Station three: Jesus falls for the first time

We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.
Because by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
 
Then one of the Twelve, the man called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, 'What are you prepared to give me if I hand him over to you?' They paid him thirty silver pieces, and from then onwards he began to look for an opportunity to betray him.
Matthew 26:14-16
The weight of the cross bears down upon Jesus and He falls under the heaviness of it. It is not just the weight of the cross that brings Our Lord down; it is the also the betrayal of Judas and the abandonment of his friends.
How many refugees have been lied to or exploited by smugglers or traffickers? How many times have they encountered betrayal? How often have we failed to help when we could have done something? What damage does this do to their faith in others?
We pray for all refugees that they may not be weighed down by burdens and may carry their crosses with a firm hope for the future. May those who face deception and betrayal be comforted by Jesus who endured the same treatment out of concern for us and for all.
 
I love you, Jesus, my love above all things,
And I repent with my whole heart of having offended you.
Never permit me to separate myself from you again,
Grant that I may love you always, and then do with me what you will.