Eleventh Station - Jesus is nailed to the cross

Lord, for five years the Christians in Myanmar have been nailed to the cross of suffering. They cannot come down. They remain there, faithful, accompanying and supporting their people, enduring hunger and the violence of war. Like you, many of them have been stripped of all their belongings: their homes burned down, their villages destroyed, the children have lost their schools, the elderly their homes. Thousands have fled into the jungle, united with you on Golgotha, without water, without food, engulfed in fear.

We think of the priests, religious sisters, and catechists who, despite their fear, travel great distances and face great dangers to strengthen the faith of their people. They stay with the people, they do not give up, they do not cease to proclaim hope. Like you on the cross, their devotion is complete. Their wounded hands continue to bless.

And yet, all of them – like you nailed to the cross – continue to love, continue to believe. Their silent actions are a cry that challenges us: Do we have the courage to look at their suffering without turning away? Lord, let us not become accustomed to their suffering, let us not abandon them. May their cross awaken us and make us instruments of your peace.

Prayer

Christ, Our Saviour, support our brothers and sisters in Myanmar, who suffer along with the entire population. Be their bread in hunger, their refuge in flight, their peace in the midst of violence. And give us the courage to accompany them, not to forget them, and to be hope with them. Amen.