FOURTEENTH HOUR

My suffering Jesus, you are now outside the prison. You are so exhausted that you stagger with every step... I want to stand by your side to support you if I see that you are about to fall. However, I see that the soldiers are bringing you to Caiaphas. You, my Jesus, appear among them like the sun, and although you are disfigured, you radiate light around you... I notice that Caiaphas is overjoyed to see you in such a miserable state. In the glare of Your light, he becomes even more blinded and, in his anger, asks You again: Are You truly the Son of God?

And you, my Love, majestically, with the grace of your words and your typical sweet and touching voice that wins hearts, you answer: Yes, I am the true Son of God.

And your enemies, though they feel the full force of your words, stifle everything within themselves and, unwilling to know anything more, cry out with one voice: He is guilty of death, he is guilty of death!

Caiaphas confirms the death sentence and sends you back to Pilate. And you, my condemned Jesus, accept this sentence with such love and submission that you almost snatch it from the mouth of the unjust priest. And you make amends for all sins committed with premeditation and ill will, and for those who, instead of regretting evil, rejoice and delight in sin itself, which blinds them and extinguishes all light and grace... My Life, Jesus, Your reparations and prayers echo in my heart, so I make reparation and pray with You.

My sweet Love, I see that the soldiers have lost the last shred of respect they had for you, because they saw that you had been sentenced to death. So they grab you, increase the number of ropes and chains, and bind you so tightly that they almost prevent your Divine Person from making any movement. Pushing and dragging you, they lead you outside Caiaphas' palace...

A crowd of people is waiting for you, but no one is there to defend you. And you, my Divine Sun, walk among them, wanting to embrace them all with your Light. And as you take your first steps, wanting to enclose in them all the steps of creatures, you pray and make reparation for those who take their first steps to act with evil intentions — some out of revenge, others to rob, still others to betray, others to kill, etc. Oh, how all these sins hurt Your Heart! And to prevent such great evil, You pray, make reparation, and offer Yourself.

But when I follow you, I see that you, my Sun Jesus, leaving Caiaphas' palace, meet beautiful Mary, our beloved Mother... Your gazes meet and hurt each other. Although you are comforted by seeing each other, new sufferings arise — in you, when you see your beautiful Mother, deeply wounded, pale and covered in mourning, and in your dear Mother, when she sees you, the Divine Sun, overshadowed, covered with so many abominations, crying and covered with blood... But you cannot enjoy exchanging glances for long. With the pain of not being able to exchange a single word, your Hearts say everything to each other. Merging into one another, you stop looking at each other because the soldiers are pushing you. Thus trampled and dragged, you reach Pilate... My Jesus, I join Your deeply wounded Mother to follow You and, together with her, to merge with You. Cast Your loving gaze upon me and bless me.