THE FIRST STATION: JESUS IS CONDEMNED

"He was pierced for our sins, crushed for our iniquity. He bore the punishment that makes us whole, by his wounds, we were healed" (Isaiah 53:5).

Jesus, who was free from sin, died a horrible death on the cross for us, who so often enslave ourselves to sin. We certainly did not earn such a gift. But just as Jesus was free from sin, so he freely gave his life out of his unconditional love for us. And in that awesome sacrifice, his command to his disciples the night before he died takes on its terrible yet sublime weight: “As I have loved you, you should also love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35).

If anything, we who work in the diocesan offices are called to be disciples of Christ. That means we need to love one another — those whom we serve and those with whom we serve — the same way Christ loved us, all the way to the cross. They probably haven’t earned it. They might even be terrible people. But Jesus died on the cross for terrible people, and so must we, if we would be his disciples. Let us contemplate the mystery of the cross this Lent, and, as employees here at St. Mark Catholic Center, let us recommit ourselves to loving others as Jesus loved us.