IX. Jesus falls for the third time

Looking at the ninth station of the cross Edward Schillebeeckx OP would surely have to comment that 'God, in some sense, has got a struggle on God's hands.' Schillebeeckx addressed human suffering beginning with his understanding that it could never be understood. Suffering could not be argued against, or explained, it could only be shared; in fact, it demanded to be shared and that is why those in pain are often in such desperate need of someone who will listen to them tell their story. Theological explanations and theories are not enough to explain to the mystery of evil in this world, they never add up.

The Stations of the Cross are another example of 'telling the story' of suffering. Schillebeeckx understood the ministry of Jesus as a protest against suffering. Where he saw Jesus ministering to the sick, he saw a protest against evil and the relief of suffering. For Christians today suffering demands that we take example from this ministry, listening to the suppressed stories of people in their pain, and actively ministering to ensure the prevention and the relief of suffering. In the suffering of the Passion Schillebeeckx refuses to talk about the 'abandonment' of Jesus. Instead he argues that we should understand that God was silently present throughout this terrifying ordeal: 'God nevertheless remains near at hand...salvation consists in the fact that man still holds fast to God's invisible hand in this dark night of faith.' God waits to bring resurrection from death. Schillebeeckx is clear that evil is not 'allowed' or 'permitted' by God for a 'greater good'. This language, so often used to express confusion in the mystery of suffering is unhelpful. "God, who according to Leviticus, 'abominates human sacrifices' (Lev 18: 21 - 30; 20: 1 - 5), did not put Jesus in the cross. Human beings did that. The Kingdom of God comes despite of, not because of, the human misuse of power and the rejection of the message if the King of Peace.

'The story of Jesus assures us that entering into communion with suffering people and acting to bring life out of death is what God does for a living. This memory is not the same as an explanation, for suffering remains a mystery."

This post has used extensively the thoughts and words of Robin Ryan CP who published Holding onto the Hand of God: Edward Schilllebeeckx on the Mystery of Suffering in New Blackfriars Vol 89 NO 1019 January 2008, Pages 114 - 126.

IX. Jesus falls for the third time

'Third time lucky' is what we sometimes say when we have experienced things that go wrong. I cannot imagine that this was the experience here. I thought for a little while today about what it feels like when you cannot imagine the future. 'Darkness' is the adjective that comes to mind. When we fail it is almost instinctive to curl up into a tiny ball and return to the fetal comfort of the womb, not daring to look out. Coincidentally, today it "Laetare" Sunday, when the Church calls its people to hope during the long season of abstinence, fasting and prayer that is Lent, preparation for Easter. No one likes to be in the dark. Actually, that is not quite true. I quite Like it, but that is only because of the uncertainty it makes me feel, the danger. Darkness, quite naturally makes us feel uneasy. For some people, it makes them frightened. I imagine that for Jesus, this third fall made his feel desperate, afraid and abandoned. There is nothing to do when that happens, but hold on, wait.

Sometimes people think that religious people should always be happy, but that is unrealistic. Life is a chequerboard of good and bad. 'Shit happens', and sometimes it isn't even our fault. In the Gospel today the Church listened to the story of the man born blind in John 9. It is a striking story for many reasons, but there are two in particular which enabled me to think about this station. Firstly, this man has always been in darkness - he has never known 'the good times' which have been accorded to people able to earn a living of their own accord, and he has been reliant on the kindness and cruelty of others all his life. Secondly, when he has been healed and the Pharisees are questioning him about Jesus he is honest and forthright. He does not know exactly who Jesus is, but he knows that a good thing has come to him, and that good things come from God: ' 'Whether he is a sinner or not, I don't know. All I know is that I was blind and now I see.'

That Jesus falls for a third time on the road adds to the darkness and the cruelty of the passion. Disasters crueler than can be imagined happen to innocent people. But, none of this takes away from the light of the resurrection. The presence of God amongst suffering. When we fall and fall again in our lives, when everything is dark around us, it is not because Christ is not there. It because we have folded up into a ball and our eyes have been hidden from the light. In this station Jesus shows that he has experienced how this feels. But, as the blind man teaches the Pharisees: 'Everything in the darkness is the same as it is in the light.' God is never that far away.

