Prayer Intentions
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Category Archives: Prayers
The Stations of the Cross for Priests
The Stations of the Cross with Blessed Alphonse Marie Eppinger for Priests
Since her childhood, Blessed Alphonse Marie saw in a priest God alone. When she had the opportunity to meet him, she watched him motionlessly for a long time saying, “If only I could talk to him. He would certainly tell me about God.” In the collection of books about Bl. Alphonse Marie, there is a book titled “Prayers, Instructions and Exhortations of Ecstatic”. In this book are instructions and exhortations for spiritual life. There we can also read about who are priests, how they should follow Jesus and a way, how to acquire the characteristics of a good priest. According to Bl. Alphonse Marie, priests are ministers of God’s graces. They are brothers and favorites of our Savior. They have to be worthy representatives of our Savior. Therefore, they have to follow Him and impress His face and virtues deeply into their hearts. They will obtain these characteristics in meditation on the Passion of Jesus Christ.
The Stations of the Cross 3
THE STATIONS OF THE CROSS OF BLESSED ALPHONSE MARIE EPPINGER
Jesus, Blessed Alphonse Marie Eppinger wanted to walk a path similar to Yours.
She pondered, how she carried her cross and how she saw your presence in her life. She also asked for grace to suffer along with You. Moved by Your sufferings, with deep gratitude, she bowed before You, suffering and dying Jesus, that she may become like You and give You her heart filled with love.
In this moment, we stand before You, Jesus. Because of our sins, we do not dare to even look at You suffering under the cross on the way to Calvary.
Yet, the words You told Blessed Alphonse Marie, “Pray, suffer, and bear your cross with Me”, fill us with courage to step out and follow You on the way with the cross.
Blessed Alphonse Marie encourages us, “Your sufferings and trials should neither darken your countenance nor depress your thoughts. You will always have suffering. Your way is the way of Calvary. As long as I live, I will speak to you of sufferings, sufferings that will sanctify you. Suffering is a sign that God is with us and that He loves us; were He to leave us without suffering, we would be lost.”
The Stations of the Cross 1
Meditation of Blessed Alphonse Marie
on the Stations of the Cross
1. Jesus Is Condemned to Death
“The chief priests accused Jesus of many things. Again Pilate questioned him, ‘Have you no answer? See how many things they accuse you of.’ Jesus gave him no further answer, so that Pilate was amazed.” (Mk 15:3-5)
Still are ringing in my ears the words of our priest about Jesus’ suffering in the Olive Garden: “Look children, what Jesus, our dear Savior, suffered because of our sins and how suffering had caused Him to bleed. Look children, how violent this suffering must have been. Suffering is already violent when it causes sweating, but what must it be when the suffering caused bloody sweat? These sufferings of Jesus have caused our sins.” (Autobiography of Elizabeth Eppinger, I/28)
The Most pure Virgin,