Meditations and Prayers by the Venerable Servant of God Cardinal - John Henry Newman
In the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
The first Good Friday of the third millennium.
Night has fallen.
The moon shines high in the sky.
The faithful of Rome and countless pilgrims
have gathered to walk with Jesus
along the Way of the Cross.
At the Colosseum, splendid monument
of the Roman Empire, now we celebrate
the Statio Urbis et Orbis.
Via Crucis,
a journey of solidarity.
Jesus, the Son of God, born of woman,
is one with his brothers and sisters
– humanity, suffering and bewildered -:
in their steps, the steps of exiles
and deportees,
of the disillusioned who wander aimlessly,
in the halting steps of children, the sick,
the elderly,
of the condemned who approach the place
of their execution. Yet Jesus, as he walks
towards the Place of the Skull,
is leading humanity towards the splendour
of Glory.
Via Crucis,
a journey of discipleship.
Jesus, the one Teacher, has said:
“If any man would come after me,
let him deny himself and take up his cross
and follow me” (Mt 16: 24).
Follow me always. Follow me to Calvary.
Beneath the Cross stand Mary,
the first disciple,
and the Beloved Disciple.
As he ascends towards Calvary,
Jesus knows that he is about to teach
his greatest lesson
and to confirm that teaching by the gift
of his very self:
“Greater love has no man than this,
that a man lay down his life for his friends”
(Jn 15: 13).
Via Crucis,
a priestly and royal journey.
Jesus, consecrated by the Spirit, is King
and Priest.
But on the way to Calvary
he holds no sceptre,
he wears no priestly garb.
Yet he knows that his Kingdom is beginning.
In the only form possible to him:
he reigns with the power of love.
Now begins his Priesthood:
the meek and innocent Lamb offers himself,
as an expiating victim for the sin of the world.
Via Crucis,
a journey of hope.
At nightfall the certainty of dawn
is already present.
In the twilight of his life,
Jesus is sure of the Father’s love,
he hopes in spite of the evidence of failure;
he is sure that from the dark womb
of the earth
he will rise as the “bright morning star”
(Rv 22: 16).
As he walks to his death, Jesus knows
that he is hastening towards the resurrection.
Via Crucis,
a journey of fullness:
of pain and unbounded love,
of total abasement and sublime exaltation;
fullness of the Spirit,
who streams forth from the wounded side
of the Saviour,
as a river of life and grace;
fullness of forgiveness and mercy,
of reconciliation and peace.
It is the hour of the “loud cry” (Mk 15: 37)
and the silence of the cosmos,
which mourns the death of its Creator.
The hour of the bowed head
and the laborious rest.
And, in the heart of his Mother,
the hour of immense compassion
and anxious expectation.
O mighty God,
strengthen me with Thy strength,
console me with Thy everlasting peace,
soothe me with the beauty of Thy countenance;
enlighten me with Thy uncreated brightness;
purify me with the fragrance
of Thy ineffable holiness.
Bathe me in Thyself, and give me to drink,
as far as mortal man may ask,
of the rivers of grace which flow
from the Father and the Son, the grace
of Thy consubstantial, co-eternal Love.
O my all-sufficient Lord,
Thou only sufficest!
Thy blood is sufficient for the whole world.
As Thou are sufficient for me,
so Thou art sufficient for the entire race
of Adam.
O my Lord Jesus,
let Thy Cross be more than sufficient for them.
Let it be effectual!
Let it be effectual for me more than all,
lest I have all and abound,
yet bring no fruit to perfection.*
Amen.
*J. H. Newman, Meditations on Christian Doctrine 8: 504, 505.
We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
Because by your holy Cross you have redeemed the world.
In the morning, the chief priests, elders, scribes, and the whole council, binding Jesus, led him away and took him to Pilate. And they all condemned him, saying: He is guilty of death; we have found this man saying that he is Christ the King. And Pilate, sitting in the place of judgment, handed Jesus over to them to be crucified.
