Reflecting and deeply meditating on the Passion of the Christ, Deacon Keating guides us through the 9th station (Jesus fall a 3rd time), the 10th station (Jesus is stripped of His garments), and the 11th station (Jesus is nailed to the Cross) along the Way of the Cross.

Deacon James Keating reflects on the ninth station, where Christ falls for the third time, as a moment that mirrors the exhaustion and discouragement people encounter in their own suffering. Lying on the ground beneath the weight of the cross, Christ enters fully into the experience of repeated failure and weakness. Even when suffering returns after one thought it had passed, Christ remains present in that place of collapse. Rising again comes through the love shared between the Father and the Son, a communion that also lives within the baptized. From that interior relationship with God, a person can rise again and continue living out their vocation despite fatigue, pain, or disappointment.

In the following stations, Christ’s stripping and crucifixion reveal a profound surrender. When he is stripped of his garments, his vulnerability exposes both human innocence and the contrast with humanity’s guilt, recalling the difference between Adam hiding in shame and Christ standing openly before the world. The crucifixion deepens this self-gift as Christ’s wounds become openings through which love is poured out. Personal wounds can also become places where God works most deeply, transforming suffering into holiness and communion with him. Rather than hiding pain, bringing it to Christ allows those wounds to become reminders of a history shared with God, where suffering becomes a path to intimacy rather than isolation.

1. When I experience repeated failure or exhaustion in life, how do I recognize Christ lying beside me in that place of weakness?
2. What suffering in my life has returned unexpectedly, and how might Christ be inviting me to encounter him there again?
3. How does remembering my identity as a beloved son or daughter of the Father help me rise after discouragement?
4. In what situations have I been forced to surrender control, and what did those moments reveal about my character and trust in God?
5. When circumstances strip away my security or dignity, how do I remain rooted in my identity in Christ?
6. Where in my life do I feel the deepest wounds, and have I allowed Christ to enter that place of pain?
7. Do I tend to hide my wounds in shame or fear, or do I bring them honestly before the Lord in prayer?
8. How might the painful events of my past become signs of God’s presence and work in my life?
9. What would it mean for me to let Christ transform my suffering into deeper holiness and intimacy with him?
10. How can reflecting on Christ’s surrender on the cross shape the way I carry my own crosses each day?

Deacon James Keating, Ph.D., is a professor of Spiritual Theology and serves as a spiritual director at Kenrick Glennon Seminary in St. Louis, MO.

Check out Deacon Keating’s “Discerning Heart” page