IX. Jesus falls for the third time

IX. Jesus falls for the third time

Illustration: Chris Snedeker

We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you

Because by your holy cross, you have redeemed the world

I am the man familiar with misery,

under the rod of his fury.

He has led and guided me into darkness, not light.

Against none but me does he turn his hand,

again and again, all day

Lamentations 3: 1 - 3

VIII Jesus speaks to the women

My Jesus, laden with sorrows, I weep for the sins I have committed against you because of the punishment I deserve for them; and, still more, because of the displeasure that have caused you who have loved me with an infinite love.

My Jesus, I love you more than I love myself; I am sorry that I have offended you. Never allow me to offend you again. Grant that I may love you always; and then do with me what you will.

(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be)

O sweet Mother! Fount of love,

Touch my spirit from above

Make my heart with yours accord.

VIII Jesus speaks to the women

What sort of places are stations anyway? Stations of the cross...why stations? Stations are places where we stop, pause and wait for something to happen, or for someone to arrive. Perhaps that is why these are stations - we are waiting for God to speak, to arrive, and for something to happen. A lot of prayer seems to me to be about waiting, listening, hoping. Maybe it is like being at a station.

Even on a crowded station there is a sense of being with others, but alone. We take a step back to think - where am I going? Everyone is on a journey and we are all going in the same direction. Where we came from is different; our reasons for traveling are different - sometimes full of joy, sometimes sorrow and suffering - always hope, God will arrive.

I travel to London after school once or twice a week, and for me stations can be quite frightening. They are places where you can be called to witness something - someone drunk, and argument, someone crying. It is always difficult to know what to do, it can be threatening. Do I just watch and witness? Look away? Intervene? The suffering of those closer to us can be equally challenging and pose the same questions, but mostly all people need is to know that you are there, present, walking with them.

The women in this picture are waiting for something: justice, peace, mercy, compassion. Jesus speaks to them. He is present to them, they walk with Him, he walks with them: waiting for something to happen, waiting for God to arrive and for God-with-us to make himself known once more.

VIII. Jesus speaks to the women

There is something about this picture that speaks to me of repentance. In a way, this is the moment of Christ's passion addressed to me. So much of what takes place occurs in masculine society, the courts of the Sanhedrin and Pilate from which women were forbidden, the courtyards of soldiers where women would rather not be seen. But here, in the street, women are not only witnesses, their mourning makes them involved. 'Weep not for me', says Jesus, 'weep for yourselves, and for your children'. There is in the same sentence a deep need for conversion, turning back to God, and a responsibility for the next generation, the children.

In many ways this picture moves me to look in places I would rather leave in the dark, places of suffering and pain. I feel a 'sense of revolt at my own foolishness and triviality. Shame and amazement at the way I have trifled with life and grace - how could I be so utterly stupid! A real sense of being flawed and needing immense help, pardon - to recover some capacity to love God.' (Thomas Merton). Are you allowed to steal your own feelings from the mouths of others?

When you see the sorrow of those who suffer great loss, it is impossible to understand, and perhaps that is why it is easier to quote Merton than fathom something of my own. Love is shown most when love is lost; that is when people weep, shout and cry. For me the women speak of the tragedy of 'love lost', they mourn their loss, and wish with all their mind, body and soul, that they could return to a place where love is found once more. A place which can only be found beyond death, a place in eternity.

VIII. Jesus speaks to the women

This picture was taken my Lukasz Trzcinski

Khan Younis, Gaza Strip.

Despairing Palestinian women during the funeral of a Palestinan soldier killed the previous day during an armed confrontation with Israeli soldiers.

5th October 2000

VIII. Jesus speaks with the women

We adore you, O Christ and we praise you

Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world

Large numbers of people followed him, and women too, who mourned and lamented for him. But Jesus turned to them and said, 'Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep rather for yourselves and for your children. For look, the days are surely coming when people will say, 'Blessed are those who are barren, the wombs that have never bourne children, the breasts that have never suckled!' Then they will begin to say to the mountains, 'Fall on us!; to the hills, 'Cover us!' For if this is what is done to the green wood, what will be done when the wood is dry?

