The Living Stations of the Cross
"Loving Jesus,
you went up to Golgotha without hesitation, in utter love,
and let yourself be crucified without complaint.
Lowly Son of Mary,
you shouldered the burden of our night
to show us the immense light
with which you wanted to fill our hearts.
In your suffering is our redemption;
in your tears we see “the hour”
when God’s gracious love is revealed.
In your final breath, as a man among men,
you lead us back, seven times forgiven,
to the heart of the Father,
and you show us, in your last words,
the path to the redemption of all our sorrows.
You, the Incarnate All, empty yourself on the cross,
understood only by her, your Mother,
who stood faithfully beneath that gibbet.
Your thirst is a wellspring of hope,
a hand extended even to the repentant thief,
who this day, thanks to you, enters paradise.
To all of us, crucified Lord Jesus,
grant your infinite mercy,
a fragrance of Bethany upon the world,
a cry of life for all humanity.
And at last, as we commend ourselves into the hands of your Father,
open unto us the doors of undying Life!"
Amen
As you know, I live in Miranda State, Venezuela, in the community of Petare. This geography is famous for a beautiful event called "The Living Stations of the Cross" that take place during Holy Week.
The Living Stations of the Cross represent a ritual performed by some people who want to repent for their sins, do it as an act of sacrifice for the welfare of their families or as an act of appreciation for the sacrifice of Christ. This is a tradition practiced in our country for hundreds of years. They even perform the crucifixion as shown in this piece. This ritual has become a great event that attracts thousands of local and international tourists. Little cement pillars are divided around the grounds for Stations of the Cross during Holy Week.
The Holy Christ of Forgiveness, carried by members of the Brotherhood of the Blood Christ, chairs over the Stations of the Cross and usually observed during Lent, especially on Fridays of Lent and, most importantly, on Good Friday. This is one of the most popular devotions for Roman Catholics. Devotion consists in meditating on 14 events that form the 14 stations of the cross and meditating on the steps of Jesus passion and death. At each station we very often begin by naming the station, and by saying: "We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you", to which others present may respond: "Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world".
The Stations of the Cross may also be done at home with the entire household, or even by oneself.
Persons of faith experience the same physical and psychological distress as others but faith can be a deep source of comfort, strength and meaning. The Stations of the Cross range across our human experience and emotions: suffering, tenderness, perseverance, humiliation, love, injustice, grief, anguish, embrace, loss. And at a symbolic level the Stations of the Cross are laden with meaning: journey and destiny, the cruciform human body, the cross as axis mundi, being lifted up from the earth.
The period of Lent, the Holy Week and the feast of Easter Sunday all compel us to reflect and to reconsider our habits in order to change our attitudes and to rise again with Christ to a new life. The Lenten season, Catholics of all ages will be spending the 40 days reflecting on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. One of the ways that communities relive the path of the Lord to his final hours on earth is through the Stations of the Cross.
In the causal world, the secret Christ goes through all the unspeakable bitterness of his Way of the Cross. Final moments with his disciples are marked not by support but by terrifying isolation and even denial by Judas and Peter. Fear of abandonment in time of need compounds his suffering. But trusting in the will of the Father, He sets out on The Way to the Cross.
The 14 Stations of the Cross are an important reminder to Christians of the many steps that were taken before the crucifixion of Christ and the suffering he endured for us and to give us the salvation of our sins. He who flees from difficulties and the countless grievous defeats of life, of the trials he has had to live has not understood that resurrection and glory are reached, passing through the path of Calvary.
"And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting for him. But turning to them Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children"
(Luke 26, 27,28)
Holy Week 2018.