Saint Philip Neri's Food for the Soul 2Q2025

Philip Romolo Neri, aka the Second Apostle of Rome after Saint Peter, was an Italian Catholic priest who founded the Congregation of the Oratory, a society of secular clergy dedicated to pastoral care and charitable work. Neri's spiritual mission emphasized personal holiness and direct service to others, particularly through the education of young people and care for the poor and sick. His work played a significant role in the Counter-Reformation

Saint Philip Neri's Food for the Soul 1Q2025


Saint Philip Neri's Food for the Soul 4Q2024

The Power of Prayer: The Paraphrase and Compendium of the Gospel.

If you have never read the Bible, but want to know what is in it, take one minute and read the Our Father: it's a paraphrase

As prescribed by Saint Neri, I posted one maxim per day starting with the one for September 27, 2024. This page shall contain Saint Philip Neri's Maxim of the Day for 2Q2025.

How to Pray: the Ladder of Monks

Lectio Divina, “Divine Reading”, refers to an approach to prayer and scripture reading practiced by monastics since the early Church.

Lectio (reading): An attentive, slow, repetitious recitation of a short passage of scripture.

Meditatio (meditation): An effort to understand the passage and apply it to my own life.

Oratio (prayer): Engaging or talking with God about the passage.

Contemplatio (contemplation): Allowing oneself to be absorbed in the words of God as the Holy Spirit draws us into His presence through scripture.

Maxims For April 2025

29. At table, especially where there are guests, we ought to eat every kind of food, and not say, “I like this,” and “I do not like that.”

28. Nay more, it roots up the little a man may have already acquired.

The statement "Nay more, it roots up the little a man may have already acquired" suggests that something is not only not beneficial or beneficial, but actively harmful, even to the extent of destroying what a person already possesses. It implies that a force or situation can not only deprive a person of potential gains, but also undo any existing accomplishments or possessions. 
This phrase is often used in religious or moral contexts, particularly in interpretations of scripture passages. For example, in Luke 12:15, Jesus warns against hoarding wealth, stating "Take heed and guard yourselves against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”This passage emphasizes that material wealth is not the true measure of life's value and can even be detrimental to spiritual growth. The phrase "roots up the little" aligns with this idea, suggesting that the pursuit of wealth or possessions can lead to the loss of what truly matters, like spiritual well-being or personal values. 

27. Buffoonery incapacitates a person from receiving any additional spirituality from God.

.

26. It is very necessary to be cheerful, but we must not on that account give in to a buffooning spirit.

25. Charity and cheerfulness, or charity and humility, should be our motto.

24. Excessive sadness seldom springs from any other source than pride

23. Those who wish to enter upon the religious life, should first of all mortify themselves for a long time, and particularly mortify their will in things to which they have the greatest repugnance


This quote advises those aspiring to a religious life to engage in prolonged mortification, particularly focusing on suppressing their will in areas where they experience the most resistance or repugnance. In essence, it's a call to discipline oneself by intentionally overcoming personal desires and preferences, especially those that are difficult to overcome

21. The true way to advance in holy virtues, is to persevere in a holy cheerfulness

20. Let the sick man enter into the Side of Jesus and His most holy Wounds; let him not be afraid, but combat manfully, and he will come forth victorious.

The Five Wounds of Jesus refer to the five wounds he received during his crucifixion: two in his hands, two in his feet, and one in his side. These wounds are a significant symbol in Christian tradition, representing Jesus's suffering and love for humanity.
19. The sick man must not fear when he is tempted to lose confidence; for if he has sinned, Christ has suffered and paid for him.

The Ultimate Reparation was paid in full: Tetelestai!

18. A sick man should make God a present of his will; and if it turns out that he has to suffer for a long time, he must submit to the Divine Will.

O Death, Where Is Thy Sting? The Paschal Sermon of St. John Chrysostom

17. In visiting the dying we should not say many words to them, but rather help them by praying for them.

O Death, Where Is Thy Sting? The Paschal Sermon of St. John Chrysostom

16. In trying to get rid of bad habits, it is of the greatest importance not to put off going to confession after a fall, and also to keep to the same confessor.