Luke 23: 27 - 30

VII. Jesus falls for the second time

My most gentle Jesus,

how many times have you forgiven me;

and how many times I have fallen again and begun to offend you!

By the merits of this second fall,

give me the grace to persevere in your love until death.

Grant, that in all my temptations, I may always have recourse to you.

I love you, O my Jesus, with my whole heart;

I repent of having offended you.

Never permit me to separate myself from you again.

Grant that I may love you always, and then do with me what you will.

(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to the Father, etc)

VII. Jesus falls for the second time

I didn't so much fall off the wagon, as fail get on it after Christmas. It was my intention to give up any alcohol during the working week. This wouldn't be asking too much. Most nights we have wine with our dinner. I just thought that giving this habit up for a bit would be good for body and soul. The theory was good, but the practice never got off the ground. Sure there was a week where I didn't drink a drop, but after that refusing a glass of wine seemed miserable. There are still at least three days a week where I don't even walk through the door of home before bedtime, and so both dinner and a drink are out of the question. This little episode of intention verses action has raised several questions for me.

1. What do we identify as failure in our lives? Are we right?

2. Is there a difference between what seems like failure, and what actually is failure?

3. Is it important to fail so as to learn better from our mistakes?

Lent is only just around the corner, and I have decided to try to succeed where I have already failed and give up alcohol for the season, however boring this may seem. This is a shot in the dark as I haven't a clue what it is possible to learn from such an excersize. Jesus falling on the via dolorosa may have seemed like failure at the time, but looking back that cannot be right. He was doing the best he could with what was asked of him, and that was quite a mammoth task in itself! Failure is elusive, and I am not sure that we can ever be certain what we have failed at until we reach the end of our lives. We can be certain that failure exists and that we have succumbed to it, but never to what extent and how our experiences will help us to grow. In conclusion, I am not sure whether failure can be considered important. It happens, but what is most important is that people keep on going, and it is on this that salvation depends.

VII. Jesus falls for the second time

I discovered later, and I am still discovering right up to this moment, that it is only by living completely in this world that one learns to have faith. One must abandon any attempt to make something of oneself, whether it be saint, or a converted sinner, or a churchman (the so called priestly type!), a righteous man, or an unrighteous one, a sick man or a healthy one. By this-worldliness I mean living unreservedly in life's duties, problems, successes, failures, experiences and perplexities. In so doing we throw ourselves completely into the arms of God, taking seriously not our own sufferings, but those of God in the world - watching with Christ in Gethsemane. That I think is faith; that is metanoia; and that is how one becomes a man and a Christian (cf. Jer.45). How can success make us arrogant, or failure lead us astray, when we share in God's sufferings through a life of this kind?

Letters and Papers from Prison
Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Bonhoeffer wrote this in a personal letter to his best friend, Eberhard Bethge from Tegel Prison on 21 July 1944. I think I have chosen it to reflect this station because for me it highlights the mission of Jesus. Jesus never set out to make something of himself, most of the titles used to address him in the synoptic Gospels are given by other people, not something that he said of himself. Christmas reminds me that God came and lived completely in this worlds' duties and responsibilities, successes and failures. There are, after all, 30 years of Jesus' life which we know nothing about - I wonder if he was any good as a carpenter, could he make a living, was he good with figures? It was in those 30 hidden years that Jesus threw himself completely into the arms of God, where he discovered his relationship to the Father, and submitted to his duties as the son of Mary and Joseph. These final moments of Jesus, on the road to Golgotha, explore the perplexities of complete trust in God. Failure becomes success, success becomes failure - and all the way along Jesus remains God with us.

On 9th April 1945 Bonhoeffer was executed at Flossenburg for his part in the plot to kill Hitler. He was deeply conflicted, throughout the war, about the morality of his actions, and he was someone who was used to acknowledging failure and uncertainty.