LET US PRAY

“My name is HOLY”, this is how you call yourself, Lord.

Mine instead is twofold, just like the one of the Prince of the Apostles:

Simon, the sinner and Peter, the holy one.

You flood me with your love and I am the coward who washes his hands indifferent to the destiny of my brothers and sisters.

I am the Roman soldier who puts new crosses on your shoulders.

I am Veronica, longing to be your ‘true-icon’.

I am Longinus, who pierces your side with a lance and later acknowledges you as the Son of God.

I beg for your mercy, Lord, that people may say of me, “Here is the Man”: the Man of the cross and of glory.

The Man who, wanting to live the new risen life, is willing to die with You, to the old self so that the new man may be born, created in the image and likeness of the Father and regenerated by the Spirit of Love.

FIRST STATION

PILATE WASHES HIS HANDS OFF JESUS’ DESTINY

My name is Pilate. Sent by the roman Emperor to Palestine, I experienced how difficult it is to govern a people who live, waiting for the Messiah, in the hope of being at last set free.

When I tried to place a statue of the emperor in the holy Temple, they all rebelled against me and wanted to get rid of me.

Then they brought to me a man, who proclaimed himself ‘King of the Jews’.

This title made me laugh, while for the people it was cause of scandal: such a serious scandal that it led them to ask me to crucify one of their own sons.

For me it was an insignificant issue, but for my wife it was a serious matter. She said she had a dream: I should have had nothing to do with that innocent man.

I looked at him. His face was the face of a god. Should I kill a god?

But the Jews put forward yet another reason for the death of Jesus: “If you release him you are not a friend of Caesar. Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar.”

A big dilemma: His sentence or mine? There was no alternative: I washed my hands of his destiny.

CHOIR

1.     Pilate, why did you not take your own responsibility? Did you really not understand that Jesus was innocent? You were a coward.

2.     Why did you not listen to the advice of your wife who did not want the death of the Just One?

3.     Pilate, it was useless to wash your hands of it: your hands will be forever dripping with innocent blood.

4.     You said “Behold the Man.” The Man of all generations: the saint and the sinner, the innocent and the one sentenced to death…. All children of God!

GUIDE

Lord, I too am Pilate every time I refuse to take my responsibility in the face of someone whose hope rests only on me, on my decision.

Have mercy on me. Cleanse me. Purify me. Renew me. Make me wholly yours and one with my brothers and sisters, my companions o the journey of Calvary.