Stations of the Cross Lent 2016

Transcription

1 Stations of the Cross Lent 2016 Jesus of Nazareth, by his words, his actions, and his entire person reveals the mercy of God. Pope Francis, Bull of Indiction of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, #1 Instructions These Stations of the Cross allow us to meditate on Jesus s journey to the Cross whilst reflecting on the reality of the lives of the one in four people living in Uganda who do not have access to safe, clean water. It is an opportunity for us to do as Pope Francis encourages us, to enter more deeply into the heart of the Gospel where the poor have a special experience of God s mercy #15. An accompanying PowerPoint is available to use alongside the text below, although not essential. Each Station has two slides: the first is the Scripture text and the prayer, We adore you O Christ. Once this is said, click to the next slide, which shows an image to help reflect on what the leader reads out. Whether walking around the Stations of the Cross in a church, or sat as a group, you may wish to have different people read the various texts. For example, someone providing the voice of the people from Uganda or quoting Pope Francis. This is marked in the text below. Each Station may begin by reading the title and Scripture quotation, before the leader begins We adore you O Christ. Between each Station, you may wish to sing a chant, such as Jesus remember me or Bless the Lord my soul from Taizé. Most of the quotations from Pope Francis come from the Bull of Indiction of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy. The full text can be read at w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/bulls/documents/papafrancesco_bolla_ _misericordiae-vultus.html You can download a simple service booklet for you to adapt and print for each person taking part from cafod.org.uk/pray/prayer-resources

2 Introduction As we reflect on the final journey of Jesus, leading to his death on the cross, we also contemplate the lives of our sisters and brothers living in Uganda, who struggle without enough clean water to drink, cook, and wash. And as we remember Christ s journey in this Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, we are inspired once more by Jesus of Nazareth who, by his words, his actions, and his entire person reveals the mercy of God. We pray together for God to transform our lives and the lives of others: [words in brackets may be omitted if not being used during Lent] Merciful God, source of all that is good, wash us clean of all that prevents us from seeing you in each of our sisters and brothers around the world. Transform our hearts [this Lent, through our prayer, fasting and almsgiving,] to be open to the needs of all those who thirst. Spirit of compassion, move us to share with all people the water of life. We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen. The First Station, Jesus is condemned to death So when Pilate saw that he could do nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took some water and washed his hands before the crowd Pilate released Barabbas for the crowd; and after flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified. Matthew 27:22-26 Pilate asks the crowds what he should do with Jesus. They shout, Crucify him. Washing his hands he announces, I am innocent of this man s blood. How innocent are we when our sisters and brothers throughout the world are treated unfairly? Even when we have never met them, we have a responsibility towards all people, to ensure they have enough to eat, and clean water to drink. In Laudato Si, Pope Francis reminds us that, Access to safe drinkable water is a basic and universal human right, and Our world has a grave social debt towards the poor who lack access to drinking water, because they are denied the right to a life consistent with their inalienable dignity Laudato Si #30.

3 In what ways do we deny people the fullness of life because of our greed, our choices, our lack of awareness of the reality of life for so many people who thirst for clean water every day? The Second Station, Jesus carries his cross After mocking Jesus, the soldiers stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him. Matthew 27:28-31 The guards dressed Jesus up as a king, with a crown made of thorns, and mocked him. Taking up the wood on which he would be hung, Jesus is led out to be crucified. Teko Anna is 45 and lives in Uganda. Although there is a borehole in her village, it was broken for years before she even moved there. Every morning she would wake early to walk the long distances to neighbouring villages carrying several 20 litre containers. She said, I would get up to leave at 6am. I cannot tell you how long it took to get there. I would wake thinking I would be the first to get there, but some people woke at four or five and others might come with big containers so that they could get more water than others. We all have burdens to carry. We also place burdens on other people. In what ways can we show mercy to others, recognising the burden they may be carrying? The Third Station, Jesus falls the first time He was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed. Isaiah 53:5 Whilst carrying his cross, Jesus falls down. The weight of the cross, the pressures, the burdens of the world, are all piled on his shoulders.