15. One of the very best means of obtaining humility, is sincere and frequent confession.

14. When we go to confession, we should accuse ourselves of our worst sins first, and of those things which we are most ashamed of, because by this means we put the devil to greater confusion, and reap more fruit from our confession.

13 We must avoid lies as we would a pestilence.

12. We must not trust in ourselves, but take the advice of our spiritual father, and recommend ourselves to everybody’s prayers.

11. The stench of impurity before God and the angels is so great, that no stench in the world can equal it.

10. In temptation we ought not to say, “I will do,” “I will say,” for it is a species of presumption and self-confidence; we ought rather to say with humility, “I know what I ought to do, but I do not know what I shall do.”

9. It is a most useful thing to say often, and from the heart, “Lord, do not put any confidence in me, for I am sure to fall if Thou dost not help me;” or, “O my Lord, look for nothing but evil from me.”
more fruit from our confession.

8. When a person puts himself in an occasion of sin, saying, “I shall not fall, I shall not commit it,” it is an almost infallible sign that he will fall, and with all the greater damage to his soul.

7. We should be less alarmed for one who is tempted in the flesh, and who resists by avoiding the occasions, than for one who is not tempted and is not careful to avoid the occasions.

6. In the warfare of the flesh, only cowards gain the victory; that is to say, those who fly.

5. Never say, “What great things the Saints do,” but, “What great things God does in His Saints.”

4. When sensual thoughts come into the mind, we ought immediately to make use of our minds, and fix them instantaneously upon something or other, no matter what.

3. As soon as a man feels that he is tempted, he should fly to God, and devoutly utter that ejaculation which the fathers of the desert so much esteemed: Deus in adjutorium meum intende; Domine ad adjuvandum me festina: or that verse, cor mundum crea in me Deus.

Deus in adjutorium meum intende; Domine ad adjuvandum me festina" translates to "O God, make haste to help me; O Lord, make haste to help me,"  the opening verse of Psalm 69

Cor mundum crea in me, Deus: et spiritum rectum innova in visceribus meis. Create a clean heart in me, O God, and renew an upright spirit within me. The distribution of Ashes marks the beginning of Lent, accompanied by the Miserere sung to the famous setting by Allegri

2. Let a man who desires the first place take the last.

1. To acquire and preserve the virtue of chastity, we have need of a good and experienced confessor.

Saint Cyril of Jerusalem, Fought The Arian Heresy, Declared Orthodox & Doctor of the Church

March 18 marks the feast of Saint Cyril of Jerusalem,a theologian of the Early Church. declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Leo XIII.

Cyril was born at or near the city of Jerusalem and was well-read in both the writings of the early Christian theologians and the Greek philosophers.  Cyril is best known for his Catechetical Lectures, a series of talks that helped new believers understand the basics of Christianity. Cyril explained important topics like the Creed, the sacraments, and what it means to live as a Christian.

In 313 CE, Emperor Constantine and his co-emperor Licinius issued the Edict of Milan, which decriminalized Christianity and granted religious freedom to all citizens, including Christian, but the Church continued to suffer. Politics entered the Church, emperors inserted themselves into doctrine, and theological and territorial divisions became fierce. The theological divisions in the fourth century centered on Jesus’ nature. Arius, a priest from Alexandria in North Africa, believed that the Father created the Son, making the Son subordinate to the Father and neither co-eternal nor co-equal with the Father. These teachings came to be known as the Arian Heresy. 

Others believed that the Son was begotten of the Father, meaning He existed from all eternity with the Father and was of the same divine nature. Thistheological battle was initially addressed in the year 325 at the Council of Nicaea. This ecumenical council was the first of many efforts to attain consensus in the church through an assembly representing all Christendom. Its main accomplishments were settlement of the Christological issue of the divine nature of God the Son and his relationship to God the Father, the construction of the first part of the Nicene Creed, mandating uniform observance of the date of Easter, and promulgation of early canon law.

