A week from now, we will be getting ready to take a journey with Jesus. The Last Supper, the Garden of Gethsemane, the Way of the Cross, and the silence of the tomb – all of them powerful places of prayer to know God’s merciful and healing love for us, yet I feel I’m not quite prepared to accompany Him. I think there is a little more I can do to open my heart to better receive this sacrificial love and redemption. I was just gifted a beautiful token to assist my praying with the Stations of the Cross, and it led me to pray on how I have lived (or have not lived) in ways to be more like Christ. I invite you to also consider and pray on any of these brief ‘stations’ that might be helpful as you prepare your heart to accompany Jesus.
I Jesus is condemned. What people do and say – what I do and say – make such a difference: words and actions, judgment and selfishness, lack of sympathy and disregard for feelings. It can be so difficult to forgive people who have hurt me, and it can be difficult to seek forgiveness when I have hurt others. I pray that I, and those who have hurt me, allow God to work in our hearts and move us to be better.
II Jesus carries his cross. There are heavy burdens, hurts, and disappointments that I don’t talk to God about as I should. Instead of inviting Him to be with me as I struggle, there are times I just selfishly ask for them to go away. And even though I know He is with me, I don’t always feel it. I pray that I will more clearly feel the Lord’s presence and know what He desires me to discover in my times of trial.
III Jesus falls the first time. It’s easy to become weaker when things go wrong. Often, I want to blame something or somebody and can be tempted to ask ‘why.’ But in faith, I seek the strength to get up and try again. I pray I find the will within me to keep moving. Keep moving toward God and trusting His will for me especially when it’s difficult.
IV Jesus meets his mother. Are there family members or close loved ones whom I haven’t spoken to in a while? Maybe a call from me would come to them at a time when support is really needed. Are there things I’ve been meaning to tell someone or words I could offer to bring them some peace? I pray that connecting and strengthening a relationship brings us both closer to the Lord.
V Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry the cross. I see the burdens and hardships of people around me. Am I ok with being a bystander and leaving the work to someone else? Or am I ready to become a companion in unexpected ways and times? I pray that I am not too distracted to notice, to act, and to lighten the burden of someone else.
VI Veronica wipes the face of Jesus. I can’t always fix someone’s problem, but I can show care and compassion. I can offer brief comfort and be a small light in the darkness by listening and by sharing the hope of Christ. I pray that I have the courage to step forward and show kindness when its most needed, especially when no one else is.
VII Jesus falls the second time. There are times I can only see the things not going well in my life. They add up, so I feel like I’m going backwards when there is such a long road ahead. But within these frustrations and set backs, I am reminded to look more closely and see the many blessings and hope around me. I pray I will find my footing within the blessings in my life and stand back on the road of faith, trust, and God’s grace.
VIII Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem. I am comforted by the compassion and support of others as we journey in faith together, even when our journey takes us through experiences of grief or despair. I pray that though we may suffer together, we still walk together in community, console one another, and reach for the promise of the goodness and peace that awaits us.
IX Jesus falls the third time. There have been times when it seems like there is just too much to fix and too much to overcome. In these moments of weakness, I admit I have asked the Lord, ‘Where are you?’ I do not like this feeling of failure and taking a step away from God. I pray that as I face hard moments, that I do look to God to lift me, hold me, and lead me and that I step toward Him.
X Jesus is stripped. Some moments are so humiliating and embarrassing. I want to take them back, but my wounds and shame have already been exposed, and I have been judged. I have also judged others in their moments of disgrace and mistakes. I pray for the ability to love and accept the way I would like to be loved and accepted, the way God loves, embraces, and desires us in our imperfection.
XI Jesus is nailed to the cross. I look at my own hands and feet and ask myself if I’m using them to move toward God or away from Him. Do I reach out in love and compassion to serve others, or do I push away because I can’t be bothered? Do my feet lead me toward God’s goodness or distance me from it? I pray that I will better use the gifts I’ve been given to live and show the love of Christ.
XII Jesus dies on the cross. I look upon the Lord outstretched and fully surrendered for me. It is the ultimate and complete pardon for my sins, my failings, my weaknesses. I stand unworthy at the foot of the cross alongside loved ones, ones who have hurt me, and ones I have hurt. This is for all of us who stand together and who are sinful but redeemed. I pray that the tears we shed together at the Lord’s death cleanse us and renew us as we seek His pardon and mercy.
XIII Jesus is taken down from the cross. I have been injured in mind, body, and spirit and have been grateful when someone cared for me, accompanied me, and wrapped me in Christ. Sometimes we all need to rest and simply be held in God’s comforting love. I pray that we model the Lord’s friendship and give of ourselves, so we love one another as He has loved us.
XIV Jesus is laid in the tomb. I imagine that the closed, quiet, dark tomb seemed so final to those who accompanied Jesus to the cross. It is okay to be sad; it is a place where God waits for us to seek Him. In the quiet of my heart, when I see darkness, and I am anxious with worry, I recall the promise of the Lord’s words that He is the living water, He is the light of the world, and He is the Resurrection and the life. I pray that these words fill my heart with the joy and the peace of Christ.
Journeying to Grace 