by
Fr. John Keep

9th. Station: Jesus Falls a Third Time

Verse:  We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.
Response:  Because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world.

The soldiers are impatient, and they try to hasten Our Lord’s feeble steps.  He is growing ever weaker, and He falls for the third time.  He is scarcely alive at all.  His whole frame is jarred by the fall.  The Cross hits the ground and topples on to Him.  There is no help or mercy from anyone now.  Some of the parents by the roadside laugh at His struggles and prod their children into laughing at Him and throwing handfuls of dust at Him.  He is one of those wicked criminals, the parents tell their children.  He is crushed by the weight of justice, for St. Paul tells us, “He became sin for us.”  He has embraced us all, and how many times have we fallen, not through innocent weakness, but through selfishness and pride?  How many falls of ours has He paid for on this journey?

(after a brief pause)

Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.

For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.