Pope at the Stations of the Cross
Following the meditations of Mr. & Mrs. Danilo Zanzucchi of the Focolare movement and the founders of the New Families movement, through the fourteen Stations of the Cross, Pope Benedict XVI’s reflections at the via crucis on Good Friday evening at the Colosseum in Rome were focused on the family:
“In times of trial and tribulation,” said Pope Benedict, “we are not alone; the family is not alone. Jesus is present with his love, he sustains them by his grace and grants the strength needed to carry on, to make sacrifices and to evercome every obstacle.”
The Holy Father went on to say: “It is to this love of Christ that we must turn when human turmoil and difficulties threaten the unity of our lives and our families.”
The Pope spoke of how the mystery of Christ’s suffering, death and resurrection inspires us to go on in hope: times of trouble and testing, when endured with Christ, with faith in him, already contain the light of the resurrection, the new life of a world reborn, the passover of all those who believe in his word.
“In that crucified Man who is the Son of God,” he said, “even death itself takes on new meaning and purpose: it is redeemed and overcome, it becomes a passage to new life.”
The Pope concluded with an exhortation, asking all the faithful to entrust themselves to the Blessed Virgin, Mary.
He prayed: “May Mary, who accompanied her Son along his way of sorrows, who stood beneath the cross at the hour of his death, and who inspired the Church at its birth to live in God’s presence, lead our hearts and the hearts of every family through the vast mysterium passionis towards the mysterium paschale, towards that light which breaks forth from Christ’s resurrection and reveals the definitive victory of love, joy and life over evil, suffering and death.”
