Order of the Holy Sepulchre Pilgrimage to Knock
14th & 15th February 2025
THE SORROWFUL MYSTERIES

The Agony In The Garden

“Father, not my will but yours be done!” Jesus’ suffering and agony begins in the dark isolation of the Garden in Gethsemane. He was like us in all things, but sin, so he was not spared “sorrow and distress” (Mt. 26:37) or the fear of what lies ahead. Because of his love for his disciples, he also frets about the horror and trepidation they will face. He can only imagine what will happen to these twelve individuals whom he had personally invited to follow after him.
But there is always hope. That fact is the heart of our Christian faith.
We pray for all who are suffering today. We pray for those in mental anguish, those who suffering from depression, those who are lonely and those in despair.
We pray for those who are hungry, those suffering from financial difficulties, parents worried for their children. We pray for those exploited or trafficked. We pray for those caught in the web of addiction. For the young, those struggling with self-image, anxiety, peer pressure. We pray for those who are sick. “I will
never forsake you or abandon you”, (Heb. 13:5) the letter to the Hebrews reminds us. Lord, as we pray this first sorrowful mystery, we ask you to be the
hope of all who suffer.

The Scourging At The Pillar

Jesus’ suffering was not yet complete. We rightly place the words of Isaiah on Jesus’ lips: “I gave my back to those who beat me” (Is 50:6). Pilate did not
believe the accusations of the crowd, yet he was afraid of the crowd. He allowed Jesus to be “scourged” (Mt 27:26). With each excruciating strike, he
was mercilessly tortured, his flesh mangled and ripped. The pain and brutality of the soldiers, they ridiculed and belittled him, stripped him of his humanity
and dignity.
We offer this mystery for those who are stripped of their humanity and their dignity. We pray for those who live on the streets of our cities and towns, those
who are homeless.
Forgive us Lord for the times we have walked past without stopping, without giving, for the times we have judged. We pray for the refugee and those seeking
asylum, the many who undertake dangerous journeys in search of security, new beginnings, safety. Forgive us Lord for the times we have judged, humiliated or
condemned them without knowing the circumstances from which they flee.
Lord, help us to offer the hope of new beginnings.

The Crowning With Thorns

“Like a lamb led to the slaughter or a sheep before the shearers, he was silent and opened not his mouth” (Is 53:7). Luke’s Gospel tells us, soldiers put a
crown of thorns on him and saluted him: “‘Hail, king of the Jews!’ They struck his head with a reed and spat on him; and they went down on their knees to do
him homage” (Lk 15:18-20). Lord, your crown is of a kingdom not of this world, but a kingdom of mercy, forgiveness and love.
Lord, we pray for the grace of forgiveness in our lives. We pray for families divided against themselves, for wounded relationships where trust has been
broken or pain inflicted. We pray for friendships that have ended. We pray for those who have been let down in business, those who have wounded others by
words of hatred, racism, bigotry, prejudice. We pray for forgiveness for the times we have sinned against you, Lord. Your forgiveness Lord offers us hope,
hope in a future of live in all its fullness. We pray for the grace to forgive!

Jesus Takes Up His Cross

“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses
his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it” (Mk 8:34-35). His day of suffering will pass, and Jesus will end up on a throne of glory, seated at the
right hand of God, the Father Almighty.
Lord, we offer this mystery for our Christian brothers and sisters throughout the world, those who suffer because they profess their faith in the cross of Jesus
Christ. We pray for our brothers and sisters in the Holy Land, particularly the Christian community in Holy Family Church, Gaza. We thank you for the hope
they offer to the world of respect, steadfastness, compassion, courage and hope.
We thank you for the hope they offer to those of other faiths in the midst of conflict, despair and destruction because they have taken up the cross and have
become ‘witnesses to hope’. We bring Christ to others by becoming Christ-like, especially by carrying the weight of others. Lord, help us become witnesses to
hope.

The Crucifixion

“Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Jesus is the mediator between God and humanity. “No one has greater love than this,
to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (Jn 15:13). “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not
perish but may have eternal life” (Jn 3:16). Jesus on the Cross shows that his Kingdom is a Kingdom of peace.
We pray this mystery for political stability and peace in the world. We pray for peace in Ukraine, Gaza, the Middle East, Syria, Iran, Afghanistan, Sudan,
Somalia. Make us instruments of reconciliation and peace. We pray for an end to rhetoric that incites hatred, violence or war. We pray for an end to speech
that causes confusion and division among people. May Christians offer a beacon of hope to nations at war, that they may deepen their efforts for harmony
and peace. We pray in hope for a world made new!

(Fr. Derek Darby KCHS)