The Second Station ~ The Sacrifice of Abraham

Leader~ O Sacrament most Holy, O Sacrament Divine

Response~ All praise and all thanksgiving, be every moment Thine. The sacrifice of a beloved son!

Abraham, our father in faith, was promised a nation, descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky. When he and his wife Sarah bore their first son, Isaac, they were overjoyed. But God tested Abraham and asked him to take his only son to a mountain, and to offer him as a sacrifice. Abraham, out of obedience, did just that, having his son carry the wood for the sacrifice up the mountain. When they arrived at the summit, Isaac said, “Where is the sheep for the offering?” “My son,” Abraham answered, “God will provide the lamb” 

(Genesis 22). At the moment Abraham was about to slay his only son, an angel appeared and stopped him. Abraham saw a lamb caught in a thicket and offered the lamb to God, instead of his son. This powerful passage tells a familiar story. A father with his only son, who carried wood up a mountain to be offered as a sacrifice; and a lamb with his head caught in a thorn bush. The sacrifice of Abraham is a clear foreshadowing of the sacrifice of Jesus on Mount Calvary. The lamb offered in place of Isaac, wearing a crown of thorns, is a reminder of the Lamb who is to come – Jesus – as Abraham said, “God will provide the Lamb.” In every offering of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, we enter into the one sacrifice of Christ on Calvary- the sacrifice of the Only Son, the Lamb of God!

Let us pray ~ Dear God, Abraham was willing to give You his only Son out of obedience. You gave us Your Son Jesus out of Love! Help me to be detached from the things of this world. Help me to be willing to give and offer You my all. Open my eyes to see Holy Mass as a true gift of love from You to us. May I make a true gift of self- this is my Body given up for You. 

Amen.

The Third Station ~ The Offering of Melchizedek 

Leader~ O Sacrament most Holy, O Sacrament Divine

Response~ All praise and all thanksgiving, be every moment Thine. The sacrifice of bread and wine!

Melchizedek was a priest of God Most High and King of Peace, he is first mentioned in the book of Genesis when Abram (soon to be Abraham) comes to Melchizedek after winning a battle. This mysterious Priest and King gives Abram a blessing and brings an offering of bread and wine (Gen 14:17-20). In the Book of Psalms, there is a prophecy about the coming Messiah: “The Lord has sworn, and he will not repent: ‘You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek’ ” (Ps 110:4). Later in the letter to the Hebrews, the author references Melchizedek and his connection to Jesus, “having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek” (Heb 6:20). Jesus is not from the tribe of Levi, the tribe of priests; He is of the house of David- He is a King, the king of Peace. But God sent us His Son to offer His life for the sins of the World, thus He is a priest, not a Levite, but a priest in the line of Melchizedek. He will offer the sacrifice of Himself on the cross; the night prior to this life-giving sacrifice He makes it accessible to us through a sacrifice and offering of bread and wine, in the pattern of Melchizedek.

Let us pray ~ Dear Jesus, You are our King and our Priest! Thank You for ruling over us. Thank you for giving us Your Body and Blood, Your very self. We ask You to make Your kingdom come quickly. Help us to see in the bread and wine You offer the perfect sacrifice of the Cross- Your love poured out for us. 

Amen. 

The Fourth Station ~ The Jewish Passover

Leader~ O Sacrament most Holy, O Sacrament Divine

Response~ All praise and all thanksgiving, be every moment Thine. The Blood of the Lamb.

In the Book of Exodus, we hear of the preparations for the Passover meal, “Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old…Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat them. They shall eat the flesh that night… In this manner you shall eat it: your loins girded, your sandals on your feet. And your staff in your hand: and you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord’s Passover (Ex 12:5,7,8,10,11). The blood of the lamb saved the Israelites that night, “For the Lord will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood upon the lintel, and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door, and will not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to strike you down” (Exodus 12:23) if they ate the flesh of the lamb and put the blood of the lamb on their doorposts, they lived! If they did not eat the flesh of the Lamb and if they did not put blood on the doorposts, death would enter in. It was the blood of the Lamb that spared them. Saint John Chrysostom reflects how when, “the destroying angel saw the blood on the doors he did not dare to enter, so how much less will the devil approach when he sees, not that figurative blood on the doors, but the true Blood on the lips of believers, the doors of the temple of Christ.” It is our prayer that we who receive Jesus’ Body and Blood will pass over from death to Life. Jesus says, “for My Blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks My Blood remains in Me and I in him” (John 6:55). 