4 Not only did Anna 1 and her family have to walk long distances to collect water, sometimes when they finally made it to the borehole they were not made welcome. She said, One day some people said to us, Go back to your own borehole. They told me point blank to leave. There was also a time when one of my children went there to collect water and they were asked to leave. They were aggressive and said, Repair your own borehole. I was so hurt when my children were turned away. Life can seem hard enough when something else comes along and causes us to stumble. A throw-away remark or gesture may be all it takes to knock someone down or to help them up. How have your actions affected others? When others have been under strain, have you helped or hindered them? The Fourth Station, Jesus meets his mother Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed and a sword will pierce your own soul too. Luke 2:33-35 Whilst walking to his death, Jesus s mother comes up to him in the crowd. When Jesus was still a baby and presented to God in the Temple, Simeon prophesies to Mary that a sword will pierce your own soul, too. What sadness must have filled Mary s heart when she saw her son, knowing he was going to die. Anna feared for the life of her nine year old son when he drank dirty water. John needed to go to school and couldn t go to the borehole, so they went to the river. It was awful. He was thirsty and so he drank from the jerry can. That was how he got a leech on the inside of his throat. He started losing weight and spitting blood, so I took him to the hospital and tried to get him treatment, but it cost too much money. I thought he would die. I had to do something drastic. I boiled alcohol and told him to drink it. It burnt the leech. It was in his throat for three days. Pope Francis tells us, the mercy of God is not an abstract idea, but a concrete reality with which he reveals his love as of that of a father or a mother, moved to the very depths out of love for their child #6 When have we not done as much as could to show God s love in concrete ways to others we meet on our life journey? Let us pray that each of us can share the love like that of a father or mother to others. 1 In the Karamoja region of Uganda, the last name is equivalent to our first name, so Teko Anna is called Anna.

5 Hail Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy and mother of us all, pray for us. The Fifth Station, Simon of Cyrene carries the cross of Jesus The soldiers compelled a passer-by, who was coming in from the country, to carry his cross; it was Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus. Mark 15:20-21 Simon is compelled to help Jesus. Despite not knowing who Jesus is, he is taken from the crowd to walk with him and carry his cross. Anna s daughter, Proscovia, is now able to go to school because she no longer has to walk such long distances to collect water. Teachers in this part of Uganda often make many sacrifices to support their students, working in remote areas with few resources, little salary, and in basic accommodation. Jesca is a senior teacher and welcomes her role, seeing it as loving her neighbour, as she explains, It s a God-given opportunity. I was given a chance to nurture these girls. With the help of the commandments, I am taught to love my neighbour. And my neighbour is everybody. Even you in England and Wales. My neighbour could be the person next to me in Church, or anyone who shares with you. Pope Francis reminds us that, we are called to show mercy because mercy has first been shown to us #9. How do we show mercy to our neighbours, however near or far? The Sixth Station, Veronica wipes the face of Jesus And the king will answer them, Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me. Matthew 25:37-40 Veronica was able to reach out and touch Christ s face. The gentle, generous, humble action of wiping Jesus s face as he walked by, a face covered in blood and sweat, was one of love, of mercy. Pope Francis tells us that:

6 Jesus introduces us to these works of mercy in his preaching so that we can know whether or not we are living as his disciples. Let us rediscover these corporal works of mercy: to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, welcome the stranger, heal the sick, visit the imprisoned, and bury the dead. #15 When do we genuinely reach out to those who need us? In whom do we see Christ in our world today? When have we ignored Christ s face in those who need our care? How are we truly living as Christ s disciples? The Seventh Station, Jesus falls the second time But a Samaritan while travelling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds Luke 10:25-37 Walking towards his death was not easy for Jesus. A second time he falls, becoming more exhausted with every step he takes. Whilst pregnant, Atido contracted Hepatitis E from drinking unclean water when her village s borehole was broken. Her husband Alosio said, I knew I had to borrow money to buy the drugs there was no other option. We went together to buy the drugs at the clinic. She gave birth before we left the clinic. Sadly, their child died at birth. Alosio said, If my wife had still been carrying our child, they would have both died. Because she had given birth we could cry for the child, but I thank God for the mother. We brought our child back to our village and buried it. It was a sad moment, but we struggled on. We talked with each other and our neighbours, and so we were able to accept the situation. we could do was carry on with our lives. As a community, how could we reach out to those who need our help both locally and globally? We pray for God s grace to be with our community, both near and far, as we help people to keep going on their journey. The Eighth Station, Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem A great number of the people followed him, and among them were women who were beating their breasts and wailing for him Luke 23:27-28

7 As Jesus meets the loyal women of Jerusalem, he tells them not to weep for him, but for themselves and their children. Sometimes tears are the only response we can offer to the realities we face. Nangiro Nadiim s community weeps. They have felt the effect of a changing climate which has led to more drought in their area. Water has become even scarcer for their families, animals and crops. Nadiim says, Life today is even worse than before. Before, we had lots of crops and cows, but now there is no rain. Our cows have starved because there is no grass. I don t know if our children will survive. With the other women, we pray to God for rain. We sing and cry for rain: God help us. Give us rain and give us water so that the crops can grow, the animals can have grass and we can feed our children. Pope Francis encourages us to open our eyes and see the misery of the world, the wounds of our brothers and sisters who are denied their dignity, and let us recognise that we are compelled to heed their cry for help! #15 We cry with Nadiim and all our sisters and brothers living in poverty. How can we turn these tears into action and change? The Ninth Station, Jesus falls the third time For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them. 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 As the journey to his crucifixion comes to an end, Jesus falls one more time. Jesus, who died for our sake, falls under the burden. Even when the end is in sight, we often stumble when another obstacle comes along. Alosio speaks with joy of the difference since Caritas fixed their village s borehole, When it was mended, life changed. The spread of diseases stopped. Even sickness was reduced. We can basically get water whenever we want and can bathe, cook, water the animals and wash clothes. It felt good that water is very near. And yet even when things are improving, another obstacle causes them to stumble, as Alosio s wife Atido says, Our life is better now with water, but our granaries are empty. Our life is hard.

