Experience the Journey

By Donna Winchell

“Everything that happens to us in the world passes into us. It all becomes part of the inner temple of the soul and it can never be lost. This is the art of the soul: to harvest your deeper life from all the seasons of your experience”. Excerpt from BEAUTY by John O’Donohue

A powerful memory I have of the Lenten season was the experience of praying, meditating and retracing the steps of Jesus on His way to Calvary via the Stations of the Cross. The Stations lined the walls of our church which was adjacent to the school grounds and provided a chance each afternoon to be with Jesus. I admit it was an uncomfortable journey to experience; contemplating the horrors of what our Lord suffered, wondering why it had to be this way – “Still, it’s what God had in mind all along, to crush Him with pain. The plan was that He give himself as an offering for sin so that He’d see life come from it—life, life, and more life. And God’s plan will deeply prosper through Him.” (Isaiah 53:10 MSG)

 “Suffering, sorrow, injustice, confusion, and death can touch any of us, at any time . . . the Stations can offer consolation and comfort when we are grieving; healing and restoration when we are parched; inspiration and guidance when we are searching or lost or simply beset by the turmoil and temptation, isolation and insecurity that unsettle all our lives.” — From the introduction of Praying the Stations of the Cross: Finding Hope in a Weary Land

If you haven’t prayed the Stations of the Cross – sometimes referred to as The Way of the Cross, the Via Crucis or the Way of Sorrows – or if it has been a while; the Stations provide the perfect opportunity to keep vigil with Jesus while praying for inner transformation and compassion. By experiencing His suffering and sorrow we are reminded of Christ's love for us.

Today I would like to encourage you to meditate on Christ’s passion as a perpetual day of penance to help obtain grace and to grow in holiness. Be present in the moment. Focus on speaking honestly with Jesus. Accompany Him on this final day of His redemptive journey ……..

 
……… do you feel His pain of betrayal, abandonment, being despised. As Jesus falls the first time, the second and the third; let your heart look into His eyes; what are you seeing at those moments? Is Jesus telling you that He sees your own fears, your burdens, your loneliness, something else? Do you share your thoughts honestly with Him? Observe His response to the evil in the world, which teaches us how to look with tenderness and mercy on others. Place your trust in Him remembering that He suffered to save us.

Jesus loves us so very much that He was willing to be betrayed by Judas, denied by timid Peter, insulted over and over, pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities so that we might spend eternity with Him.

“¹Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. ²We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. ³Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. ⁴After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin.” (Hebrews 12, NLT).

Let’s pray: Lord Jesus, we praise and thank You for the priceless gift of salvation made possible through Your death and resurrection. May we never forget the great price You paid for our sins. We know that by obeying the will of Your Father and going to the Cross, You displayed your immense love for us. Help us to remember Your perfect peace, resignation and forgiveness for others. We adore you, O Christ, and we praise You; because by Your holy cross You have redeemed the world. Amen.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, during this final week of our Lenten journey, I hope you will schedule a special time to pray, meditate and experience your own time with Jesus, God’s promised Redeemer; perhaps at these fourteen stations of the cross by Saint Alphonsus Liguori

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X054qXGUOrs&t=136s