The dispute was not settled until 381 by the Council of Constantinople. The First Council of Constantinople, convened in 381 by Emperor Theodosius I, was the second ecumenical council of the Christian church, aiming to solidify the Nicene Creed and address theological disputes, particularly regarding the Holy Spirit

It was in this fifty-six-year period of Church history and controversy that today’s saint was born, lived, and fought for the true faith.

Cyril was born in or near the city of Jerusalem around 315. He was well-educated in the Scriptures and philosophy prior to his ordination as a deacon and then to the priesthood at age twenty-eight. His superior, Bishop Maximus, assigned Cyril the responsibility of assisting him as a preacher and catechist. Cyril preached every Sunday and catechized those preparing for the Sacraments of Initiation. A surviving set of twenty-four of his catechetical instructions are remarkable for their content and clarity. The first eighteen lessons explained what catechumens needed to know about baptism, how to change from pagan morals, the meaning of the Creed, and the errors of Arianism. Cyril’s last six lessons led the newly baptized in how to live the new life they received from the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and the Most Holy Eucharist, as well as lessons on prayer, especially found in the Lord’s Prayer.

About the end of AD 350, he succeeded Maximus as Bishop of Jerusalem, but was exiled on more than one occasion due to the enmity of Acacius of Caesarea, and the policies of various emperors. Cyril left important writings documenting the instruction of catechumens and the order of the Liturgy in his day.

Soon after Cyril became bishop, a miraculous sign appeared over the holy site of Jesus’ crucifixion. A large cross of light, surrounded by a rainbow, appeared in the sky and stretched for about two miles over the city, perhaps an affirmation of Cyril or a sign of the suffering he would endure in office. Cyril encountered opposition from bishops sympathetic to Arianism and persecution from emperors. Cyril was deposed and exiled from Jerusalem three times during his almost forty years as a bishop.

Even so, Bishop Cyril was a true shepherd of his flock, preaching and catechizing just as he had done as a priest. His gentle, pastoral, conciliatory, and humble approach to his ministry led some more orthodox bishops to suspect him of being sympathetic to the Arians. He was finally declared orthodox in his faith in 378. In 381, the Council of Constantinople gave further clarity on the Arian Heresy, clarified the Creed of Nicaea, and affirmed Bishop Cyril’s office of Bishop of Jerusalem. He remained a holy shepherd of his people until his death six years later. An eyewitness to Bishop Cyril’s catechetical lessons that were delivered in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre said that whenever Cyril completed a lesson, all of the people would enthusiastically applaud.

Prayer to Saint Cyril


https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/march-18-saint-cyril-of-jerusalem-bishop-and-doctor/.


Saint Cyril, you never wavered from the Truth, not even during persecution and exile, but proclaimed Christ Jesus to your flock. Please pray for me, that I will always remain firm in my faith in a hostile world and will lovingly proclaim the truth to those who need it most. Saint Cyril of Jerusalem, pray for me.

Fourth Great Enemy of Liberty: the Democrat Party

According to Peter Kreeft, in the past, America has faced three great enemies of liberty:

 Of hate, terrorism and degenerates.

Communism.  Communism denied the right to property.

Slavery. Slavery denied the right to right to Liberty

Abortion: Abortion denies the right11 to life. Where the right to life is the most fundamental of all, for if you are denied the right to life, you are denied all other rights as well.

Now America is facing its Fourth Great Enemy of Liberty:  the Democrat Party. The party of hate, terrorism and degenerates.

