The Seven Falls of Christ on the Way of the Cross

[Climacus Areopagite]

It is interesting, although it is not stated in the Gospels and we commemorate three falls in the devotion; I think Jesus actually fell seven times on the Way of the Cross. This view is expressed in Sacred Scripture as well as supported in the writings of Blessed A.C. Emmerich:

Proverbs
{24:16} For the just one will fall seven times, and he shall rise again. But the impious will fall into evil.

Psalms
{11:7} The eloquence of the Lord is pure eloquence, silver tested by fire, purged from the earth, refined seven times.

"At last they reached a spot where the pathway turned suddenly to the south; here he stumbled and fell for the sixth time. The fall was a dreadful one, but the guards only struck him the harder to force him to get up, and no sooner did he reach Calvary than he sank down again for the seventh time." (The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ)

The seven falls of Christ are a prophecy of the future seven year reign of Antichrist. During this time the Church will metaphorically suffers her passion and death in imitation of the Savior. (I think you may have mentioned this somewhere Ron).

The seven falls may have other indirect (spritual) meanings such as each fall representing each of the seven capital sins or the sins we have committed against the virtues of love-faith-hope, counsel-fortitude-piety-fear of the Lord. Or perhaps the falls are related in some way to the seven days of Creation.

[sammy]

I am devoted to the way of the Cross. There are 3 falls in the stations but I have known of the 7 falls since reading Emmerichs' Passion of the Cross. In my mind, I divide the falls to those within the city walls leading up to the weeping women which I picture just inside the city wall and those falls occurring outside the city wall on his assent to Calvary. I do the stations on Friday. I have been doing this for a couple of years now and it is interesting that it can be challenging in different ways depending on the time of year. The church can be quite cold during the winter and unbearably hot in the summer. I challenge you to consider this devotion and then take it up a notch by doing it with your bare feet which can be rather uncomfortable during the winter months.

[Rob]

Climacus, if Jesus fell seven times, He must also have risen seven times from the ground. This seven risings could refer to the seven Sacraments, which are a source of Grace in our life, and therefore seven ways to strenghten us and make us grow in the Faith.

[Climacus Areopagite]

Originally Posted by sammy

I am devoted to the way of the Cross. There are 3 falls in the stations but I have known of the 7 falls since reading Emmerichs' Passion of the Cross. In my mind, I divide the falls to those within the city walls leading up to the weeping women which I picture just inside the city wall and those falls occurring outside the city wall on his assent to Calvary. I do the stations on Friday. I have been doing this for a couple of years now and it is interesting that it can be challenging in different ways depending on the time of year. The church can be quite cold during the winter and unbearably hot in the summer. I challenge you to consider this devotion and then take it up a notch by doing it with your bare feet which can be rather uncomfortable during the winter months.

or one could meditate on the seven falls while praying the rosary

Originally Posted by Rob

Climacus, if Jesus fell seven times, He must also have risen seven times from the ground. This seven risings could refer to the seven Sacraments, which are a source of Grace in our life, and therefore seven ways to strenghten us and make us grow in the Faith.

definitely something to meditate on thanks


These visions of Blessed A.C. Emmerich although private revelations are surely a precious gift from God. Hard to describe how I feel when reading them. God is so good. Very humbling.

[sammy]

Jesus must have veiled his divinity during the carrying of the cross (and the entire passion for that matter) so that he would not have known when to expect a fall so as to bear the full force of each fall including the unexpected or surprise factor of a fall. If he had known when and how he was about to fall he may have made a turn or move to shield the full brunt of the fall as would have been the human instinct protecting itself.

[Ron Conte]

Jesus has two wills, one human and one Divine, and two minds, one human and one Divine. In his human mind, He does not know all things, however, because he had the beatific vision during his lifetime, his human mind was informed by his Divine mind. If he did not know certain things during the Passion, perhaps his human nature was temporarily kept from the Beatific Vision, yet without harming the hypostatic union.