FIRST STATION
JESUS IS CONDEMNED TO DEATH BY PILATE
† We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You because by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
Crowned
with thorns and covered with a purple mantle, the soldiers presented Me again to
Pilate. Not finding a crime that he could punish Me for, Pilate was
looking for a way to set Me free. In the pitiable condition that I was in,
Pilot showed Me to the mob. He proposed to give Me liberty and condemn
Barrabas, a famous thief and murderer. The people shouted back: “Crucify
Him and set Barrabas free!”
Souls
who love Me, see how they have compared Me to a criminal. How they have
lowered Me more than the worst criminal. Meditate for a moment upon the
unspeakable martyrdom of My Heart: My heart degraded beneath the heart of
Barrabas. I am the most despised of men, and I am being condemned to death
like an infamous criminal. Pilate has pronounced sentence. My little
children, consider attentively how My Heart suffered…
†
Jesus,
most obedient, meek and humble of heart, have mercy on us.