God spared not his only Son.
But delivered him up for all of us.
Let Us Pray
O Lord Jesus Christ, / you came down upon earth from the glory of the Father in heaven, / and shed your precious blood for the remission of our sins. / We humbly pray that, on the day of judgment / you may find us worthy to be placed at your right hand, / and to hear your words: Come, you blessed of my Father! / This we ask of you now living and reigning for ever. Amen.
WHO, ON CHRIST'S DEAR MOTHER GAZING,
PIERCED BY ANGUISH SO AMAZING,
BORN OF WOMAN, WOULD NOT WEEP?
We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
Because by your holy Cross you have redeemed the world.
Carrying his Cross, Jesus went forth to the place called Calvary. Hail, O Christ our King! You alone had pity on the folly of our sins. Obedient to the will of the Father, you are led forth to be crucified, like an innocent lamb to the slaughter. To you be glory; to you be triumph and victory over sin and death; to you the crown of highest honor and acclaim.
The Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
For the wickedness of his people he has stricken him.
Let Us Pray
Lord, you once said: /Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, / for I am gentle and lowly of heart,/ and you will find rest for your souls. / For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. / Grant that we may be able so to carry it as to obtain your saving grace. / This we ask of you now living and reigning for ever. Amen.
WHO ON CHRIST'S DEAR MOTHER THINKING,
SUCH A CUP OF SORROW DRINKING,
WOULD NOT SHARE HER SORROWS DEEP?
We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
Because by your holy Cross you have redeemed the world.
Our Lord Jesus Christ humbled himself to the point of death, even to death on the Cross. That is why God exalted him above every creature and gave him a name that is above all other names.
Come, let us adore and bow down in worship before God; let us weep in the presence of the Lord who made us, for he is indeed the Lord our God.
Surely he has borne our infirmities.
And he has carried our sorrows.
Let Us Pray
Almighty God and Father, /we confess that we are weak / and that we often fail in the midst of trials and sufferings. / Through the merits of the passion, death, and resurrection of Christ, your only begotten Son, / give us new courage and hope. / This we ask in Jesus' Name, who lives and reigns for ever. Amen.
GRACIOUS MOTHER, FONT OF LOVE,
TOUCH MY SPIRIT FROM ABOVE,
MAKE MY HEART WITH YOURS ACCORD.
We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
Because by your holy Cross you have redeemed the world.
To what shall I compare you? Or to what shall I liken you, virgin daughter of Jerusalem? For great as the sea is your distress. O Mother of mercy, grant that we may always realize in ourselves the death of Jesus and share with him in his saving passion.
A sword of sorrow has pierced your soul.
And has filled your heart with bitter pain.
Let Us Pray
Lord Jesus Christ, / at the hour of your cruel death on the Cross, / a sword of sorrow pierced the grieving soul of the Virgin Mary, your Mother. / May she plead for clemency in our behalf, now and at the hour of our death. / This we ask of you now living and reigning for ever. Amen.
MAKE ME FEEL AS YOU HAVE FELT;
MAKE MY SOUL TO GLOW AND MELT
WITH THE LOVE OF CHRIST MY LORD.
We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
Because by your holy Cross you have redeemed the world.
As the soldiers were leading Jesus away on the road to Calvary, they laid hold of a certain Simon, of Cyrene, a passerby, who was coming in from the country, and forced him to take up the Cross of Jesus. If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Whoever does not carry his cross and come after me.
Cannot be my disciple.
Let Us Pray
O God of grace and might, accept our prayers and sacrifices, / and be moved to have mercy on us. /Strengthen us in our weakness / so that our rebellious wills may yield to your divine will in all things. / This we ask of you, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
BRUISED, DERIDED, CURSED, DEFILED,
SHE BEHELD HER TENDER CHILD
ALL WITH BLOODY SCOURGES RENT.
