Stations of the Cross for Teachers - The Third Station

Jesus falls the first time

We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

Philippians 2:8: And being found in human form, Jesus humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Reflection: At the time of Jesus' death, crucifixion was the punishment reserved for the lowest of society's low, the prevailing method employed to publicly dishonor a person. Jesus' brutal flogging was part of the practice and, as it sent his body into shock from pain and blood loss, the likely cause of his fall. Consider Christ's humility, then: "God Made Flesh" not only assumed the physical vulnerabilities of the human body, but succumbed to the ultimate display of human denigration.

Prayer: Jesus, teach us your humility today. Fill us with your Spirit so that, in our schools and classrooms, we become conduits of your self-giving love. Through your example, may our weaknesses make us stronger, more accepting of the weaknesses of others, and increasingly humble.