I had taken a little break from this blog for a short while. I hadn't felt really inspired to write anything recently. I am still not sure I feel totally inspired, but after reading some news online this morning, I was physically repulsed so I had to do something. Amid the various stories, only 1 online news source reported a political story about Obama using the sequester to inflict a negative public opinion of Republicans via a leaked email, 1 had a story about how Mother Theresa wasn't as good as everyone thinks and is really a ploy by the Catholic Church to rally support in trying times of low public opinion, and several reported on how great Chavez is, oh respect for the dead!
It all makes me want to pull my hair out and scream. Yes, truly human reactions to truly human actions. But after screaming a little and counting to 10, I reflected on the amazing parish mission that was held at Saint Louis. We had 3 nights of a great speaker covering 3 topics, the Eucharist, the Beatitudes and the Stations of the Cross. Each night was enlightening but the talk about the Stations of the Cross really spoke to me more than the others. Perhaps because we were in the midst of Lent and the Stations have such a tie to Lent or perhaps because I was guilty of several things discussed, either way or what ever the reason, it was wonderful.
There are 14 stations in the stations of the cross. Each station depicts a stage during the crucifixion and death of Jesus. So it is basically the last moments of Jesus' life, the pinnacle of His mission here on earth, His last act of selflessness to save our souls from certain death. It is a beautiful story of our redemption that goes even deeper than the biblical stories. In cinematic portrayals of Jesus, like The Passion, the stations are weaved in, like when you see Jesus fall (3 times) or greet his mother, Mary, or get his face wiped by Veronica.
The "original" stations are beautiful and moving all on their own. The stations that our presenter, Franciscan Friar Brother Bob, talked about were personal stations. How through the stations Jesus dies but teaches us how to live. To keep these posts manageable, both for you to read and me to write, I am breaking it into 5 parts. This is part 1.
Station 1-3, How we fail
Station 1: Pilate washes his hands of Jesus, whatsoever you do to the least, you do unto me
You can look at this station 2 ways, you are either Jesus or Pilate. Hint: you are both at different times. Sometimes we are "washed" away by someone. A relationship falls apart and we don't know why, a wife/husband employing the silent treatment against you, etc. Sometimes, we do the washing.
In either case, there is damage control that needs to be done. If you have been washed, you need to pray for the person to reestablish the relationship. If you have done the washing, you need to pray for forgiveness. As Jesus says, whatsoever you do to the least, you do unto me. Washing your hands of someone is like saying, "I don't care what happens to you" or worse saying, "You are dead to me."
Do you really wish that other person dead? That is the same as killing them yourself.
Station 2: Jesus takes up His cross, it's not fair
We take up our cross everyday. We each have a daily burden to carry. When you look at this station, you are not to think, "It's not fair that I have this burden." It definitely wasn't fair that Jesus had to carry a cross for a crime He didn't commit, is it? Our lives are not fair. We were never told they would be. (How many parents have used that line? How many kids have heard it? I know I did almost every day of my life) When we examine this station, we need to pray for the ability to carry our cross (the one weighing on us most heavily at that moment, it may not be the biggest on in our life) with purpose, faith and grace. God gives us the ability to do it.
Just as in the first station, it is possible for you to be both parts of this station too. Examine if you are a cross for someone else. Pray for the ability to not be their cross anymore, whether that be for strength or wisdom or grace or forgiveness.
The most important take away from this station: Life gives us the cross. God helps us carry it!
Station 3: Jesus falls for the first time, life trips you up
We are human, we will fail and we will fall. We have a heavy burden of sin that we are carrying around. We, like Jesus scourged at the pillar, are exhausted from the beating that life gives us every day. It is a struggle to live a Christian, moral life in a world that guarantees this is an uphill battle. We shouldn't be surprised by the fact that we fail and fall. We should expect it, embrace it as a chance to do better next time, and always get up and try again.
Embrace the suffering that helps you live like Jesus. Don't be too proud to fall. We cannot live this life without the strength God supplies so readily and abundantly. If you feel like you have been falling a lot recently, pray for more strength and find away to relieve yourself of some of your burdens. We have a tendency to carry around a lot of baggage that does nothing but weigh us down. Past relationships that were never healed, past hurts that are still open wounds, let them go, feel the weight of those burdens lifted from your shoulders, get up and move on.
Next up Part 2: Stations 4-6, The ways in which God helps us up!
God Bless!
Hannah
The Farmer's Wife
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