Week Beginning Monday 12th March 2018 Stations of the Cross

XII Station: Jesus dies on the Cross A reading from Mark 15:34-37 “At three o’clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?’ which means, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’… Then Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last.” Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you, All: because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

Thursday 15th March 2018 Jesus dies with his arms stretched out on the cross, embracing all of humanity like the Father in the story of the Prodigal Son. Knowing we can turn to God, whatever we have done, and receiving his mercy and love, we are compelled to share this with others. Pope Francis says, “Day after day, touched by God’s compassion, we also can become compassionate towards others” A moments reflection Do we allow ourselves to be “touched by God’s compassion”? Or do we try to hide from it? And having experienced God’s love, do we share this compassion with others? We pray for the grace to accept God’s compassion towards us, and in our turn to be compassionate towards others.

Let Us Pray Let us pray for the victims of the wars and of the violence which in our days devastate various countries in the Middle East, as well as other parts of the world. Let us pray that the displaced and the forced migrants may soon return to their homes and lands. Grant, Lord, that the blood of innocent victims may be the seed of a new East, ever more fraternal, peaceful and just, and that this East may recover the splendour of its vocation as the cradle of civilization and of spiritual and human values. Star of the East, show us the coming of the Dawn! Amen.