Then they handed him over to them to be crucified … Pilate also had an inscription written and put on the cross. It read, 'Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews' (John 19:16,19).

Our Camino has now taken us out of the restrictions of the city lanes; we have arrived at the 'Place of the Skull'—the place of execution and death. We now see the horror and cruelty of Roman Crucifixion, but it has a long history that goes back to the Assyrians and Babylonians. Thousands and thousands have been murdered in the most vicious way. Jesus has nails driven into his wrists and feet as he is lifted up before the world. We hear a cry from the heart as Jesus cries out in prayer from Psalm 22:

At about three o'clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" which means "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?"(Mt 27:46).

Today pray for those who feel abandoned and lost: those hurt, bruised and battered by cruelty and indifference. This cry comes from the very core of their being as many have to suffer in silence. They might put on a brave and shining face, but as a dear friend once said to me: "Who wears sunglasses when it's raining?" With pastoral care and concern, we stand beside those who feel the need to wear sunglasses in the most appalling of situations; we stand by the humiliated, the despised, the hurting. We cannot allow evil in the world to overwhelm us: we pray for those who are having to suffer and die away from their loved ones; those who are unable to be with those who are dying; those who have no support or companionship.

This is a stunning video installation by Bill Viola entitled, 'Earth, Air, Fire and Water' to be found in St Paul's Cathedral London. Viola hopes these videos become 'practical objects of traditional contemplation and devotion'. As the video progresses, each of the four performers stoically suffers an assault from the elements—earth, air, fire, water—as if nature itself has determined to test them. The lives of martyrs, writes Viola, 'exemplify the human capacity to bear pain, hardship, and even death in order to remain faithful to their values, beliefs, and principles. This piece represents ideas of action, fortitude, perseverance, endurance, and sacrifice.' For Christians, these values are embodied in Jesus' sacrifice on the cross, but as Perov reminds us: 'we are all capable of sacrifice.'

We can pray:

All the ends of the world shall remember and turn to the Lord.

And all the families of the nations shall worship before you.

For the kingdom is the Lord's, and He rules over the nations.

Psalm 22:27-28

Psalm 22 is, thus, the prayer of a just one who suffers innocently, of one who is surrounded by enemies and mocked precisely because of his fidelity to God. When God hears this cry and delivers, the just one offers praise and thanksgiving to God. (Bro Michael D Guinan OFM)

Remember victims of injustice and unfairness at this station