Sixty Two years ago at #TheGreatMarch on Washington, held in DC August 28, 1963, Dr. #MartinLutherKingJr., standing in front of the Lincoln Memorial, delivered the first MAGA soeech - his historic "#IHaveADream" speech in which he called for an end to racism and racial segregation.  I Have a Dream, is quintessentially American: inspired by the Bible, the Declaration of Independence, the US Constitution, and Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation and the Gettysburg Address. Five years later, progressives got MLK Jr out of their way, turning his dream into a nightmare: racism has morphed into DEI, the #AbortionIndustrialComplex has enabled the Black Genocide, the disintegration of the African-American nuclear family and a fatherlesssness crisis. MLK Jr. death cleared the way for the uber progressive Warren Court's Decision: the Court found that teaching children about wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, fear of the Lord., charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control and chastity was too radical, all hell broke loseToday,

Today, in various social media platforms. Mike Brok argues that "the American system was built on the assumption that institutions could correct themselves. But what happens when power simply refuses to be balanced?" 

Accountability is necessary but not sufficient. Accountability means taking responsibility for one's actions and their consequences, while hate is a strong feeling of dislike or animosity towards someone or something. Accountability focuses on actions and their impact, whereas hate is a feeling or emotion directed towards a person or group. 

You can't legislate hate: it's cultural America is facing the Fourth Great Enemy of Liberty: the Democrat Party - Starting with the repeal of the Smith-Mundt Act.

The repeal of the Smith–Mundt allowed use of propaganda, it allowed to Infiltrate and co-opt the universities, the unions, the media  politicians, judges.

Foreign policy establishment can fund groups that effectively work with prosecutors domestically or that work at media. To give them foreign grants to do media propaganda abroad and here, or social media censorship to coerce foreign countries to pass foreign censorship laws that explicitly is intended to attack US social media companies and in US peer-to-peer speech.

The Smith-Mundt Act was developed to regulate broadcasting of programs for foreign audiences produced under the guidance by the State Department, and it prohibited domestic dissemination of materials produced by such programs as one of its provisions. The original version of the Act was amended by the Smith–Mundt Modernization Act of 2012 under Barack Obama which allowed for materials produced by the State Department and the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) to be made available within the United States

Elon Musks asks if there has ever been such a level of coordinated attack against a company such as what we are seeing with Tesla.

The answer is No.


The attacks against Tesla is pure hatred,  leading to domestic terrorism

Why now America is facing the Fourth Great Enemy of Liberty:  the Democrat Party - Starting with the repeal of the Smith-Mundt Act:

Europe has fallen

America will soon follow, unless president Trump is able to dismantle the Ummah Industrial Complex and the Global Circular Reporting Mafia Ring led by the NYT and funded by Samantha Power's USAID and Soros- the later promoting atheism throughout the globe -

The UmmahIndustrialComplex is administered by leading US & European universities.

Repeal of the Smith–Mundt: allowef use of propaganda, it allowed to Infiltrate and co-opt the universities - The unions - The media - The politicians - The judges

Foreign policy establishment can fund groups that effectively work with prosecutors domestically or that work at media. To give them foreign grants to do media propaganda abroad abd here, or social media censorship to coerce foreign countries to pass foreign censorship laws that explicitlyintended to attack US social media companies and in US peer-to-peer speech

1.  Europe is ingrate:  American taxpayers have been paying for their defense

2.  Europe has fallen And Europeans remain clueless.
Will require America liberates it.  Again!

3.  The Biggest Threat To USA Is Democrats.  Democrats not only side with Zelenski, they openly root for rogue Intel agents willing to sell the country, and supporting Hamas supporters like Khalil

to hurt president Trump, and America



https://cotobuzz.blogspot.com/2025/02/europe-has-fallen-needs-to-be-liberated.html


https://cotobuzz.blogspot.com/2025/02/the-biggest-threat-to-usa-is-democrats.html

Divine Mercy and the Divine Mercy Chaplet

Divine Mercy has been called "the greatest grassroots movement in the history of the Catholic Church" and has changed millions of lives. 

