Station 8: Jesus Meets the Women of Jerusalem

By Carmela Feoli, St. Ignatius – Boston College

For me, this station is deeply important because it reminds us of Jesus’ humanness and His empathy. Even while suffering and exhausted under the weight of the cross, He turns toward the women of Jerusalem — a group who were socially vulnerable — and shows them compassion. He does not want their pity. He does not ask them to cry for Him, but for themselves and their children.

In this moment, Jesus reveals His profound awareness of others, even in the midst of His own pain. His suffering does not cause Him to close Himself off from the world; instead, it opens Him more fully to it. He recognizes their fear, their grief, and their sorrow, and He responds with concern for them rather than for Himself. Even in His agony, Jesus chooses empathy.

This encounter teaches us that empathy is not reserved for the moments when we feel strong, comfortable, or whole. We can choose to be aware of others even when we are hurting. Sometimes we close ourselves off because we feel overwhelmed, or we avoid the news because it deepens our sadness. Yet Jesus shows us that compassion is still possible — even when we ourselves are carrying heavy crosses.

I do not believe Jesus is minimizing His own pain. Rather, He refuses to make it solely about Himself. He continues to care, to guide, and to love. The eighth station invites us to reflect on how we respond to others while we ourselves are suffering — even quietly. Do our own burdens cause us to withdraw, or do they help us become more attentive to the suffering around us?

Jesus models a love that notices, listens, and responds. His empathy gives me hope. It gives me hope because I believe He died for us so that a more just world might be possible — a world in which we are called to care for one another. This Lenten season, I pray that we follow in His steps and grow in our understanding of the love for which He gave His life.