Praying the Stations of the Cross with St. Joseph
The First Station - Jesus is Condemned
He came to his native place and taught the people in their synagogue. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,” He said, “because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord . . . “Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” And they took offense at him.
Is this not the son of Joseph?
The high priest said to him, “I order you to tell us under oath before the living God whether you are the Messiah, the Son of God.” Jesus said to him in reply, “You have said so. But I tell you: From now on you will see ‘the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power’ and ‘coming on the clouds of heaven.’” Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has blasphemed! What further need have we of witnesses? You have now heard the blasphemy; what is your opinion?” They said in reply, “He deserves to die!”
But is this not the son of Joseph?
Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” He said to him in reply, “You say I am a king. For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.” Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” In the end, Pilate had him handed over to them to be crucified,
But is this not the son of Joseph?
Yes, he is the carpenter’s son, the son of Joseph. But He is so much more: Messiah . . . Son of God . . . King of the Jews. Rejected and condemned for who He is. Rejected and condemned for speaking the truth. But it is the truth that has set us free.
Let us pray . . . St. Joseph, your son, Jesus, was condemned and crucified by the authorities for speaking the truth . . . the truth about them and the truth about Him. The truth about love and the truth about mercy. The truth about freedom and the truth about inner peace. The truth about accepting others and the truth about how cherished we are in the eyes of God. The truth about who and what is righteous in the eyes of God, and the truth that we need to turn away from sin and repent. O righteous Joseph, teach me to always see Jesus as the way, the truth and the life.
St. Joseph, foster father of the Son of God, pray for us.
