Our Lady of Mount Virgin Station 13

Path 2 · The Way · Our Lady of Mount Virgin

Middlesex, New Jersey · Station 13 of 14

Jesus Is Taken Down from the Cross

The Pietà — a mother's arms are the last place His body rests before the tomb.

Our Lady of Mount Virgin Station 13, Jesus Is Taken Down from the Cross

As they take Jesus down from the Cross, they place Him into the arms of His mother. This moment is often called the Pietà — a word that means pity, or compassion. Mary's deep grief and her unwavering faith together make her a model of both compassion and fortitude for everyone who has ever had to hold onto faith through loss.

Standing here, I feel the sacrifice Jesus made for me, and the grief I've carried through every station leading up to this one. There's no rushing past this moment — it asks you to stay a while in Mary's arms with Him.

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V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee.

R. Because by Thy holy Cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.

“O Mother of Sorrow, for the love of this Son, accept me and pray to Him for me. And Thou, my Redeemer, since Thou hast died for me, permit me to love Thee; I wish but Thee and nothing more.”

— Saint Alphonsus Liguori, The Way of the Cross

V. Have mercy upon us, O Lord. R. Have mercy on us. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

Pray Together

Possible Thoughts of the Witnesses

Joseph, Nicodemus, and John

Joseph of Arimathea

I was a member of the council, a man other men looked to for judgment — and I kept my belief in Him quiet for exactly that reason. But watching Him die changed something in me that fear could no longer hold back. I went to Pilate myself and asked for His body. It was the first bold thing I had done in years.

What would it take for you to finally stop hiding what you believe?

Nicodemus

I came to Jesus at night once, early on, still afraid of being seen. Tonight there is no more hiding — I am here in the daylight, helping to prepare His body, a Pharisee kneeling beside a criminal's cross. My faith took years to become brave. I don't think that makes it any less real.

Has your own faith ever needed years to catch up to what you already believed?

John

I never left. Not at the arrest, not at the trial, not here at the end, holding what's left of the friend who called me beloved. Staying wasn't brave, exactly — it was just what love does when it has nowhere else to be.

Who have you stayed with, simply because leaving was never really an option?

Ponder As Mary Pondered

What does the presence of Mary at this station teach us about compassion and strength in the face of suffering? Her faith and her compassion are an example for our own role in suffering — for how we might show up for someone else who is grieving. Each of us, at some point, experiences a loss that shakes us to the bone.

This station invites us to turn to Mary as a source of comfort and intercession, knowing that she understands our pain and walks with us in it.

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Courage That Takes Time

Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus both held real standing in their community, and both kept their belief in Jesus quiet because of it. Their courage to finally step forward, in the open, at real risk to their position, is worth sitting with — what would it look like for someone with real authority today to risk their reputation for the truth? It's not only a question for people in power; it's for anyone who's let position, or fear of what others think, keep their faith hidden longer than it should be.

If you want to sit with this theme longer, I've found real depth in books like The Imitation of Christ and The Reed of God.

Continue the Journey

Two men who hid their faith for years finally step into the open here, and a mother holds what's left of her son. Carry what you found here into another part of your prayer, or another part of your life.

Which Station Speaks to You?

Maybe it’s this station, and the courage it took Joseph and Nicodemus to finally step forward. Maybe it’s a station further along. Tell us about a moment of grace you found while walking the Way of the Cross.

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A quiet path along the Way of the Cross