The Way (or Stations) of the Cross dates back centuries and is a devotional act that mimics the pilgrim journey in Jerusalem along the path Jesus walked to the Place of the Skull, where he was put to death by the Roman State. Over the weeks of Lent, we’ll be following that Way on Sundays and Wednesdays and then the three holiest days of the year—Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday.
An early draft of these Stations was written for the conclusion of a half-day retreat at St. Philip Episcopal Church. This version updates the translations and corrects grammatical errors in the original. My attempt has been to bring the scenes from the Way into the everyday of work, hungry cats, and the fear of being vulnerable and human.
Opening devotion
Scripture
“At that point Jesus told his disciples, ‘If someone desires to come along with me, they should live selflessly and take up their cross and come after me. For those who long to preserve their life will lose it, but those who understand their life is fragile because of me will find it. For what good will it be if a person gains the whole world but loses their whole life” (Matthew 16:24-26a)?
Meditation
Embrace all hope, you who enter this way
that there is more to life than day to day
with its taxes and bills and work to do.
God has been here, on this way, on this earth
breathing, living, bleeding, loving like you,
making all things new and holy. A life
we can embrace and know by following
a way that puts the you before our I.
Prayer
Crucified One, in the moments ahead we will dare to walk where you walked for no other reason than to draw closer to you.
Jesus, grant us the grace to follow you.
Give us courage to face what you will show us along the way.
Jesus, grant us the grace to follow you.
Deliver us from judgment and judging.
Jesus, grant us the grace to follow you.
Reveal the confidence that births humility.
Jesus, grant us the grace to follow you.
Teach us to exercise love.
Jesus, grant us the grace to follow you.
Help us carry one another’s burdens.
Jesus, grant us the grace to follow you.
Remind us that we are Pilate, we are the crowd, we are the ones who condemned you to this way.
Jesus, teach us mercy.