PERSONAL STATIONS
OF THE CROSS
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily for this Good Friday is, “Personal Stations of the Cross.”
I wonder how many people noticed on page 118 in the
missalette the following comment: “After the reading of the Passion, there may
be a brief homily. Following the homily, the faithful may be invited to spend a
brief period in prayer.”
A similar message in the Missalette about being brief appeared
last Sunday – Palm Sunday – and I think my homily was 8 minutes.
I assume the key word is “brief”. I assume there is so
much to meditate and reflect upon this Holy Week – and we need space and time –
to deeply reflect upon the key ingredients and themes of Holy Week.
I have often asked people: “What are your key moments of
Holy Week?”
[PAUSE] What are yours?
On Holy Thursday, in a brief morning homily, I mentioned
that a lady told me her key moment is Holy Thursday night’s washing of the
feet.
Another person told me that Holy Saturday night’s liturgy
is long, at least 2 hours long, but he loves the moment when people come into
the Catholic Church after making the long R.C.I.A. program.
So what is your favorite – or most moving moment - of
Holy Week?
FOR SOME, IT’S GOOD FRIDAY’S STATIONS OF THE CROSS
Last Sunday after Mass, a young couple I had married at St. Mary’s a few years
ago, told me they were going to be in Rome to celebrate Holy Week. The guy told
me that his favorite moment will be praying the Stations of the Cross with Pope
Francis in the Coliseum. He said he lived in Italy for a while and he went to that ceremony in Rome every Good
Friday.
That triggered this homily and these thoughts.
WHEN VISITING
CHURCHES - VISIT THE STATIONS OF THE CROSS
Some people when they travel, like to stop into Catholic
Churches and check them out. I see lots
of folks visiting St. Mary’s in downtown Annapolis.
Suggestion: check out the stations of the cross in every
Catholic church you visit. Check out the variety and the art. Make them – slowly
or quickly – a moment of prayer. Let your kids see you do that on vacation or
here in St. Mary’s Parish. What are your
falls? What are your crosses – or your main cross? Where do you feel nailed down? What are your
deaths? When have you been falsely accused of something? Who’s there to help
you?
Or as someone – somewhere along line - once told me: discover your key station of the cross – the one that
says the most to you. Then in every church you visit - go to just that station. The lady who told me this said she sits
there at the 4th station
only: Jesus Meets His Sorrowful Mother.
I’ve noticed in various churches a set of stations that
have a hidden face in every one of the 14 stations. Check out the ones here in St.
John Neumann Church.
VISIT GOOGLE
AND TYPE IN “STATIONS OF THE CROSS.”
If you check out Stations of the
Cross on Google, you'll find out that they have a long history. The comment you’ll notice the most is this: it’s a
substitute for going to the Holy Land to visit the places on the way to the cross. The Stations go from where Jesus is
condemned by Pontius Pilate till he dies on the cross and is buried.
You’ll also find out from Google that St. Francis of
Assisi and then the Franciscans get a lot of credit from medieval times and
onwards for promoting this spiritual practice.
You’ll also find out, that there were various methods and numbers of Stations before that time – as well as in modern times. You’ll find out some
stations are biblical and some aren’t. How many times Jesus fell, we don’t know. That he fell probably – but we don’t know for
sure. It’s not in the Bible. That Simon
of Cyrene was forced into helping Jesus. That’s in the Bible. That a woman
named Veronica wiped the face of Jesus
“No.” That there were women along the
way to Calvary weeping and crying, yes – that’s in the Bible.
Just as there are many different types of art work - for the Stations of the Cross - hanging in our
churches, so too there are many different booklets written by all kinds of
people – giving prayers and reflections – for the Stations of the Cross. Pope
John Paul 2 has one. I’m sure Pope Francis will have one.
We Redemptorists are very aware that the most popular
booklet for the stations of the cross was done by our founder St. Alphonsus de
Liguori.
A priest who left the priesthood – Richard Furey - who
was stationed here at St. Mary’s Parish wrote a popular stations of the cross
back in 1984. It still sells. It’s entitled, “Mary’s Way of the Cross”. I noticed on line that it’s listed for
$1.95. I also noticed in small print, “Used .69 cents. New .36 cents.”
Interesting…. Why I know about that Stations of the Cross is that when Rick
wrote it, he sent it to me for suggestions. I thought it needed an Introduction
so I wrote a brief first draft introduction
in about a half hour or so and suggested he write an
introduction like this himself. Years
later someone said they saw my name on a stations of the cross. I said I had
written one, but it never got published
– like a lot of my stuff. So I wondered how it had gotten out. Surprise it
wasn’t mine – but Rick Furey's – with my
name as doing the Introduction
THIRD AND LAST
SUGGESTION
Third and last suggestion: jot down or come up with your
own stations of the cross.
Down through the centuries various folks made the passion
of our Lord Jesus Christ personal to their town or their lives. Every 10 years
they do the Passion Play in that place in Germany that nobody knows how to
pronounce. At least I don’t.
I noticed on Google working on this homily today that in
Jersey City, New Jersey, a half dozen or so Christian Churches are marching
through their streets and are making the stations of the cross at 14 different
places. They are places where there was violence, a shooting, or what have you.
In each place the cross the crowd is moving along with a big wooden cross. At each spot mention is made what happened
here. Then a big nail is banged into the wood. Hopefully Annapolis would not
have that many violent crimes to merit such a procession. However, watch the
evening news from Baltimore and many a big city and you’ll notice that the
first 5 stories every night are about a shooting or a fire or what have you.
So my 3rd point is - besides visiting churches
and checking out the stations of the cross on the walls – or your key station
- besides checking out the history of
the stations of the cross, come up with your own 14 spots or situations where
you have experienced your Way of the Cross.
There’s a spot on 6th avenue and 59th
Street in Brooklyn that generates all kinds of sad sorrowful energy for me. When
I ride over that black macadam spot, the memory that hits me
is this: this was where my mom was killed by a hit and run driver while walking
to church. Another place I feel a similar sad energy is when I go by the
hospital where my dad died. Then there is spot on the Gowanas Parkway. It’s below
another hospital where my nephew Michael died of cancer – very suddenly – at
the age of 15.
I mention these spots – these stations – these places
- not to get self-attention but to call
attention to the reality we all have our 14 moments – memories – or what have you
– that are our stations of the cross.
You know yours. Deaths …. Cancer …. Marriage disasters –
or kids dropping out of the faith – or drifting into drugs – or what have you.
CONCLUSION
The title of my homily is, “Personal Stations of the
Cross.” The missalette says we can make
a brief homily and then spend a brief period in prayer. I suggest that you take the time to make the
Stations of the Cross. Make many brief periods of quiet prayer. If married, share with your spouse what you come up –
making your personal stations of the cross together.
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