so that all might live through him. We pray for all those who are dying, and all those who have died. May they be welcomed into the reward of God's heavenly Kingdom. May we support and strengthen those facing death. (pause). And, when our earthly life is ended, may we see the glory of God forever and ever in Heaven – reunited with all those we love who have gone before us. We pray too for all those who face death or who have died alone, unloved, without hope… unjustly… or tragically… May the Lord who died to save them, bring them peace and reward. ).

ALL: O Jesus, who for love of me, didst bear thy cross to Calvary. In thy sweet mercy grant to me, to suffer and to die with thee.

***(sung) Jesus has given his life for us.

++++++++++
 STATION NUMBER: THIRTEEN

LEADER: The Thirteenth Station: Jesus is taken down from the Cross.

We adore you O Christ and we praise you

R/ Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

Reading

"After this, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus - though a secret one because he was afraid of the Jews - asked Pilate to let him remove the body of Jesus. Pilate gave permission, so they came and took it away."[28]

(Before Our Lord died, he gave his mother into the care of John. Our Lady is our inspiration of discipleship. May we be encouraged to imitate her faith, her perseverance in times of trial and utter confusion and unimaginable suffering, and her following of Jesus in good times and in bad. May we also be present for all who are suffering; - to give help and strength by our presence and support. May we acknowledge that we belong to one family in the church and are responsible for the welfare and spiritual care of those around us).

ALL: O Jesus, who for love of me, didst bear thy cross to Calvary. In thy sweet mercy grant to me, to suffer and to die with thee.

***(sung) Jesus has given his life for us.

++++++++++
 STATION NUMBER: FOURTEEN

LEADER: The Fourteenth Station: Jesus is laid in the Tomb.

We adore you O Christ and we praise you

R/ Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

Reading

They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths, following the Jewish burial custom. At the place where he had been crucified there was a garden, and in this garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been buried. Since it was the Jewish day of preparation and the tomb was near at hand, they laid Jesus there.[29]

Jesus (had earlier) said to his disciples: "I tell you, most solemnly, unless a wheat grain falls on the ground and dies, it remains only a single grain; but if it dies, it yields a rich harvest. Anyone who loves their life loses it; anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for the eternal life."[30]

(Our Lord was laid in the tomb. His three days in the tomb makes holy the graves of all who believe in Christ. We pray for those who have died in the hope of the resurrection. May they be welcomed into God's kingdom. May those who mourn the departed be strengthened by the sure hope of Christ's promise of eternal life. Our Lord, by his death, has destroyed death forever. Jesus by his own death and brought salvation to the world).
ALL: O Jesus, who for love of me, didst bear thy cross to Calvary. In thy sweet mercy grant to me, to suffer and to die with thee.
 ***(sung) Jesus has given his life for us.
+++
(at the sanctuary)

READER:
In your minds you must be the same as Christ Jesus: His state was divine, yet he did not cling to his equality with God, but emptied himself to assume the condition of a slave, and became as humans are; and being as all humans are, he was humbler yet, even to accepting death, death on a cross. But God raised him on high and gave him the name which is above all other names so that all beings in the heavens, on earth and in the underworld, should bend the knee at the name of Jesus and that every tongue should acclaim Jesus Christ as Lord, to the glory of God the Father.[31]

+++
Leader:
Let us pray
(that the Gospel may have a deep effect in our daily lives)
Lord Jesus Christ, unite us with yourself in redeeming the world. As we walk the way of salvation, turn us away from sin. Help us to be faithful to the Gospel and come to see the fullness of your glory where you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, One God forever and ever. Amen.

(all depart silently – no final announcements or blessings)

+++++
References:
Paul W. Kelly

[Adapted by Paul Kelly, with variations from Bill Huebsch "The new Scripture way of the Cross," © 1993. Also introductory prayer from "The Biblical Way of the Cross" by Michael A. Dubruiel and Amy Welborn, © 1994.

Main texts and reading suggestions taken from: Rev Shane Hoctor, Parish Pries. "MELBOURNE DIOCESE PUBLICATION, SEASONS OF HOPE," © 1997 Jubilee Committee of Melbourne]
Some readings are from Jerusalem version, others from New Revised Standard Version. © 1969, 1989.

This shorter version also includes various sources from Stations of the Cross, including the Stations of the Cross written by St. Alphonsus Liguori (A.D. 1696-1787).
++++
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[1]The New Revised Standard Version, (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers) .

[2] Mark (14:56,61-64)

[3] Luke 9:23-24

[4] (Lamentations 3: 16-17)

[5] ( John 16:33)

[6] Luke 2:33-35

[7] Mark 15:21

[8] (John 14, 9)

[9] (Matt 25:35-36)

[10] (Isaiah 52:14-15) : 

[11] (Isaiah 53:5-6).

[12] (Psalm 118, 13)

[13] (Hebrews 4, 15)

[14]The New Revised Standard Version, (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers) .

[15] Luke 23:27-31

[16] (Matt 11:28-30).

 

[17] (Psalm 22.15-16)

[18] (Philippians 2.5-7)

[19] (Luke 14.11)

[20] (John 19:23-24)

[21] (Colossians 3:9-11)

[22] (Luke 23:33-34)

 

[23] (Psalm 22, 17-18)

[24] (John 6, 38)

[25] (John 3:13-15).

[26] John 19:25-27

[27] Luke 23:44-46

[28] (John 19:38).

 

[29] (John 19:40-42)

[30] (John 12:24-25)

[31] From Saint Paul to the Philippians (2:5-11)