The Divine Mercy message is mainly
associated with a Polish nun, now known as St. Maria Faustina Kowalska. She died in 1938, about a year before the start of World War II. Saint Faustina was a mystic, who received extraordinary experiences of the Lord Jesus in prayer. Jesus appeared to her and even spoke with her. God sometimes appears to mystics because He has a prophetic message for a particular time in history, and He uses particular men and women to share His message. Sometimes it's to remind us of something that's been forgotten. Sometimes it's a warning. At other times, it's a message of comfort. Or it may simply be a call to conversion. The message to Saint Faustina is simple. It is that God loves us – all of us. And, He wants us to recognize that His mercy is greater than our sins, so that we will call upon Him with trust, receive His mercy, and let it flow through us to others. Thus, all will come to share His joy.

Jesus told St. Faustina, “Mankind will not have peace until it turns with trust to My mercy” (Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska, 300; see also 699). The five elements of the devotion (represented by the acronym F.I.N.C.H., for Feast, Image, Novena, Chaplet, Hour) have attached to them some of the most powerful and extraordinary promises of any devotion.

Spend time to learn more about the mercy of God, learn to trust in Jesus, and live your life as merciful to others, as Christ is merciful to you.

Divine Mercy gets to the heart of Sacred Scripture. In fact, as the Catechism of the Catholic Church says, "The Gospel is the revelation in Jesus Christ of God's mercy to sinners" (1849). Right there: That summarizes it. Divine Mercy is the Gospel. It's the good news. And so, it gets to the very center of our faith. Moreover, in the words of Pope Benedict XVI, "Divine Mercy is not a secondary devotion, but an integral dimension of Christian faith and prayer. Mercy is the central nucleus of the Gospel message."

John Paul II said that mercy is "love's second name." It's a particular kind of love, a particular mode of love when it encounters suffering, poverty, brokenness, and sin. Divine Mercy is when God's love meets us and helps us in the midst of our suffering and sin. In fact, because this side of eternity we're all sinners and because suffering is our lot in life, God's love for us here always takes the form of mercy. It's always the Lord stepping out in compassion to help us poor, weak, and broken sinners. From our perspective, then, every good we receive is an expression Divine Mercy

The Catholic Church's Catechism highlights God's mercy as a central aspect of the Gospel message, revealed in Jesus Christ's life, death, and resurrection, and emphasized through devotions like the Divine Mercy Chaplet and the Feast of Divine Mercy.

Summary

Divine Mercy as the Gospel:
The Catechism states that "The Gospel is the revelation in Jesus Christ of God's mercy to sinners".

Mercy as Love's Second Name:
Mercy is seen as a particular kind of love, a mode of love that responds to suffering, poverty, brokenness, and sin.

God's Mercy in Creation, Redemption, and Sanctification:

Creation: God's creation of the world is an act of merciful love, overcoming potential nothingness.

Redemption: The Incarnation, where the Son of God became human, is an act of merciful love, sharing our lot and offering salvation.

Sanctification: The sending of the Holy Spirit to sanctify and refresh us is also an expression of divine mercy.

The Divine Mercy Chaplet:
This devotion, inspired by Saint Faustina's visions, focuses on God's infinite mercy and asks for His mercy upon the world, especially sinners.

Divine Mercy Sunday:
Pope John Paul II established Divine Mercy Sunday, a day to focus on God's mercy, stemming from the readings of Sister Faustina and the message of Divine Mercy.

 
The Church's Role:
The Church is called to manifest God's mercy through the sacraments, especially Reconciliation, and through works of charity.

The Stations of the Cross as composed by Saint Alphonsus Liguori:

The Stations of the Cross, also known as the Way of the Cross or Via Crucis, are a series of 14 images and accompanying prayers that depict key events in Jesus's passion and death, offering a spiritual journey through his suffering.

The Stations of the Cross are a devotional practice that commemorates Jesus's journey to Calvary, his crucifixion, and his deat

Each station is typically represented by a painting, sculpture, or other visual representation, and each station is accompanied by a prayer and a reflection on the event it depicts.