Let us pray ~ Jesus, You are the Passover Lamb. Your blood shed for us on Mount Calvary flowed from your pierced side for our salvation, Your blood saves us from eternal death. Cleanse us, wash us, and strengthen us with your Blood. May our lips be constantly refreshed by You and You alone. May the angel of death pass-over us and may our guardian angels lead us to eternal paradise to be with you forever. 

Amen.

The Fifth Station ~ The Manna from Heaven

Leader~ O Sacrament most Holy, O Sacrament Divine

Response~ All praise and all thanksgiving, be every moment Thine. Food from Heaven!

After being freed from slavery in Egypt by the Passover Lamb, the Israelites are wandering in the desert with no food. Many complain about the lack of nourishment. God then tells Moses “I will now rain down bread from heaven for you. Each day the people are to go out and gather their daily portion” (Ex 16:4). The Israelites would eat of this manna for forty years until they came to the Promised Land (Exodus 16:35). In the Gospel of John 6:41-60, Jesus speaks in reference to the manna that the Jews’ ancestors ate in the desert. He explains that even though they received this bread, they still died. Jesus claims that He is the Bread of Life; if we eat this living bread we will not die, but live forever. The Jews in Moses’ time question the miracle of the manna: “the Israelites asked one another, ‘What is this?’ for they did not know what it was” (Ex. 16:15). The Jews in Jesus’ time, and even Christians today, question the same thing. They hear Jesus saying, “I am the Bread of Life,” and they question Him (John 6:66) for they do not believe, and sadly many walk away. 

Let us pray ~ Dear Lord, you are a good God who gives to His children. You provide for us in miraculous ways. In the desert You gave food to Your hungry people. Now, in the desert of our lives, You give us Your Body and Blood as food to sustain us. Lord, help us to see this food from heaven as food for the journey, a true gift of love from You. Give us the grace to never walk away. 

Amen

The Sixth Station ~ The Ark of the Covenant 

Leader~ O Sacrament most Holy, O Sacrament Divine

Response~ All praise and all thanksgiving, be every moment Thine. The Presence of God!

While in the desert God gives Moses the law on Mount Sinai. The tablets with the law written upon them by God were placed in the ark of the covenant- a golden box with two large, sculpted angels upon it with wings that stretched over it. After spending forty years in the desert with the Ark of the Covenant in a tent, the Israelites finally conquered the Promised Land. Eventually, King David wanted to build a great temple for the Ark as a place for God to dwell with his people and for them to offer sacrifice. It would be his son, Solomon, who would fulfill this dream. In 2 Chronicles we read: “Thus all the work that Solomon did for the house of the Lord was finished…So the priest brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord to its place, in the inner sanctuary of the house, in the most holy place, underneath the wings of the cherubim…the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God. Then Solomon said, “but will God indeed dwell with man on the earth?” (2 Chronicles 5 & 6).

God does not want to be far from His people. He wants a physical place where His children can come to Him and worship. His presence among them is real and substantial. Today, the golden tabernacles found in every Catholic Church throughout the world are the new ark of the covenant. God continues to dwell among us in the Most Blessed Sacrament. We are not alone- He is with us!

Let us pray ~ Almighty God, you are near us. You keep Your promise that you will be with us until the end of the age. We find You waiting for us, longing for us in every tabernacle of the world! Dear Jesus, may we not leave You abandoned, but may we visit You now and forever. 

Amen.

