The Mystery

The station represents the place where several devout women meeting Jesus, and beholding Him wounded and bathed in his blood, shed tears of compassion over Him.

Consider the excessive love of Jesus, who, though languishing and half dead through the multitude of His torments, is nevertheless attentive to console the women who wept over Him. They merited that tender consolation from the mouth of Jesus, "Weep not over me, but over yourselves and your children." Weep for your sins, the sources of my affliction. Yes, O my soul, I will obey my suffering Lord, and pour out tears of compunction*. Nothing is more eloquent than the voice of those tears which flow from the horror of those sins. Address Him the following

Prayer

JESUS, ONLY BEGOTTEN SON OF THE FATHER, who will give water to my head, and a fountain of tears to my eyes, that I may day and night weep and lament my sins? I humbly beseech You by these tears of blood You did shed for me, to soften my flinty** bosom***, that tears may plentifully flow from my eyes, and contrition rend my heart, this hardened heart, to cancel my crimes and render me secure in the day of wrath and examination, when You wilt come to judge the living and the dead, and demand a rigorous account of Thy blood. Amen, JESUS.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be..., Etc. ...
Jesus Christ crucified, have mercy on us!

With tears of love the women they did weep,
Compassionating our Redeemer sweet;
Weep for your sins who caused him here to be,
O Lamb of God Thy mercy show to me.

*"comopuncotion (kúm-pîngk2shún) n. 1. A strong uneasiness caused by a sense of guilt. 2. A sting of conscience or a pang of doubt aroused by wrongdoing ..." American Heritage Dictionary.
** flinty: "Unyielding; stern..."
***bosom: "The chest considered as the source of emotion." Now we usually say "heart".