STATIONS OF THE CROSS

Station 7: Jesus Falls a Second Time

Location: Sidewalk of Capitol Square, at W. Main Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

A reading from the book of Lamentations

I am one who has seen affliction
   under the rod of God’s wrath;
he has driven and brought me
   into darkness without any light;
against me alone he turns his hand,
   again and again, all day long.
He has made my flesh and my skin waste away,
   and broken my bones;
he has besieged and enveloped me
   with bitterness and tribulation;
he has made me sit in darkness
   like the dead of long ago.
(Lamentations 3:1-6)

A Prayer for Meaning in Suffering

Help us, Lord God, to find a meaning in suffering; let us recognize our need for your strength; let us learn your ability to bring good out of evil; let our weaknesses teach us patience; let us wait in faith for you to show us your constant presence and your healing love. Grant that the occasions of our physical weakness may be times of spiritual renewal and growth. May your will, not ours, be done, in the name of Christ.  Amen.

Song: Precious Lord, Take My Hand - Verse 2

When my way grows drear, precious Lord, linger near,
when my life is almost gone,
Hear my cry, hear my call, hold my hand lest I fall,
Take my hand, precious Lord, lead me on.
—Thomas Dorsey

Holy God,
Holy and mighty,
Holy immortal one,
have mercy upon us.