The 14 Stations:

Jesus is condemned to death

Jesus takes up his cross

Jesus falls the first time

Jesus meets his mother

Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry the cross

Veronica wipes the face of Jesus

Jesus falls the second time

Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem

Jesus falls the third time

Jesus is stripped of his garments

Jesus is nailed to the cross

Jesus dies on the cross

Jesus is taken down from the cross

Jesus is placed in the tomb

Spiritual Significance: The Stations of the Cross offer believers a powerful opportunity for prayer, reflection, and meditation on the mysteries of Christ's suffering and death

Praying the Stations of the Cross 

Kneeling before the altar, make an Act of Contrition, and form the intention of gaining the indulgences,  whether for yourself or for the souks in Purgatory.

Then say

My Lord Jesus Christ, You have made this journey to die for me with love unutterable,  and I have so many times unworthily  abandoned You: but now I love You with my whole heart,  abd because I love You,  I repent sincerely for having ever offended You.  Pardon me, my God,  and permit me to accompany You on this journey.  You go to die for love of me; I wish also, my beloved Redeemer,  to die for love of You. My Jesus,  I will live and die always united to You. 

Dear Jesus You go to die

For very love of me;

Let me bear You company 

I wish to die with You.

Opening Prayer:

ALL: My Lord, Jesus Christ, 

You have made this journey to die for me with unspeakable love; 

and I have so many times ungratefully abandoned You. | But now I love You with all my heart;

and, because I love You, I am sincerely sorry for ever having offended You.

Pardon me, my God, and permit me to accompany You on this journey.

You go to die for love of me; 

I want, my beloved Redeemer, to die for love of You. 

My Jesus, I will live and die always united to You.

 

At the cross her station keeping 

Stood the mournful Mother weeping 

Close to Jesus to the last

Stations of the Cross at Home

 The First Station: Pilate Condemns Jesus to Die

V: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)

R: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)

V: Consider how Jesus Christ, after being scourged and crowned with thorns, was unjustly condemned by Pilate to die on the cross. (Kneel)

R: My adorable Jesus, 

it was not Pilate; 

no, it was my sins that condemned You to die. 

I beseech You, by the merits of this sorrowful journey, 

to assist my soul on its journey to eternity.

I love You, beloved Jesus; 

I love You more than I love myself.

With all my heart I repent of ever having offended You.

Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will.

(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.)

 

Through her heart, His sorrow sharing 

All His bitter anguish bearing 

Now at length the sword has passed

The Second Station: Jesus Accepts His Cross

V: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)

R: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)

V: Consider Jesus as He walked this road with the cross on His shoulders, thinking of us, and offering to His Father in our behalf, the death He was about to suffer. (Kneel)

R: My most beloved Jesus, 

I embrace all the sufferings You have destined for me until death. 

I beg You, by all You suffered in carrying Your cross, 

to help me carry mine with Your perfect peace and resignation. 

I love You, Jesus, my love; 

I repent of ever having offended You. 

Never let me separate myself from You again. 

Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will.

(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.)

 

O, how sad and sore distressed 

Was that Mother highly blessed 

Of the sole Begotten One

The Third Station: Jesus Falls the First Time

V: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)

R: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)

V: Consider the first fall of Jesus. Loss of blood from the scourging and crowing with thorns had so weakened Him that He could hardly walk; and yet He had to carry that great load upon His shoulders. As the soldiers struck Him cruelly, He fell several times under the heavy cross. (Kneel)

R: My beloved Jesus, / it was not the weight of the cross / but the weight of my sins which made You suffer so much. / By the merits of this first fall, / save me from falling into mortal sin. / I love You, O my Jesus, with all my heart; / I am sorry that I have offended You. / May I never offend You again. / Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will.

(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.)

 

Christ above in torment hangs 

She beneath beholds the pangs 

Of her dying, glorious Son

The Fourth Station: Jesus Meets His Afflicted Mother

V: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)

R: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)

V: Consider how the Son met his Mother on His way to Calvary. Jesus and Mary gazed at each other and their looks became as so many arrows to wound those hearts which loved each other so tenderly (Kneel)

R: My most loving Jesus, / by the pain You suffered in this meeting / grant me the grace of being truly devoted to Your most holy Mother. / And You, my Queen, who was overwhelmed with sorrow, / obtain for me by Your prayers / a tender and a lasting remembrance of the passion of Your divine Son. / I love You, Jesus, my Love, above all things. / I repent of ever having offended You. / Never allow me to offend You again. / Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will.

