Jesus is Condemned to Death
The innocent suffer for the sins of others
Meditation
We were present in the Creator’s mind and heart, even before these ancient soils and waters were formed. We are part of the Earth itself, yet we disregard these gifts that we think of as common, ordinary, and plentiful. We throw away because there is always “more.” We burn, discard and waste until the scarcity is before our eyes. It is only then that we recognize God’s resources as gifts and condemn ourselves and others to the strife of shortages, inequity, and fear; we are responsible for exacerbating environmentally driven displacements and climate induced refugees. Despite the desperate situations of our neighbors fleeing in search of safety, countries across the globe continue to restrict asylum and limit refugee admissions. Dare we wash our hands of their plight like Pilate, or shall we immerse ourselves in solidarity – remembering that these injustices can be addressed?
We Pray
Loving God, in your generosity You gave us abundance to meet our needs. You gave us Jesus as first-born Gift of the Earth. May we not wash our hands of our brothers and sisters displaced worldwide, and may you rain down upon them with all of the love and peace you were denied in your condemnation. Forgive us our sins of abuse and neglect. Increase our awareness of the value of your Gifts, lest we destroy all that gives us life. Amen.
♫ HYMN
Were you there when they seized the Man of Peace?
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble;
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
The above is excerpted from a booklet prepared by the Franciscan Friars Conventual JPIC commission and a combined adaptation from a Catholic Climate Covenant (CCC) parish resource (from the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis’s 2022 ACCT) and a Jesuit Refugee Service resource (JRS Renew the Earth—Stations 2022).
The Stations will be posted individually over the next weeks of Lent. Check out our Resources page if you would like to view the entire document.
