Way of the Cross

This week as we conclude the Building our Kingdom of God Together, Our Journey, Engaging in Contemplative Dialogue experience, we turn our attention to Holy Week and the Way of the Cross.

Devotion of the Stations of the Cross goes back to the time when early pilgrims visited the holy sites in Jerusalem.

During these pilgrimages travellers called to mind the last moments in the life of Jesus by praying at the sites associated with Jesus' suffering and death.

This practice was so moving that many Christians who were unable to travel to the Holy Land desired to do the same thing, and so Stations of the Cross were set up in churches.

During the Stations of the Cross we follow Jesus Christ in his passion and see ourselves reflected in him. To face life's dark side in ourselves and in our world, we need images of hope, and Jesus offers such hope in his journey to the cross and in his resurrection from the dead. By accompanying him on the Way of the Cross, we touch into the pain, desolation and courage of Jesus and learn to place our trust in God who in Jesus transforms death into new life.

As we follow Jesus on his journey, we begin to see in the sufferings of Jesus our own struggles mirrored in his. Each of us in our own way experiences the pain of the human condition: sickness reminds us of the vulnerability of our bodies, relationships break down, friends betray us, we stand by helplessly as those whom we love, suffer.

 

Holy Week – The Way of the Cross – “Journey to the Synod under the patronage of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop.” Coming soon...

For more information on the Way of the Cross, please click here