The Seventh Station ~ Bethlehem – House of Bread 

Leader~ O Sacrament most Holy, O Sacrament Divine

Response~ All praise and all thanksgiving, be every moment Thine. Born to become bread- the Bread of Life!

Jesus was born in Bethlehem. His birthplace was the fulfillment of a prophecy, “But you, O Bethlehem…from you shall come forth for Me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days” (Micah 5:2). Hundreds of years later we read in the Gospel of Luke, “and Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the City of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn Son and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn” (Luke 2:1-7). The word Bethlehem literally means House of Bread. This makes sense, Christ Himself said, “I am the Living Bread, come down from Heaven” (John 6:41). The City of David- Bethlehem is the birthplace of the Eucharist, because it is the birthplace of Jesus- the Living Bread from Heaven. Jesus came down from heaven to earth to give us the food of immortality- Himself. Not only was He born in a town called the House of Bread, but He was also laid in a feeding trough- a manger. Christmas is a highly Eucharistic Feast; Jesus comes down from heaven to save us, to give us His Flesh and Blood- and this happens at every Mass. Every Mass is a little Christmas. 

Let us pray ~ Dear Lord, You are the Bread of Life. You were born to become our Food. You are our daily bread, born in Bethlehem and laid in a manger. Thank You for giving us Your very self. Thank You for Your Body and Blood. Help me to see every celebration of Holy Mass as another Christmas, as You come down from heaven to be with us and save us. 

Amen.

The Eight Station ~ St. John The Baptist points to the Lamb of God 

Leader~ O Sacrament most Holy, O Sacrament Divine

Response~ All praise and all thanksgiving, be every moment Thine. The true Lamb of God!

In the New Testament, Saint John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin, standing at the River Jordan declares, “Behold the Lamb of God. Who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). St. John is clearly making a connection between his cousin and the sacrificial lambs of the temple. Faithful Jews celebrated Passover every year and went to the temple again and again to offer sacrifices. St. John is saying that Jesus is the Lamb of God! The Passover lamb was not entirely burned nor was it wasted. The flesh was eaten by the household that offered it. This is clear in the Passover narrative where the Israelites are commanded to eat the flesh of the Lamb (Exodus 12:8-13). Jesus is the Lamb of God, He is not only to be sacrificed on the altar of the cross, but also to be eaten in the Holy Eucharist where He becomes food for our salvation. Jesus gives us His Body and Blood for atonement & forgiveness, but also communion. Just as the Jewish people ate from their sacrificial worship, we must eat the Flesh of the Son of God and drink His Blood if we desire eternal life.

Let us pray ~ Dear Lord, you have given us a perfect Lamb. You have provided for us an unblemished Lamb, You have given us Yourself. You have come to die for us! You desire us to partake of this sacrificial act, by having communion with You, and thus you ask of us to eat your Flesh and Blood. Dear Lord, thank you for the sacrifice of the first Passover lamb thousands of years ago that set the Israelites free from slavery in Egypt, and thank you for the sacrifice of Jesus the true Lamb of God, who destroys our bondage to sin and death; may we choose to follow Him to true and lasting freedom. 

Amen.

The Ninth Station ~ The Wedding Feast at Cana

Leader~ O Sacrament most Holy, O Sacrament Divine

Response~ All praise and all thanksgiving, be every moment Thine. Power to change substance!

Jesus performs His first miracle: On the third day there was a wedding in Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and His disciples were also invited to the wedding. When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.” Jesus told them, “Fill the jars with water.” So they filled them to the brim. Then He told them, ‘Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.’ So they took it. And when the headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine, without knowing where it came from (although the servers who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves good wine first, and then when people have drunk freely, an inferior one; but you have kept the good wine until now” (John 2:1-5, 7-10).

Jesus demonstrates here that He is God; He has power over substance. He works a miracle and changes something lesser into something greater-water into wine. This same pattern will follow at every Mass where simple bread and wine are turned into something greater - His Blood and Blood. This miracle takes place at a wedding, not by coincidence. Jesus works his first miracle at the wedding of a man and a woman, to invite us to another wedding, a spiritual wedding between Himself the divine Groom and His Church the bride.