(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.)

 

Is there one who would not weep, 

‘whelmed in miseries so deep 

Christ’s dear Mother to behold.

The Fifth Station: Simon Helps Jesus Carry the Cross

V: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)

R: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)

V: Consider how weak and weary Jesus was. At each step He was at the point of expiring. Fearing that He would die on the way when they wished Him to die the infamous death of the cross, they forced Simon of Cyrene to help carry the cross after Our Lord. (Kneel)

R: My beloved Jesus / I will not refuse the cross as Simon did: / I accept it and embrace it. / I accept in particular the death that is destined for me / with all the pains that may accompany it. / I unite it to Your death / and I offer it to You. / You have died for love of me; / I will die for love of You and to please You. / Help me by Your grace. / I love You, Jesus, my Love; / I repent of ever having offended You. / Never let me offend You again. / Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will.

(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.)

 

Can the human heart refrain 

From partaking in her pain 

In that Mother’s pain untold?

The Sixth Station: Veronica Offers Her Veil to Jesus

V: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)

R: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)

V: Consider the compassion of the holy woman, Veronica. Seeing Jesus in such distress, His face bathed in sweat and blood, she presented Him with her veil. Jesus wiped His face, and left upon the cloth the image of his sacred countenance. (Kneel)

R: My beloved Jesus, / Your face was beautiful before You began this journey; / but, now, it no longer appears beautiful / and is disfigured with wounds and blood. / Alas, my soul also was once beautiful / when it received Your grace in Baptism; / but I have since disfigured it with my sins. / You alone, my Redeemer, can restore it to its former beauty. / Do this by the merits of Your passion; and then do with me as You will.

(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.)

 

Bruised, derided, cursed, defiled 

She beheld her tender Child 

All with bloody scourges rent.

---

The Seventh Station: Jesus Falls the Second Time

V: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)

R: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)

V: Consider how the second fall of Jesus under His cross renews the pain in all the wounds of the head and members of our afflicted Lord. (Kneel)

R: My most gentle Jesus, / how many times You have forgiven me; / and how many times I have fallen again and begun again to offend You! / By the merits of this second fall, / give me the grace to persevere in Your love until death. / Grant, that in all my temptations, I may always have recourse to You. / I love You, Jesus, my Love with all my heart; / I am sorry that I have offended You. / Never let me offend You again. / Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will.

(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.)

 

For the sins of His own nation 

Saw Him hang in desolation 

Till His spirit forth He sent.

---

The Eighth Station: Jesus Speaks to the Women

V: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)

R: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)

V: Consider how the women wept with compassion seeing Jesus so distressed and dripping with blood as he walked along. Jesus said to them, “Weep not so much for me, but rather for Your children.” (Kneel)

R: My Jesus, laden with sorrows, / I weep for the sins which I have committed against You / because of the punishment I deserve for them; / and, still more, because of the displeasure they have caused You / who have loved me with an infinite love. / It is Your love, more than the fear of hell, / which makes me weep for my sins. / My Jesus, I love You more than myself; / I am sorry that I have offended You. / Never allow me to offend You again. / Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will.

(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.)

 

O sweet Mother! Fount of Love, 

Touch my spirit from above 

Make my heart with yours accord.

---

The Ninth Station: Jesus Falls the Third Time

V: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)

R: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)

V: Consider how Jesus Christ fell for the third time. He was extremely weak and the cruelty of His executioners was excessive; they tried to hasten His steps though He hardly had strength to move. (Kneel)

 

R: My outraged Jesus, / by the weakness You suffered in going to Calvary, / give me enough strength to overcome all human respect / and all my evil passions which have led me to despise Your friendship. / I love You, Jesus my Love, with all my heart; / I am sorry for ever having offended You. / Never permit me to offend You again. / Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will.

(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.)