We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
Because by your holy Cross you have redeemed the world.
Lo, we have seen him, and there is no beauty in him, nor comeliness. He is despised and rejected, a man of sorrows, his face full of grief. He is worn out by suffering, like one in whose presence the people hide their faces. He is scorned and disdained. His appearance is that of one tortured beyond human endurance. And yet he is fairer than all the sons of men, and by his wounds we are healed.
Turn not your face away from us.
And withdraw not from your servants in your anger.
Let Us Pray
O God, renew us according to your own image and likeness / by the precious blood of Jesus Christ your Son. / Guide our footsteps in your paths, / that we may truly experience the gift of your divine charity. / This we ask through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
FOR THE SINS OF HIS OWN NATION,
HE NOW WALKS IN DESOLATION,
TILL HIS EARTHLY LIFE IS SPENT.
We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
Because by your holy Cross you have redeemed the world.
They delivered me into the hands of the impious, they cast me out among the wicked, and they spared not my life. The powerful gathered together against me, and like giants they stood against me. Afflicting me with cruel wounds, they mocked me.
But I am a worm and no man.
The reproach of men and the outcast of the people.
Let Us Pray
O God, by the humiliation of your Son, you lifted up our fallen world. / Grant your faithful people abiding peace and joy. / Deliver us from the perils of eternal death, / and guide us to eternal happiness in heaven. / This we ask through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
HOLY MOTHER, PIERCE ME THROUGH:
IN MY HEART EACH WOUND RENEW
OF MY SAVIOR CRUCIFIED.
LET ME SHARE WITH YOU HIS PAIN,
WHO FOR ALL MY SINS WAS SLAIN,
WHO FOR ME IN TORMENTS DIED.
We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
Because by your holy Cross you have redeemed the world.
Following Jesus on the road to Calvary was a great multitude of people and of women who bewailed and lamented him. Jesus turned to them and said: Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. Remember that the days are coming when they will say to the mountains, 'Fall on us,' and to the hills, 'Cover us.' If they do this when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?
They who sow in tears.
Shall reap in joy.
Let Us Pray
O God, you chose rather to have mercy / than to be angry with those who put their hope in you. / Grant us your grace / that we may truly grieve and make amends for the evil we have done, / and thus obtain the gift of your heavenly consolation. This we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen.
LET ME JOIN WITH YOU IN GRIEF,
TAKE AWAY MY UNBELIEF,
ALL THE DAYS THAT I MAY LIVE.
We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
Because by your holy Cross you have redeemed the world.
My people, what have I done to you, or in what have I grieved you? Answer me. I brought you out of the land of Egypt, and you have led me to the gibbet of the Cross. Forty years I fed you with manna in the desert, and you have beaten me with blows and scourges. What more should I have done for you that I have not done?
He was led as a sheep to the slaughter.
He was mute as a lamb before the shearer.
Let Us Pray
Guard us, O God on High, by your ever present mercy and goodness. / Without your help, we cannot overcome the evil that beckons us, because of our weak human nature. / Without you we shall surely fall. / Help us to avoid all that is sinful, / and guide our steps in the way of all that is profitable for our salvation. / This we ask of you through Christ our Lord. Amen.
AT THE CROSS WITH YOU TO STAY,
THERE WITH YOU TO WEEP AND PRAY,
THIS I ASK OF YOU TO GIVE.
We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
Because by your holy Cross you have redeemed the world.
They came to the place that is called Golgotha, or Calvary, the Place of the Skull. There they gave him wine to drink, mingled with gall. He tasted it, but would not drink. They divided his garments among them by drawing lots, and thus was fulfilled what the prophet had said: They divided my garments among them, and for my vesture they cast lots.
They gave me gall for my food.
And in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
Let Us Pray
Strip us, Lord Jesus, of our former self, with its evil deeds and ways. / And clothe us with that newness of nature / which you have created in justice, holiness, and truth. / This we ask of you now living and reigning for ever. Amen.