8 When times are tough, do we give up, or do we look to God for strength and hope? We pray for ourselves, and for all those who need strength, that in the face of so many struggles the love of Christ will urge us on. The Tenth Station, Jesus is stripped of his garments The soldiers took his clothes and divided them into four parts, one for each soldier. They also took his tunic John 19:23-24 As Jesus arrives at the place of his execution he is stripped even of the clothes he is wearing. The shame and agony Jesus is feeling is compounded. Proscovia, Anna s daughter, was often late for school. This was because she often had to fetch water before class, and also because of how she felt not being able to wash and clean herself. She said, I found it very difficult to put on a uniform. I felt ashamed because I couldn t wash. I didn t want to be late, but I couldn t wash. Please remember me in your prayers. For all those feeling overwhelmed and imprisoned by shame, we pray they will be set free and that their innate dignity will shine. The Eleventh Station, Jesus is nailed to the cross When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. Luke 23:33-34 Jesus is nailed to the cross and lifted high, between two criminals, nailed to a tree. Pope Francis acknowledges that, anyone who makes a mistake must pay the price. However, this is just the beginning of conversion, not its end, because one begins to feel the tenderness and mercy of God. #21 We ask for God s forgiveness. For the times that we have made a mistake. Lord, have mercy.

9 For the times that we have ignored the plight of our sisters and brothers living in poverty around the world. Christ, have mercy. For the times our actions, or lack of actions, have prevented others from flourishing. Lord, have mercy. The Twelfth Station, Jesus dies on the cross At three o clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani? which means, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Then Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last. Mark 15:34, 37 At three o clock the sky turned black. Jesus cried out, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? and breathed his last breath. In agony, Christ dies on the cross. Jesus dies with his arms stretched out on the cross, embracing all of humanity like the Father in the story of the Prodigal Son. Knowing we can turn to God, whatever we have done, and receiving his mercy and love, we are compelled to share this with others. Pope Francis says, Day after day, touched by God s compassion, we also can become compassionate towards others #14 Do we allow ourselves to be touched by God s compassion? Or do we try to hide from it? And having experienced God s love, do we share this compassion with others? We pray for the grace to accept God s compassion towards us, and in our turn to be compassionate towards others. The Thirteenth Station, Jesus s body is taken down from the cross Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, though a secret one because of his fear of the Jews, asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission; so he came and removed his body. John 19:38 Lifeless, Jesus is taken down from the cross. Joseph of Arimathea asks for Jesus s body, to bury him with dignity. In the midst of chaos, sadness, and anxiety, we are called into action, to do what we can.

10 One in four people in Uganda don t have access to safe water. But together we can turn on the taps so everyone can have access to clean water through water pumps, enabling more girls like Proscovia to go to school. Let us pray for the courage to continue to take positive, life changing action, in the face of so much despair, without becoming overwhelmed. The Fourteenth Station, Jesus s body is laid in the tomb Joseph bought a linen cloth, and taking down the body, wrapped it in the linen cloth, and laid it in a tomb that had been hewn out of the rock. He then rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where the body was laid. Mark 15:45-47 Those who loved Jesus tried their best to give him dignity in his death. Taking his body, they anointed and wrapped it in linen and laid it in a new tomb. Made in God s image and likeness, every single person has intrinsic human dignity. This dignity is at the heart of who we are as CAFOD as we seek ways to tackle poverty and injustice so that all may flourish. In what ways have we enabled or hindered people to flourish? As we continue to be open to being transformed this Lent, through our prayer, fasting and almsgiving, we pray that our humble actions will enable more people to be treated with the respect and dignity they deserve, wherever they have been born, whatever their circumstances. The Fifteenth Station, Jesus is raised from the dead Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Luke 24:5 He is not here; he is risen! We know that death was not the end. Through Christ s passion and death, we have the strength to continue our daily journey. As we reflect on Jesus s final journey, we pray for the strength to live each day as people transformed through God s mercy to share his divine love with all people.

11 Conclusion As we go from here, let us continue on our journey with confidence, as Pope Francis encourages us that we shall cross the threshold of the Holy Door fully confident that the strength of the Risen Lord, who constantly supports us on our pilgrim way, will sustain us #4 We pray together: Merciful God, source of all that is good, wash us clean of all that prevents us from seeing you in each of our sisters and brothers around the world. Transform our hearts [this Lent, through our prayer, fasting and almsgiving,] to be open to the needs of all those who thirst. Spirit of compassion, move us to share with all people the water of life. We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen.