12th Station: Jesus Dies on the Cross
We are often indifferent to those who die
Meditation
Jesus dies after an earthly life that began as a refugee. Today, over 80 million people are forcibly displaced worldwide. Armed conflicts, and religious, political, and socio-ecological persecution continue to displace people from their homes. Refugees are dying daily from climate induced floods, famines, and wars. Many are tortured, killed, or internally displaced within their own countries. We too must take responsibility for our contributions to the death and destruction of our common home. How will we respond to others who lack the basic necessities of life?
We Pray
Jesus, you died on the cross, surrendering your will to the Creator’s so that we may have life in abundance. Forgive us for what we have done to contribute to the web of today’s problems. May we surrender our moral, economic, and social decisions to God’s divine providence. For only in faith can we move beyond self-interest to see the interdependence of all God’s creation is other-centered. Amen
♫ HYMN
Were you there when He died for love of us?
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble;
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
13th Station: The Body of Jesus is Taken Down from the Cross
We feel discouraged, disillusioned, hopeless
Meditation
Christ is taken from the cross and darkness settles upon the world, for the Son of God has been slain. Today this darkness lives on as feedback cycles of violence, oppression, and disasters perpetuate. As Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus stepped up to care for the lifeless body of Jesus, we must step up to care for the unjustly crucified creation. May we be inspired by the resiliency of refugees to rise above their circumstances, however distressing they may be. We must acknowledge our responsibility to be co-creators with God in the goodness of creation. We can provide the spark of faith or the seed of hope to blossom for the next generation.
We Pray
O Maker of all things new, help us to hold on to our faith, hope and love when we feel overwhelmed and discouraged by the challenges of our socio-ecological crises. As a community of mutual support, deepen our courage and use us as instruments of the peace you desire for all creation. Amen.
♫ HYMN
Were you there when they took Him off the tree?
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.
