VIA CRUCIS Meditations from CHRISTUS VIVIT of POPE

VIA CRUCIS Meditations from CHRISTUS VIVIT of POPE FRANCIS

Were you there when they crucified my Lord Ooh sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble… Were you there when they crucified my Lord Were you there when they nailed him to the tree Ooh sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble… Were you there when they nailed him to the tree Were you there when they laid him in the tomb Ooh sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble… Were you there when they laid him in the tomb

We adore you O Christ and we praise you Because by your Holy Cross you have I. Jesus is condemned to death

P: Have mercy on us, O Lord All: Have mercy on us. Holy Mother, pierce me through in my heart each wound renew of my Savior crucified. Stabat mater dolorósa juxta Crucem lacrimósa, dum pendébat Fílius.

VIA CRUCIS Meditations from CHRISTUS VIVIT of POPE FRANCIS

Were you there when they crucified my Lord Ooh sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble… Were you there when they crucified my Lord Were you there when they nailed him to the tree Ooh sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble… Were you there when they nailed him to the tree Were you there when they laid him in the tomb Ooh sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble… Were you there when they laid him in the tomb

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

Scriptural Reading I write to you, children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong and the word of God remains in you, and you have conquered the evil one. (1 John 2: 14)

Young people also experience setbacks, disappointments and profoundly painful memories. Jesus makes his presence felt amid these crosses borne by young people; he offers them his friendship, his consolation and his healing companionship. The Church wants to be his instrument on this path to interior healing and peace of heart. CHRISTUS VIVIT (Cf. n. 83)

PRAYER (altogether) Father, may the Spirit of holiness that comes from you illumine our way towards Calvary so that with a young heart that believes in you, we can be reborn in

P: Have mercy on us, O Lord All: Have mercy on us. Holy Mother, pierce me through in my heart each wound renew of my Savior crucified. Stabat mater dolorósa juxta Crucem lacrimósa, dum pendébat Fílius.

I Jesus is condem ned to death

We adore you O Christ and we praise you Because by your Holy Cross you have I. Jesus is condemned to death

Scriptural Reading (in Pidgin – Papua New Guinea) When Pilate saw that he was not succeeding at all, but that a riot was breaking out instead, he took water and washed his hands in the sight of the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood. Look to it yourselves. ” And the whole people said in reply, “His blood be upon us and upon our children. ” Then he released Barabbas to them, but after he had Jesus scourged, he handed him over to be crucified. (Matt 27: 24 -26)

C’è una bellezza che va al di là dell’apparenza o dell’estetica di moda in ogni uomo e ogni donna che vivono con amore la loro vocazione personale, nel servizio disinteressato per la comunità, per la patria, nel lavoro generoso per la felicità della famiglia, impegnati nell’arduo lavoro anonimo e gratuito di ripristinare l’amicizia sociale. Scoprire, mostrare e mettere in risalto questa bellezza, che ricorda quella di Cristo sulla croce, significa mettere le basi della vera solidarietà sociale e della cultura dell’incontro. CHRISTUS VIVIT (Cf. n. 183)

P: Have mercy on us, O Lord All: Have mercy on us. Holy Mother, pierce me through in my heart each wound renew of my Savior crucified. Cuius ánimam geméntem, contristátam et doléntem pertransívit gládius.

II Jesus carries his cross

We adore you O Christ and we praise you Because by your Holy Cross you have II. Jesus carries his cross

Scriptural Reading (in Thai) So they took Jesus, and carrying the cross himself he went out to what is called the Place of the Skull, in Hebrew, Golgotha. (John 19: 16 b-17)

Jesus can bring all the young people of the Church together in a single dream, “a great dream, a dream with a place for everyone. The dream for which Jesus gave his life on the cross, for which the Holy Spirit was poured out on the day of Pentecost and brought fire to the heart of every man and woman, to your heart and mine. To your heart too, he brought that fire, in the hope of finding room for it to grow and flourish. A dream whose name is Jesus, planted by the Father in the confidence that it would grow and live in every heart. A concrete dream who is a person, running through our veins, thrilling our hearts and making them dance. CHRISTUS VIVIT (Cf. n. 157)

P: Have mercy on us, O Lord All: Have mercy on us. Holy Mother, pierce me through in my heart each wound renew of my Savior crucified. O quam tristis et afflícta fuit illa benedícta Mater Unigéniti!

