The Ninth Station

In my distress I called upon the Lord, and he heard my voice. 

The Stations of the Cross are a popular meditation prayed during Lent. Here is an excerpt from a meditation on the ninth station:

Jesus Falls for the Third Time

Leader 2: For the third time, You fall. From where will You find the strength to stand? Who will help You now?

I raise my eyes toward the mountains.
From where will my help come.
My help comes from the Lord,
the maker of heaven and earth.
(Psalm 121:1–2)

When all human strength is gone, when all hope is lost, it is only in the Lord that You will find your solace. Emptied of all You could accomplish on Your own, You rise. You walk these final steps toward the loving arms of Your Heavenly Father.

Leader 1: I feel you now, Father, as I fall for the third time. I feel the agony of Your children who fall again and again. I know they believe it is worthless and hopeless. You wanted me to show them the way. This path I walk is their path, too. So from this ground, I raise my eyes to You. I am empty. I am tired. But I am not alone. I give myself to You--for them. I rise. I walk.

All: We pray.
Father, our pride can make us believe that we are in control. We set goals, make demands, give orders, and dictate results. Yet despite our best human effort, we still fail. Defeated, we cry out to You. Sometimes we cry in anger, other times in desperation. From the hard ground, we raise our eyes to You and beg for help. Despite our weakness, You answer lovingly. You give us Your hand, You help us to rise, and with us--You walk.

Amen.

from Stations of the Cross by Denise Hemrich-Skomer and Fr. Joachim Tyrtania


In my distress, I called upon the Lord, and he heard my voice.