Mylie Cyrus & The Way of the Cross (Stations of the Cross)
We live in a culture in Toronto, in Don Mills, where we focus on the good, the youthful, the comfortable, the daily parts of life that are super fun filled and exciting.
I can’t say it’s common to think of the sadness of life, the death, and the times when we hurt people. We aren’t really taught to live in mourning (the outward sign of sadness for a death) in Canada. Miles Cyrus, and Ke$ha, are popular today because they bring us a thrill…its ‘a downer’ to think of suffering, we’d rather think of partying every day.
But, sometimes, thinking of suffering is necessary.
Its important to remember people’s sacrifices, like when we remember soldiers who died in the name of Canada in World War I or II,
or we remember Martin Luther King Junior who sacrificed his life in order to teach North America about the equality between the races (he was murdered when he was only 39 and his 4 young children were left without a father and his wife was made a widow who went on to continue to work for black rights).
We remember Nelly McClung who sacrificed her time, her energy and maybe even her reputation in order to fight for women to be able to achieve equal rights with men in Canada, including the right for women to own property.
However, when do really stop, remember and reflect on Christ’s sacrifice for us?
You might have read my other blog post about Christ’s sacrifice for us, I mean he was a human being, Jesus Christ really did suffer for us before his awful death.
Some of you who might have seen the movie ‘The Passion of the Christ’ by Mel Gibson and you probably saw the painful whippings (scourging) that Christ received, and the humiliating shouting of the crowds and soldiers that he went through before he was actually crucified.
In order to remember all of this, His great sacrifice, we pray the Stations of the Cross (or the Way of the Cross) to remember the way that he suffered for our sins.
On Friday, March 12th at 7:30pm the Youth of this Parish will be leading the Way of the Cross. I invite you to take a few minutes and reflect on each station. What did Jesus go through? What did his mother go through watching him suffer? What did his followers feel when they saw him suffer?
1. Jesus comes before Pilate and is condemned to death
Consider how Jesus, after having been scourged and crowned with thorns, was unjustly condemned by Pilate to die on the cross.
2. Jesus is made to bear his cross
Consider how Jesus, in making this journey with the cross on his shoulders, thought of us and offered for us to God (his father) the death he was about to go through.
3. Jesus falls for the first time under his cross.
Consider this first fall of Jesus under his cross. His flesh was torn by the scourges, his head was crowned with thorns, and he had lost a great quantity of blood. He was so weakened he could scarcely walk, yet he had to carry this great load upon his shoulders. The soldiers struck him rudely, and he fell many times.
4. Jesus meets his sorrowful mother.
Consider the meeting of the Son and the mother that took place on this journey. Their looks became like so many knives that cut the hearts that loved each other so much.
5. Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry his cross.
Consider how his executioners, seeing that at each step Jesus was on the point of expiring, and fearing that he would die on the way instead of dying the humiliating death of the cross, made Simeon of Cyrenian carry the cross behind our Lord.
6. Jesus meets Veronica
Consider how the holy woman named Veronica, seeing Jesus so worn out, and his face covered in sweat and blood, presented him with a towel, with which he wiped his face, leaving his imprint on the towel.
7. Jesus falls for the second time under his cross.
Consider the second fall of Jesus under the cross, a fall that renews the pain of His head and his whole body.
8. Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem
Consider how these women wept with sadness at seeing Jesus in such a horrible state, covered with blood as he walked to his death.
9. Jesus falls for the third time.
Consider the third fall of Jesus Christ. His weakness was extreme, and the cruelty of the soldiers was awful They tried to hurry him when he could barely move.
10. Jesus is stripped of his clothes
Consider the violence done to Jesus as the executioners tore the clothes from his body.
11. Jesus is nailed to the cross.
Consider how Jesus, having been placed upon the cross, extended His hands and offered to His eternal Father the sacrifice of His life for our salvation. He was fastened with nails and then, after being nailed to the cross, he was allowed to die.
12. Jesus dies on the cross for our salvation.
Consider how Jesus, after three hours’ in pain on the cross, abandoned his body, bowed his head and died.
13. Jesus is taken down from the cross.
Consider how, after Jesus died, his disciple, Joseph, took him down from the cross and placed him in his mothers arms.
14. Jesus is laid in the tomb.
Consider how the disciples carried the body of Jesus to bury it, accompanied by His mother. Then they closed the tomb, and all withdrew.
15. The Resurrection of Jesus
You might be thinking why bother to pray the way of the cross? Honestly, once you journey through the suffering of Jesus Christ it makes Easter much more joyful. I mean he suffered, and died, but then He rose from the dead! It was a miracle and the foundation of our faith.
I hope that all of you will join us to pray the Way of the Cross on
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