Ninth Station--Jesus Falls a Third Time

(From mosaic Stations of the Cross, by Jim Krilich)

Ninth Station: Jesus Falls a Third Time

Leader: O holy Christ, we worship you, we adore you;
People: The air was thick with hopelessness and despair as you fell again.

By this time, Jesus was nearing Golgotha. A few scattered skulls and bleached, broken bones dotted the side of the road--all that remained of others crucified there, people whose families either did not care about their remains or could not afford to bury or entomb them. Various birds that feasted upon carrion perched on some of the bones and in the trees. As Jesus still grew physically weaker, the crowds started to diminish a little. The hubbub of the nosy and the curious was giving way to the reality of what was about to happen, and the taunts and jeers of the crowd were receding into a roaring silence. Perhaps it was the sight of the actual hill where he would be crucified that weakened Jesus' knees--but for whatever reason, he fell again.

As he lay in the dust, he could hear his own heart beating more rapidly in his ears, mixed with the murmurs of the onlookers...

"I wish he'd just die and spare himself all this."

"I don't care what he did, this is too much for anyone to bear. They've whipped him more than anyone I've ever seen crucified."

"I wanted to believe in his God, but how can I now, seeing this?"

Jesus lay there, feeling the dark edges of these fears stabbing him like knives. It was only to escape them that he could manage to rise up from the ground and keep walking.

Leader: As Jesus neared Golgotha,
People: He could feel the light of his own soul straining against the darkness.

Leader: Let us pray.
(a brief period of silence is observed.)

God of Light and Creation,
stay near to us when we feel overwhelmed by darkness.
When we are so overtaken by the cares of the world
that we feel ourselves falling,
put out your hand to us in the dark.
Let the touch of your hand open our eyes
to the light on the horizon,
and encourage us to put one foot in front of the other
and walk to it, no matter how hesitating our steps.

People: Amen.

Holy God,
Holy and Mighty,
Holy immortal one,
Have mercy on us.