 

Make me feel as Thou have felt 

Make my soul to glow and melt 

With the love of Christ, my Lord.

---

The Tenth Station: 

Jesus Is Stripped of His Garments

V: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)

R: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)

V: Consider how Jesus was violently stripped of His clothes by His executioners. The inner garments adhered to his lacerated flesh and the soldiers tore them off so roughly that the skin came with them. Have pity for your Savior so cruelly treated and tell Him: (Kneel)

R: My innocent Jesus, / by the torment You suffered in being stripped of Your garments, / help me to strip myself of all attachment for the things of earth / that I may place all my love in You who are so worthy of my love. / I love You, O Jesus, with all my heart; / I am sorry for ever having offended You. / Never let me offend You again. / Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will.

(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.)

 

Holy Mother, pierce me through 

In my heart each wound renew 

Of my Savior crucified.

---

The Eleventh Station: Jesus Is Nailed to the Cross

V: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)

R: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)

V: Consider Jesus, thrown down upon the cross, He stretched out His arms and offered to His eternal Father the sacrifice of His life for our salvation. They nailed His hands and feet, and then, raising the cross, left Him to die in anguish. (Kneel)

R: My despised Jesus, / nail my heart to the cross / that it may always remain there to love You and never leave You again. / I love You more than myself; / I am sorry for ever having offended You. / Never permit me to offend You again. / Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will.

(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.)

 

Let me share with you His pain, 

Who for all our sins was slain, 

Who for me in torments died.

---

The Twelfth Station: Jesus Dies Upon the Cross

V: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)

R: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)

V: Consider how Your Jesus, after three hours of agony on the cross, is finally overwhelmed with suffering and, abandoning Himself to the weight of His body, bows His head and dies. (Kneel)

R: My dying Jesus, / I devoutly kiss the cross on which You would die for love of me. / I deserve, because of my sins, to die a terrible death; / but Your death is my hope. / By the merits of Your death, / give me the grace to die embracing Your feet and burning with love of You. / I yield my soul into Your hands. / I love You with my whole heart. / I am sorry that I have offended You. / Never let me offend You again. / Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will.

(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.)

 

Let me mingle tears with thee 

Mourning Him who mourned for me, 

All the days that I may live.

---

The Thirteenth Station: 

Jesus Is Taken Down from the Cross

V: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)

R: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)

V: Consider how, after Our Lord had died, He was taken down from the cross by two of His disciples, Joseph and Nicodemus, and placed in the arms of His afflicted Mother. She received Him with unutterable tenderness and pressed Him close to her bosom. (Kneel)

R: O Mother of Sorrows, / for the love of Your Son, / accept me as Your servant and pray to Him for me, / And You, my Redeemer, since you have died for me, / allow me to love You, / for I desire only You and nothing more. / I love You, Jesus my Love, / and I am sorry that I have offended You. / Never let me offend You again. / Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will.

(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.)

 

By the cross with you to stay 

There with you to weep and pray 

Is all I ask of you to give.

---

The Fourteenth Station: 

Jesus Is Placed in the Sepulcher

V: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)

R: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)

V: Consider how the disciples carried the body of Jesus to its burial, while His holy Mother went with them and arranged it in the sepulcher with her own hands. They then closed the tomb and all departed. (Kneel)

R: Oh, my buried Jesus, / I kiss the stone that closes You in. / But You gloriously did rise again on the third day. / I beg You by Your resurrection that I may be raised gloriously on the last day, / to be united with You in heaven, to praise You and love You forever. / I love You, Jesus, and I repent of ever having offended You. / Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will.

(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.)

 

Virgin of all virgins blest! 

Listen to my fond request: 

Let me share your grief divine.

---

Prayer to Jesus Christ Crucified

My good and dear Jesus, 

I kneel before You, 

asking You most earnestly 

to engrave upon my heart 

a deep and lively faith, hope, and charity, 

with true repentance for my sins, 

and a firm resolve to make amends. 

As I reflect upon Your five wounds, 

and dwell upon them