In the traditional Franciscan calendar, the First Friday of March is kept as the feast of the Via Crucis, the Way of the Cross. The texts of the Proper Office for the feast are magnificent; most of them are taken from Isaiah 52:13 —53:12. As a Cistercian, I was especially pleased to note that in the Franciscan Breviary's Third Lesson at Matins of the feast, the sons of Saint Francis recognize the role played by Saint Bernard, the Abbot of Clairvaux, in the development of devotion to the Passion:
Saint Bernard in the 12th century had already directed the attention of the faithful to the human aspect of Christ's love in his sermons and writings. But it was Saint Francis and his followers who, with great love, immersed themselves in this mystery. Devotion to the suffering Christ was a characteristic of the Franciscan spirit. The writings of Bonaventure added much to this devotion, a tradition which was continued by several saints and by the best preachers of the Order. This tradition found special expression in meditation on the Lord's Passion, following spirit the sorrowful way which he trod in Jerusalem. This exercise of the Way of the Cross was specially promoted by the preaching of Saint Leonard of Port Maurice and strongly recommended by the Popes who enriched it with many spiritual favours.
The antiphons at Vespers are full of compunction:
1. Christ suffered for our sakes, and left us his own example; we were to follow in his footsteps.
2. He did no wrong, no treachery was found on his lips.
3. He was ill spoken of, and spoke no evil in return, suffered, and did not threaten vengeance, gave himself up into the hands of injustice.
4. So, on the cross, his own body took the weight of our sins; we were to become dead to our sins, and live for holiness; it was his wounds that healed us.
5. Till then, we have been like sheep going astray; now, we have been brought back to him, our shepherd, who keeps watch over our souls.
The Little Chapter is drawn from Isaiah 53:6:
Strayed sheep all of us, each following his own path; and God lid on his shoulders our guilt, the guilt of us all.
Here is a strophe from the hymn:
Fill thou the weak with power from on high —
So may they tread the way of life undaunted,
So if they fall and sin again o'ertake them, —
Ever grant that they may promptly rise.
At the Magnificat:
Christ our King alone has taken pity on our sinfulness: obeying the Father he was led away as a lamb meek to be slaughtered.
And the Collect:
O God, who, bythe glorious passion of thy Son,
has taught us to follow the way of the cross to attain to eternal glory,
grant in thy mercy that we may lovingly company with him to Calvary
and ever follow in his triumphant glory,
he who is God, living and reigning with thee,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
forever and ever.
All texts taken from The Little Breviary, J.H. Gottmer, Haarlem —Antwerp, 1957
His Excellency, the Bishop of the Diocese of Tulsa, Oklahoma has given
Father Mark a special mandate to live in adoration before the Most
Blessed Sacrament, in a spirit of thanksgiving and intercession, that he
might make reparation before the Eucharistic Face of Jesus for all his
brothers in Holy Orders. At the same time, he is available to the
priests and deacons of the Diocese for spiritual and sacramental
support in their pursuit of holiness.
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