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The Stations of the Cross in Jerusalem - Reflection |
The 10th Station:
HERE Jesus is stripped of his garments
Jesus arrives at Golgotha. The soldiers take away the cross-beam from his shoulders and neck. Jesus is relieved from this weight. He stands there motionless. Everyone around him is doing his business. He just waits. They move around.
Jesus looks up and sees the two thieves already in their place. They are screaming with pain. He looks down again and, keeping his eyes fixed to the ground, awaits his turn. Suddenly the soldiers came. He knew it was his time.
They took off his clothes. They threw them in a heap nearby. Jesus is again humiliated. He stands there almost naked. The bloodstained body showed to all those present the bruises and the open wounds of the lashes. He started shivering. The northerly breeze was chilling his sweating body.
They had placed the cross-beam on the ground in front of him, while the soldiers were debating what to do with his garments: "Let's not tear it," they said to one another. "Let's decide by lot who will get it." (Jn 19,24) This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled which said, "They divided my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing"(Ps 22,18). So this is what the soldiers did.
And Jesus lifting up his eyes to heaven repeated the prayer: "But you, O Lord, be not far off! O my Strength, come quickly to help me!" (Ps 22,19).
Dear Jesus, what a shameful spectacle they wanted to make of you! Some hours earlier during that same week, dear Lord, you yourself took off your cloak to wash the feet of your disciples. You told us then that we have to do the same as you were doing!
And now Lord, you left them undress you of your clothes, undress you of your dignity as a human being!
How could you bear all this, Lord? Lord, teach me how to do my utmost to serve the poor, the humble, the homeless, the less fortunate. Help me never to be a cause of any injustice against human dignity.
Lord, how can I not bring in front of your suffering heart the multitude of human beings who are discarded before they are even born, who are left to die of hunger while we pile up rubbish dumps all over, the innocent children who are suffering because of the waring adults. Lord look at our misery and help us never to be a cause of misery to others!
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