Way of the Cross - XIII. Jesus Is Taken from the Cross
The lifeless Body of Jesus now rests in the arms of Mary. What anguish is hers as she thinks of the many souls for whom her Son shed His Precious Blood in vain! What joy to know that so many are redeemed! O my Savior, preserve me from Hell. O sweet Heart of Mary, be my salvation.
Christ Speaks: Death is always hard... there is so much mystery about it... so much that can't be touched. It strikes every family... it strikes every age. The baby, knowing only the life of a day... the youth, only beginning to reach with determination toward a goal... the young mother, saying good-bye to life as she gives life...the elderly couple, having filled life with mutual love. And then amidst it all was the Woman of Calvary... holding her Son... and we knew that love embraces even those who die.
Response: I beg you, Lord, help me accept the partings that must come – from friends who go away, my children leaving home, and most of all, my dear ones when you shall call them to yourself. Then give me grace to say, "As it has pleased you, Lord, to take them home, I bow to your most holy will. And if by just one word I might restore their lives against your will, I would not speak." Grant them eternal joy.