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The Stations of the Cross, known as the Way
of the Cross, can be used as 14 meditations on
the Passion and Death of Christ. In this season
of Lent, we identify with the suffering of Jesus
and recognize that the story of his Passion still
happens in our world.
Take
3 minutes each day to use these meditations
for your Lenten Prayer. Use them as a way
to walk through each day on the road to the
cross. Perhaps do one each day during the
last weeks of Lent or spread them out throughout
Lent.
The Sign of the Cross: As
you make the gesture, reflect the basic questions: Where
did I come from.... Where am I going.... Why
am I here? Then quietly welcome God into your
company.
Prayer
As I move today in
your company, O God, and reflect on this station
of the cross, help me pattern my life after
your Son's way of the cross. Might we together
bring your story to life. Amen.
Then reflect on the station
for the day for a few moments. Try to write out
a specific action response to the question on
the back of the card and carry the card with
you as a reminder to join your story with Christ's
these last days of Lent.
1 Jesus
is Condemned to Die
Jesus
is brought to Pilate on false charges of treason.
It is classic injustice, and it does not end
with the death of Jesus. All over the world people
are being destroyed because of their religion,
nationality or color of their skin, for the clothes
they wear (or don't), the folks they hang around
with (or don't), the things they do (and don't
do). Is there anyone dying because of my
injustice? Because of what I am doing (or not
doing)?
2 Jesus
Accepts His Cross
A
cross is thrust into the arms of Jesus who is
ordered to carry it to the place of execution.
He accepts the cross for love of us and his Father.
There are still crosses in our world: war, hunger,
poverty, families struggling through divorce,
a loved one who is dying, love given and not
returned, fears and troubles. What is my
cross today? And how am I accepting it?
3 Jesus
Falls the First Time
The
cross is heavy and the road to death is long
and hard. Jesus slumps to the ground. The world
is filled with people who have fallen, trying
desperately to get up. Freedom so precious and
a lifetime ahead: a good home, good education,
open doors. Am I heading towards life or
closing my own doors? Is there one door I need
to open today?
4 Jesus
Meetings His Mother
Mary,
long afflicted by the troubles of the friends
Jesus kept watches the final horror: her son's
long walk to Calvary. Close relationships should
be free from insensitivity, but all of us overlook
the pain and discouragement of others often very
close to us: panic and failure in the eyes of
those we love most, those who love us. Who,
among those who most care for me, needs my care
in return today?
5 Simon
Helps Jesus Carry His Cross
The
cross is heavy and Jesus is weak from abuse.
Soldiers grab a bystander named Simon and order
him to help. Simon is not eager to help Jesus,
perhaps he has seen too many problems and has
enough of his own. He isn't much different from
us: we all need to get out of ourselves and enter
the lives of others stumbling under the weight
of their crosses. Who has a cross to bear
that I could lift briefly?
6 Veronica
Wipes the Face of Jesus
A
woman of compassion reaches out to wipe the face
of Jesus. The image of his face is imprinted
on the cloth. People of compassion still touch
the needs of those who are hurting with kind
words, compassionate actions. It only takes a
moment to stop and listen, to care, to reach
out. You can make a different in someone's life. From
whose face can I lift a little sadness today?
7 Jesus
Falls a Second Time
Jesus'
weakness is not relieved by the respite Simon
provided. He falls again until he is roughly
pulled to his feet. Oppression and greed force
many to their knees. Farmworkers, women and other
working minorities are often terribly underpaid.
Those who are well-fed, well-housed and well-educated
can easily overlook the plight of strangers who
are not in our family or community. Who
needs my help to stand taller this day?
8 Jesus
Speaks to the Weeping Women
Jesus
pauses on his road to death to console women
who are weeping at his condition. His words are
a reminder that tears are not enough, that the
starving need bread. We can live with them by
fasting and cutting down on the food we eat ourselves.
We can get involved in actions of justice and
service to respond to the needs of those who
are hungry. What can I do today to feed
someone who is hungry?
9 Jesus
Falls a Third Time
A
lack of sleep, the scourging, the pain of the
thorns on his head, the long road pushes Jesus
once more to the ground. Many people live with
failure. Alcoholics and drug addicts whose hate
for themselves is destroying them. Smaller failures
in our daily lives at home or school take their
toll on us. What current sin/sadness do
I need to rise from?
10 Jesus
is Stripped of His Garments
The
road ends at the top of a hill. Jesus' clothes
are stripped from him, leaving him naked in front
of the crowd. Naked, too, are the poor in the
company of wealthy nations who scoop up larger
and larger amounts of the world's goods. Many
of us have fine clothes, stereos, impressive
goods that keep us distanced from those who have
less. Is it possible for me to strip myself
of some of my possessions so that I can share
myself, my "wealth," my time and talents with
the less fortunate?
11 Jesus
is Nailed to the Cross
The
soldiers roughly throw Jesus onto the cross he
has been carrying. They nail his hands and feet
to the wood. Torture and brutality are still
a common in many parts of our world. A cruel
word, a clever put-down still destroy human lives. Is
there someone in my life that I have nailed to
the wood of sadness by my sharp tongue or my
actions?
12 Jesus
Dies on the Cross
The
nightmare of pain and suffering finally has come
to an end. After three hours on the cross, Jesus
dies. Death by violence is still around. In many
of our communities, young people are killing
other young people. Am I living peacefully
and resolving conflicts nonviolently or am I
dangerously close to unwanted violence?
13 Jesus
is Taken Down from the Cross
The
body of Jesus hangs limp. Cut down from the cross,
bleeding and broken, he is placed in the arms
of his mother. How often does a mother still
receive the body of a son or daughter destroyed
by violence or illness. We often feel helpless,
but we have the power to help. Is there
a friend or neighbor who has recently lost someone
who could really use a sign of care and concern
from you?
14 Jesus
is Laid in the Tomb
Relatives
and friends carry the body of Jesus to the grave,
roll a boulder in front of the entrance and silently
withdraw. The suffering continues in the eyes
of those who love him. And in the faces of the
poor, homeless, and broken people of our world.
We can bring goodness into our world. Remember
the source of all goodness -- God. Can
I bury my forgetfulness and rise to praise of
God and actions of goodness and service toward
others?
15 Women
Return to the Tomb of Jesus
Filled with sadness, the women
in the life of Jesus come to the tomb to anoint
the body with oils. But a great surprise greets
them. Their lives and faith in Jesus have made
him a man of history whose importance and memory
history cannot erase. We are called to bring
him to life as well. Lord, I pray that
the evidence of my life will convince others
of your life. Amen. |