III Jesus falls the first time

We adore you O Christ and we praise you Because by your Holy Cross you have III. Jesus falls the first time

Scriptural Reading (in Burmese – Myanmar) Yet it was our pain that he bore, our sufferings he endured. We thought of him as stricken, struck down by God and afflicted. (Is 53: 4)

Per Dio tu sei realmente prezioso, non sei insignificante, sei importante per Lui, perché sei opera delle sue mani. Per questo ti dedica attenzione e ti ricorda con affetto. Non vuole tenere il conto dei tuoi errori e, in ogni caso, ti aiuterà ad imparare qualcosa anche dalle tue cadute. Perché ti ama. Cerca di rimanere un momento in silenzio lasciandoti amare da Lui. Cerca di mettere a tacere tutte le voci e le grida CHRISTUS interiori e rimani un momento nel suo (Cf. n. 115) abbraccio d’amore. VIVIT

P: Have mercy on us, O Lord All: Have mercy on us. Holy Mother, pierce me through in my heart each wound renew of my Savior crucified. Quae maerébat et dolébat, Pia Mater dum videbat nati poenas íncliti.

IV Jesus meets his mother

We adore you O Christ and we praise you Because by your Holy Cross you have IV. Jesus meets his mother

Scriptural Reading (in Tagalog – Philippines) The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted and yourself a sword will pierce so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. ” (Luke 2: 33 -35)

Without yielding to evasions or illusions, Mary accompanied the suffering of her Son; she supported him by her gaze and protected him with her heart. She shared his suffering, yet was not overwhelmed by it. She was the woman of strength who uttered her ‘yes’, who supports and accompanies, protects and embraces. She is the great guardian of hope… From her, we learn how to say ‘yes’ to the stubborn endurance and creativity of those who, undaunted, are ever ready to (Cf. n. 45) start over again. CHRISTUS VIVIT

P: Have mercy on us, O Lord All: Have mercy on us. Holy Mother, pierce me through in my heart each wound renew of my Savior crucified. Quis est homo, qui non fleret, Matrem Christi si vidéret in tanto supplício?

V Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry the cross

We adore you O Christ and we praise you Because by your Holy Cross V. Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry the you have

Scriptural Reading (in Korean) They pressed into service a passerby, Simon, a Cyrenian, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross. (Mark 15: 21)

Gesù ha avuto una incondizionata fiducia nel Padre, ha curato l’amicizia con i suoi discepoli, e persino nei momenti di crisi vi è rimasto fedele. Ha manifestato una profonda compassione nei confronti dei più deboli, specialmente i poveri, gli ammalati, i peccatori e gli esclusi. Ha fatto l’esperienza di sentirsi incompreso e scartato; ha provato la paura della sofferenza e conosciuto la fragilità della Passione; ha rivolto il proprio sguardo verso il futuro affidandosi alle mani sicure del Padre e alla forza dello Spirito. CHRISTUS VIVIT (Cf. n. 31)

P: Have mercy on us, O Lord All: Have mercy on us. Holy Mother, pierce me through in my heart each wound renew of my Savior crucified. Quis non posset contristári, Christi Matrem contemplári doléntem cum Filio?

VI Veronica wipes the face of Jesus

We adore you O Christ and we praise you Because by your Holy Cross you have VI. Veronica wipes the face of Jesus

Scriptural Reading (in Japanese) Hear my voice, Lord, when I call; have mercy on me and answer me. “Come, ” says my heart, “seek his face”; your face, Lord, do I seek! Do not hide your face from me; do not repel your servant in anger. (Psalm 26: 7 -9)

Keep running, attracted by the face of Christ, whom we love so much, whom we adore in the Holy Eucharist and acknowledge in the flesh of our suffering brothers and sisters. May the Holy Spirit urge you on as you run this race. The Church needs your momentum, your intuitions, your faith. We need them! And when you arrive where we have not yet reached, have the patience to wait for us. CHRISTUS VIVIT (Cf. n. 299)

P: Have mercy on us, O Lord All: Have mercy on us. Holy Mother, pierce me through in my heart each wound renew of my Savior crucified. Pro peccátis suae gentis vidit Jesum in torméntis et flagéllis sùbditum.

