Friday 30th. March - 9th. Station of the CrossThe Hill of Calvary is almost reached; the hour of the great sacrifice is at hand. Still the heart of Jesus thirsts for suffering to show His great, His all devouring love for us.
Again, He falls!! With limbs all bruised and broken, with a body all one raw, red, quivering sore, each step He took was agony.
But to fall thus helpless on the ragged ground, to be kicked and beaten as He lay with nervless limbs all paralyzed with pain must have been to His high-strung, delicate frame a thousand-fold martyrdom.
The executioners are alarmed. Was death going to rob them of their victim and cheat them of the joy they promised themselves as their victim writhed in the agonies of death?
Reflection
In the Passion, the light which overshadows all is the thought that Our Lord, in spite of His infinite love for His Father, yet as a sinner is compelled to give Him pain, having for our sakes taken upon Himself the sins of the world.
Perhaps you can see better what I mean if you picture the agony it would cause to see that all one’s efforts to show love were taken as so many marks of hatred.