VIRGIN OF ALL VIRGINS BLEST,
LISTEN TO MY FOND REQUEST:
LET ME SHARE YOUR GRIEF AND PAIN.
We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
Because by your holy Cross you have redeemed the world.
Having arrived at the place called Calvary, they crucified him there, and with him two thieves, one on the right, the other on the left, and Jesus in the midst. My people, what have I done to you? I exalted you with great power, and you have hanged me on the gibbet of the Cross.
They have pierced my hands and feet.
They have numbered all my bones.
Let Us Pray
O God, by the sacred passion of your only begotten Son, / and by the five wounds from which his blood was poured, / you repaired the evil wrought by sin in our human nature. / As we on earth revere the wounds which he received, / we pray that in heaven we may experience the fruit of his most precious blood. / This we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen.
LET ME TO MY LATEST BREATH
IN MY BODY BEAR THE DEATH
OF YOUR RISEN SON, ONCE SLAIN.
We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
Because by your holy Cross you have redeemed the world.
When Jesus saw his Mother at the foot of the Cross and, standing near her, the disciple whom he loved, he said to his Mother: Woman, behold your son. After that he said to the disciple: Behold your mother. Having tasted the vinegar, Jesus said: It is finished. Then, crying in a loud voice, he said:
Father, into your hands I commend my spirit. And, bowing his head, he gave up his spirit.
Christ for our sake became obedient unto death.
Even to death on the Cross.
Let Us Pray
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, / at the sixth hour you mounted the gibbet of the Cross for the redemption of the world, / and shed your precious blood for the remission of our sins. / We humbly beg that, after our death, / we may enter with joy the gates of paradise. / This we ask of you now living and reigning for ever. Amen.
LET HIS STRIPES AND SCOURGINGS SMITE ME,
AT HIS HOLY CROSS REQUITE ME;
LET HIS BLOOD REFRESH ME THERE.
We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
Because by your holy Cross you have redeemed the world.
All you who pass by the way, look, and see if there be any sorrow like my sorrow. My eyes are spent with weeping, my whole being is troubled, and my strength is poured out upon the earth, as I behold the cruel death of my Son, for the enemy has prevailed against him. Call me not Naomi (that is, beautiful), but call me Mara (that is, bitter), for the Almighty has afflicted me and has dealt quite bitterly with me.
Tears are on her cheeks.
And there is none to comfort her.
Let Us Pray
At your passion, Lord Jesus, as Simeon had foretold, / a sword of sorrow pierced the sweet soul of Mary, your glorious Virgin Mother. / As we now reverently recall her bitter anguish and suffering, / grant that we may obtain the blessed fruits of your redemption. / This we ask of you now living and reigning for ever. Amen.
WHEN THE FLAMES OF HELL WOULD END ME,
AT THE JUDGMENT DAY, DEFEND ME,
GENTLE VIRGIN, WITH YOUR PRAYER.
We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
Because by your holy Cross you have redeemed the world.
Joseph of Arimathea, who was also a disciple of Jesus, went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus, and Pilate ordered it to be given to him. Having taken the body down from the Cross, Joseph wrapped it in a clean linen shroud, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in a rock. And he rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb.
You will not leave my soul in the netherworld.
Nor will you let your holy one see corruption.
Let Us Pray
Lord Jesus Christ, you left us a record of your passion in the holy shroud / wherein Joseph wrapped your sacred body when it was taken down from the Cross. / In your mercy, grant that through your death and burial / we may experience the glory of your resurrection. / This we ask of you now living and reigning for ever.
Amen.
JESUS, WHEN YOU CALL ME HENCE,
BE YOUR MOTHER MY DEFENSE.
BE YOUR CROSS MY SACRIFICE.
WHILE MY BODY HERE DECAYS,
MAY MY SOUL YOUR GOODNESS PRAISE,
SAFE WITH YOU IN PARADISE.
