by
Fr. John Keep

[On March 7, 1976 Fr. Keep built his retreat conference for the “Friends of the Cross” around the traditional Stations of the Cross devotion.  After his death in 2002, his meditations on the Stations of the Cross were edited and put in booklet form.  What follows are those Stations.  For information about obtaining a copy (or copies) of Fr. Keep’s Stations of the Cross, e-mail to cfink@dunwoodie.edu

1st Station:  Jesus is Condemned to Death

Verse:  We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.
Response:  Because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world.

We do not hear of anyone defending Jesus at His trial except the wife of Pontius Pilate, and Jesus would not defend Himself.  But there is a timeless quality about the mysteries of Christ, and He remained silent so that we could speak or act in His defense, so that we could speak well of Him and bear witness to Him.  We call this wonderful privilege we have of making up to Our Lord for what He suffered “reparation”, and it is so easy to make any number of small acts of reparation day by day.  Jesus is silent as He is condemned to death by torture after wicked accusations.  I can surely keep silence when I am accused of little things I have not done.  I can cover up someone else’s embarrassment at times.  I can praise Our Lord and thank Him at my little trials from other people.  I can be obedient in little things; they do not bring me torture.  There are so many ways in which I can provide a defense for Jesus in His trial.  As He kept silence there, He saw all those who would speak out for Him.  As He submitted to that awful sentence, He saw the loving reparation you were going to make.  And He knew how He was going to reward you for it.

(after a brief pause)

Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.

For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.