THE FOURTEENTH STATION
Jesus is laid in the tomb
Antiphona
Aestimatus sum cum descendentibus in lacum,
factus sum sicut homo sine adjutorio, inter mortuos liber.
Posuerunt me in lacu inferiori, in tenebrosis et in umbra mortis.
Antiphon
I am counted with them that go down into the pit:
I am as a man that hath no strength: free among the dead.
You have laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps.
Kyrie eleison.
Christe eleison.
Kyrie eleison.
Pater noster ...
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Our Father ...
Matthew 27: 57-60
When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph, who was himself a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus; then Pilate ordered it to be handed over. Taking the body, Joseph wrapped it [in] clean linen and laid it in his new tomb that he had hewn in the rock. Then he rolled a huge stone across the entrance to the tomb and departed.
Responsoria
V. Caro mea requiescet in spe.
R. Et non dabis sanctum tuum videre corruptionem.
V. Exsurge, Domine, adiuva me.
R. Et redime me a peccatis meis.
Responsory
V. My flesh shall rest in hope.
R. Thou wilt not give thy holy one to see corruption.
V. Arise, O Lord, and help me.
R. And deliver me from my sins.
Reflection
We are fortunate to undertake the Way of the Cross from the perspective of the resurrection. The Risen Christ is already a reality and we, unlike the disciples, already know the glory that proceeds from suffering. For us the tomb is a symbol of hope, because the work of redemption had already begun as Christ descended into hell to bring the long-awaited salvation to the holy souls of those who died before him. For us this is a station of patient endurance imbued with the hope of the resurrection. Suffering will end and the manner of its ending reflects the manner in which it was endured. For those who take up their cross and follow Christ, death is only the beginning of life, and the loving endurance of suffering tempers the soul in the very love of God who suffered here and died that we might have life eternal.
V. Domine, exaudi orationem meam.
R. Et clamor meus ad te veniat.
Oratio
DOMINE Iesu Christe, qui de caelis ad terram de sinu Patris descendisti, et sanguinem tuum pretiosum in remissionem peccatorum nostrorum fudisti: te humiliter deprecamur, ut in die iudicii ad dexteram tuam audire mereamur: VENITE BENEDICTI. Qui vivis et regnas cum Deo Patri in unitate Spiritus Sancti, Deus per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.
V. Lord, hear my prayer.
R. And let my cry come before you
Prayer
O LORD Jesus Christ, who out of the bosom of the Father descended from heaven to earth, and shed your most Precious Blood for the remission of our sins; we humbly beseech you, that in the day of judgment we may be found worthy to stand at your right hand, and to hear you say to us, "Come, blessed ones." You, who live and reign with the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen.
