Eighth Station - Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem

On His way to Calvary, Jesus saw a group of women crying over Him. There, at the side of the road, their compassion moves them to draw near. Jesus, in His agony, looks on them with love and tells them not to cry for Him, but rather for themselves and for their children. This is a conscience call not to merely be a spectator of suffering; it is an invitation to transform pain into hope, and into action.

In Mexico, today, we see this same pain in those mothers who seek children lost to violence, in all who retain the memory of those who were cut down and call out for justice. They do not merely cry, they search, they accompany each other, they resist. Their struggle is a cry that challenges a society that often chooses not to meet their gaze. For all of them, and for all the people who have been affected by violence in Mexico, for the past two years the Mexican Bishops’ Conference, the Mexican province of the Society of Jesus, the CIRM and the Laypeople’s Dimension have been conducting a National Dialogue for Peace, a peacebuilding initiative that has brought together the voices and efforts of over 40,000 people from 1,600 institutions to carve out a shared and bearable future.

 
Prayer 

Lord, may we not be indifferent to the suffering of those who have lost their loved ones to violence, to those who seek answers, to those who have not managed to attract attention. Give us the courage to walk with them, to sustain their struggle, and to continue to work tirelessly for peace. Amen.