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P:/ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
R:/ Amen.
Opening Reflection
Dear brothers and sisters,
We have come together to experience the Way of the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ and the faith
journey of our communities. Let us be aware of the gift of faith, the challenges we will encounter,
and our need to remain faithful and to persevere in the faith.
Our celebration fosters an awareness of our faith as a community. It was in Jerusalem that Jesus
Christ sacrificed himself for us and the multitude. It is in Jerusalem that the first Christian
community was born. It was from Jerusalem we received the Gospel and the testimony of the
Apostles that allow us today to live our faith.
We keep watch with Christ. We pray for faith and peace in our country and in the land of Jesus:
Peace for every society and all people. Peace among the worlds religions. Peace among the three
faiths that believe in the One God and believe in the God of Abraham. May the Spirit sow peace
in our hearts!
Opening hymn
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And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh; but he did not take it. And they crucified him.
(Mark 15.23-24)
Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that
whoever believes in him may have eternal life. (John 3.14-15)
Meditation
Jesus is fastened to the cross, tied to this instrument of pain and infamy. Together with so many
generations of disciples before us, we try not to see all the suffering. Yet it is in him we can find
peace and comfort from all human anguish. In him resides the power to untie the chains of death
and evil.
In you, the Crucified, we find the strength to confess our sins, the joy of being forgiven, and the
strength to pardon those who have done us harm.
Prayer
Father, assist us as we strive to free ourselves from vain pursuits and false attachments. Let your
forgiveness descend upon us, so that we may resolutely follow the road of freedom that your Son
has opened up for us through his obedience, even to death on the Cross. Amen.
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