VII Jesus falls the second time

We adore you O Christ and we praise you Because by your Holy Cross you have VII. Jesus falls the second time

Scriptural Reading (in Chinese) Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church, of which I am a minister in accordance with God’s stewardship given to me to bring to completion for you the word of God, the mystery hidden from ages and from generations past. (Col 1: 24 -26)

Quel Cristo che ci ha salvato sulla croce dai nostri peccati, con lo stesso potere del suo totale dono di sé continua a salvarci e redimerci oggi. Guarda la sua Croce, aggrappati a Lui, lasciati salvare, perché coloro che si lasciano salvare da Lui sono liberati dal peccato, dalla tristezza, dal vuoto interiore, dall’isolamento. E se pecchi e ti allontani, Egli di nuovo ti rialza con il potere della sua Croce. Egli ci permette di alzare la testa e ricominciare, con una tenerezza che mai ci delude e che sempre può restituirci la gioia. (Cf. n. 119) CHRISTUS VIVIT

P: Have mercy on us, O Lord All: Have mercy on us. Holy Mother, pierce me through in my heart each wound renew of my Savior crucified. Vidit suum dulcem natum moriéndo desolátum, dum emísit spíritum.

VIII Jesus meets the pious women of Jerusale m

We adore you O Christ and we praise you Because by your Holy Cross you have VIII. Jesus meets the pious women of

Scriptural Reading (in Samoan) Jesus turned to them and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep instead for yourselves and for your children, for indeed, the days are coming when people will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed. ’ (Luke 23: 28 -29)

Mary is the Mother who watches over us, her children, on our journey through life, often weary and in need, anxious that the light of hope not fail. For that is our desire: that the light of hope never fail. Mary our Mother looks to this pilgrim people: a youthful people whom she loves, and who seek her in the silence of their hearts amid all the noise, the chatter and the distractions of the journey. Under the gaze of our Mother, there is room only for the silence of hope. Thus Mary illumines anew our youth. (Cf. n. 48) CHRISTUS VIVIT

P: Have mercy on us, O Lord All: Have mercy on us. Holy Mother, pierce me through in my heart each wound renew of my Savior crucified. Eia, mater, fons amóris, me sentíre vim dolóris fac, ut tecum lúgeam.

IX Jesus falls the third time

We adore you O Christ and we praise you Because by your Holy Cross you have IX. Jesus falls the third time

Scriptural Reading (in Tetun – Timor Leste) In the days when he was in the flesh, he offered prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered; and when he was made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him. (Heb 5: 7 -9)

A volte il dolore di alcuni giovani è lacerante; è un dolore che non si può esprimere a parole; è un dolore che ci colpisce come uno schiaffo. Questi giovani possono solo dire a Dio che soffrono molto, che è troppo difficile per loro andare avanti, che non credono più in nessuno. Ci sono giovani che sono riusciti ad aprirsi un sentiero nella vita perché li ha raggiunti questa promessa divina. Possa sempre esserci una comunità cristiana vicino a un giovane che soffre, per far risuonare quelle parole con gesti, abbracci (Cf. n. 77) e aiuti concreti! CHRISTUS VIVIT

P: Have mercy on us, O Lord All: Have mercy on us. Holy Mother, pierce me through in my heart each wound renew of my Savior crucified. Fac, ut árdeat cor meum in amándo Christum Deum, ut sibi compláceam.

X Jesus is stripped of his clothes

We adore you O Christ and we praise you Because by your Holy Cross you have X. Jesus is stripped of his clothes

Scriptural Reading (in Bahasa Indonesia) When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four shares, a share for each soldier. They also took his tunic, but the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from the top down. So they said to one another, “Let’s not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it will be, ” in order that the passage of scripture might be fulfilled [that says]: “They divided my garments among them, and for my vesture they cast lots. ” (John 19: 23 -24)

The love of Jesus is a love that does not overwhelm or oppress, cast aside or reduce to silence, humiliate or domineer. It is the love of the Lord, a daily, discreet and respectful love; a love that is free and freeing, a love that heals and raises up. The love of the Lord has to do more with raising up than knocking down, with reconciling than forbidding, with offering new changes than condemning, with the future than the past. CHRISTUS VIVIT (Cf. n. 116)

P: Have mercy on us, O Lord All: Have mercy on us. Holy Mother, pierce me through in my heart each wound renew of my Savior crucified. Sancta Mater, istud agas, crucifíxi fige plagas cordi meo válide.