Let us pray ~ Lord God of change and transformation, thank you for your love. Thank you for changing water into wine and giving us confidence that you can transform substance by your will and might. As You change water into wine and wine into your Blood, please we beg You, change our hearts to believe more clearly that it is truly You present at Holy Mass; that you change bread and wine into Yourself. 

Amen.

The Tenth Station ~ Multiplication of the Loaves 

Leader~ O Sacrament most Holy, O Sacrament Divine

Response~ All praise and all thanksgiving, be every moment Thine. The power to multiply substance!

While Jesus was preaching, a very large crowd gathered and followed Him. They followed not only on account of his preaching, but also because of all the signs and miracles He worked. On one occasion, Jesus desired to feed a large and hungry crowd. There were 5,000 men (not including women and children) who were there, and all they had were five loaves of bread and two fish. Jesus, taking the five loaves and two fish He looked up to heaven, blessed, and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples to set before the people, and He divided the two fish among them all. And they all ate and were satisfied. (Mk. 6:41-42).

The multiplication of the loaves foreshadows the words and actions Jesus will bring forth during the Last Supper, by His giving thanks, blessing, breaking and giving. This miracle of five loaves and two fish for five thousand prefigures the feeding of the countless faithful throughout the entire world, through the hands of a few priests, with the living Bread of Life, the Most Holy Eucharist. When Holy Mass is offered the multitudes are fed, and not only does Jesus feed us, He satisfies us!

Let us pray ~ Lord you will never leave us, You are with us always. You feed us, not only with natural food, but with the true bread from heaven that satisfies the hungry heart. Help us to always focus our hungry hearts on You, and not the things of this world! 

Amen.

The Eleventh Station ~ Bread of Life Discourse 

Leader~ O Sacrament most Holy, O Sacrament Divine

Response~ All praise and all thanksgiving, be every moment Thine. Jesus is the Bread of Life!

Soon after the multiplication of the loaves and fish, the crowds come to Jesus asking for more bread. Jesus takes this time to reveal that no bread can give them life except the living bread, which is He Himself in the Eucharist, “I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died; this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world…For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him” (Jn. 6:48-51:55-56).

Jesus is speaking calmly but forcefully to all who will hear. He speaks the truth of the Eucharist. We are no longer able to have doubt, if we do then we have stopped listening to the voice of Jesus, Who clearly tells us of this great miracle and mystery; for according to the statement of the Lord Himself, as well as the tradition of the Church, this is indeed His Flesh and Blood. He Himself declared and said, “My Flesh is true food,” and “unless you eat My Flesh and drink My Blood you have no life within you.” And since He has Himself affirmed and said this, how can we say different? If we do not trust the Lord, who are we trusting?

Let us pray ~ Lord, to Whom shall we go, You have the words of everlasting life? Your words are so clear, so strong, and so powerful. You desire to be in us, and for us to be in You. You desire eternal communion, now, not just when we get to heaven, but now. Communion with You is as close as our next reception of Holy Communion. Dear Lord, I ask forgiveness for taking so many Holy Communions for granted, and I ask that You give me a longing for more and more intimate communions with You. 

Amen.

The Twelfth Station ~ The Last Supper 

Leader~ O Sacrament most Holy, O Sacrament Divine

Response~ All praise and all thanksgiving, be every moment Thine. On the night He was betrayed!

This is the event to which all the previous stations have been leading, it is at the Last Supper that Jesus, out of Love for you and me, gives us access to the Crucifixion and Death He is about to endure. So, on the night He was betrayed, when the hour came, He took his place at table with the apostles … Then He took the bread said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them saying, “This is My Body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of Me.” And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup is the New Covenant in My Blood, which will be shed for you” (Lk. 22:14, 19-20).

Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father and the Son of Mary, the true Lamb of God offers a sacrifice of bread and wine the night prior to offering His entire Body and Blood on the Cross for our salvation. Jesus Christ changes bread and wine into His Body and Blood so that a new and eternal priesthood can be established and through this meal, repeated and done in memory of Him, we can participate in His death and resurrection. Jesus our priest will offer up, give up and shed His life for us on the cross; but prior to doing so allows us entry into this mystery in the upper room. This Last Supper anticipates the perfect sacrifice that Jesus will offer the next day upon the Cross. This Last supper is the First Mass. This sacrificial meal is access to the Love of God, and the Love of God is the Cross. For God so loved the world that He gave us His only begotten Son, so that those who believe in Him might be saved. (John 3:16). God so loved us that He gave us His Son Jesus, in the Most Blessed Sacrament- in the upper room, so that those who believe in the Most Blessed Sacrament might be saved and have eternal life!

Let us pray ~ Dear Lord, Your love for us is beyond imagining. You do not just want us to know that you died for us. You do not want us to just recall or remember; you desire us to participate, to be present and to enter this mystery. At the Last supper You give us the most powerful gift- Your very Body and Blood, Your love poured out. Thank you Jesus! 

Amen.

The Thirteenth Station ~ Emmaus

Leader~ O Sacrament most Holy, O Sacrament Divine

Response~ All praise and all thanksgiving, be every moment Thine. We will recognize Him in the Breaking of the Bread!

After His glorious Resurrection, Jesus walks on alongside two disciples who were making their way to Emmaus. He reveals to them that He is truly the Risen Lord in the “breaking of the bread” (Lk. 24:35). “And it happened that, while He was with them at table, He took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. With that their eyes were opened and they recognized Him, but He vanished from their sight” (Lk. 24:30-31). Jesus reveals Himself fully in the Eucharist in the Breaking of the Bread. This Mass celebrated on Easter Sunday night is a clear reminder to us all that this is where we will see Him! Two thousand years later, we continue to find Him and see Him there- in the Breaking of the Bread, at Holy Mass.

Let us pray ~ Lord, when You walked with Your disciples on the road to Emmaus, You listened to all they had to say. You heard their heavy hearts. They did not recognize You in their midst until “the Breaking of the Bread.” Then their eyes were opened. In the Holy Eucharist, we recognize You. As we listen in silent adoration, our hearts — like those of Your disciples — burn within us. And we repeat “Stay with us, Lord.” Help us to be attentive and to see You! 

Amen.

The Fourteenth Station ~ The Wedding Feast of the Lamb 

Leader~ O Sacrament most Holy, O Sacrament Divine

Response~ All praise and all thanksgiving, be every moment Thine. God desires communion with us!

The Book of Revelation gives a glimpse into the beauty that awaits us in heaven where we will celebrate the great Eucharist Feast of the Lamb. “Alleluia! The Lord has established His reign, our God, the almighty. Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory. For this is the wedding day of the Lamb, His bride has made herself ready. She has been given a dress to wear, made of the finest linen, brilliant white. Blessed are those who have been called to the wedding feast of the Lamb” Rev. 19:7-8.

Heaven will be an eternal wedding banquet between God Himself and His bride the Church! In heaven, we will all be dressed in white, the color of the saints. This is why every sacrament in the church is celebrated in white garments and why we clothe our beloved dead in white at a funeral Mass. Every Mass is a truly heaven on earth and reception of Holy Communion is participation in heavenly communion right now- the eternal wedding feast.

Let us pray ~ Dear Father, thank You for loving us so much that You not only became one of us, died for us, but also gave us the Eucharist so we can live in heaven right here on earth. From the creation of mankind as man and women in Genesis, to the wedding of the Lamb in Revelation, you desire communion, union and fruitfulness. Help us to keep our eyes fixed on the glory to come, when we will all be dressed in white and partake in the glories to come. Give us hope and trust in You and Your grace! 

Amen.

Eucharistic Revival – 2023

~Written by Fr. Jonathan Meyer

~Inspired by the Poor Clare of Perpetual Adoration – Hanceville, AL