XI Jesus is nailed to the cross

We adore you O Christ and we praise you Because by your Holy Cross you have XI. Jesus is nailed to the cross

Scriptural Reading (in Khmer – Cambodia) When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him and the criminals there, one on his right, the other on his left. Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do. ” (Luke 23: 33 -34)

Guarda le braccia aperte di Cristo crocifisso, lasciati salvare sempre nuovamente. E quando ti avvicini per confessare i tuoi peccati, credi fermamente nella sua misericordia che ti libera dalla colpa. Contempla il suo sangue versato con tanto affetto e lasciati purificare da esso. Così potrai rinascere sempre di nuovo. CHRISTUS VIVIT (Cf. n. 123)

P: Have mercy on us, O Lord All: Have mercy on us. Holy Mother, pierce me through in my heart each wound renew of my Savior crucified. Tui Nati vulneráti, tam dignáti pro me pati, poenas mecum dívide.

XII Jesus dies upon the cross

We adore you O Christ and we praise you Because by your Holy Cross you have XII. Jesus dies upon the cross

Scriptural Reading (in Vietnamese) It was now about noon and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon because of an eclipse of the sun. Then the veil of the temple was torn down the middle. Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit”; and when he had said this he breathed his last. (Luke 23: 44 -46)

The Lord gave up his spirit on a cross when he was little more than thirty years of age. It is important to realize that Jesus was a young person. He gave his life when he was, in today’s terms, a young adult. He began his public mission in the prime of life, and thus “a light dawned” that would shine most brightly when he gave his life to the very end. That ending was not something that simply happened; rather, his entire youth, at every moment, was a precious preparation for it. (Cf. n. 23) CHRISTUS VIVIT

P: Have mercy on us, O Lord All: Have mercy on us. Holy Mother, pierce me through in my heart each wound renew of my Savior crucified. Iuxta crucem tecum stare, Et me tibi sociáre in planctu desídero.

XIII Jesus is taken down from the cross

We adore you O Christ and we praise you Because by your Holy Cross you have XIII. Jesus is taken down from the cross

Scriptural Reading (Cebuano – Philippines) Now since it was preparation day, in order that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the sabbath, for the sabbath day of that week was a solemn one, the Jews asked Pilate that their legs be broken and they be taken down. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and then of the other one who was crucified with Jesus. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs, but one soldier thrust his lance into his side, and immediately blood and water flowed out. (John 19: 31 -34)

Il suo perdono e la sua salvezza non sono qualcosa che abbiamo comprato o che dovremmo acquisire con le nostre opere o i nostri sforzi. Egli ci perdona e ci libera gratuitamente. Il suo donarsi sulla croce è qualcosa di così grande che noi non possiamo né dobbiamo pagarlo, dobbiamo soltanto accoglierlo con immensa gratitudine e con la gioia di essere amati così tanto prima di poterlo immaginare: egli ci ha CHRISTUS amati per primo. (Cf. n. 121) VIVIT

P: Have mercy on us, O Lord All: Have mercy on us. Holy Mother, pierce me through in my heart each wound renew of my Savior crucified. Inflammatus et accensus, per te, Virgo, sim defénsus in die iudícii.

XIV Jesus is buried

We adore you O Christ and we praise you Because by your Holy Cross you have XIV. Jesus is buried

Scriptural Reading They took the body of Jesus and bound it with burial cloths along with the spices, according to the Jewish burial custom. Now in the place where he had been crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had yet been buried. (John 19: 40 -41)

Alive, Jesus can be present in your life at every moment, to fill it with light and to take away all sorrow and solitude. Even if all others depart, he will remain, as he promised: “I am with you always, to the end of the age. ” He fills your life with his unseen presence; wherever you go, he will be waiting there for you. Because he did not only come in the past, but he comes to you today and every day, inviting you to set out towards ever new horizons. CHRISTUS VIVIT (Cf. n. 125)

P: Have mercy on us, O Lord All: Have mercy on us. Holy Mother, pierce me through in my heart each wound renew of my Savior crucified. Quando corpus moriétur, fac, ut ánimae donétur paradísi glória. Amen.

PRAYER We ask you, Lord, that in the light of the cross, the symbol of our faith, we may accept our sufferings and, enlightened by your love, embrace our own crosses, made glorious by your death and resurrection. Give us the grace to look back on the story of our lives

The Lord be with you. And with your spirit. May almighty God bless you, + the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Let us bless the Lord. Thanks be to God.