“My Way of the Cross”

Reprint of a previous NHA Blog Post: 

As we are in the middle of the Lenten Season,  St. Simeon Skete/Nazareth House Apostolate shares with you this journal writing of Seraphim's:  “My Way of the Cross”.   

I see you Jesus, I walk with you Jesus...

The Nails of the Cross.  Placed in the Chapel at St. Simeon Skete during Lenten Season.

“My Way of the Cross”  (Written by Seraphim, 5 April 2005, Louisville, KY.)

     Dropped in St. Martin de Tours Church to say my Rosary and found a group already praying so Im joining them.  Its been a strange journey today.   The bus driver was out of sorts and her spirit was throughout the bus.  Her job, her cross, and it hurts. Just now a man with Downs Syndrome in his 60’s left his pew after the Rosary finished.  He was carrying a bundle of well used devotional booklets and a prayer book bound together with rubber bands.  I could tell, sense, that a life time of devotion had just passed, a Simon of Cyrene, bearing His cross by bearing his.  Could this be another station in which the Lord is developing, “my personal way of the cross?”  Perhaps in all likelihood these stations are going on all the time and it is still Jesus, we’re passing and it is He that is passing us by in His way, His “personal Way of the Cross”. 

The Crown of Thorns, The Scourging.  Placed in the Chapel at St. Simeon Skete during Lent.

     I boarded the bus again and at the next stop a woman and her daughter got on.  She had been beaten by life; her ratted, worn polyester stretch-pants over a body long worn and pushed out of shape, her teeth missing on a face  that looked as if it had been beaten in from time to time.  And her daughter?  She was a teen, concerned about her looks as most naturally are. She had on trendy “gym shoes” and dressed nicely, a covering not only for her body, but also for what she didn’t want others to know.  When they boarded the bus the mother paid the fare for both of them.  The daughter went to the back of the bus while the mother sat at the front.  I could almost hear the thought of the daughter, “I hope no one thinks I’m with her”.  I watched the mother for response - none -  she sat with dignity, not energizing the stares and ignorance of her daughter. When the stop came for them to de-board the bus, the mother inconspicuously looked to the back to catch her daughter’s eye and gave a nod, she de-boarded from the back and the mother from the front of the bus.  I thought as the stops came and went, this mother who, as it were, had holes in her hands, feet and side, her face as if someone had struck her repeatedly and she was stooped as she walked, as if someone had beaten her back. Her loved one fleeing lest someone might associate her with this embarrassment.  The mother showed no sign of hurt over this, no resignation, as if at one time there was hope, expectation that she would be accepted, loved and not an embarrassment to others. Things were just as they were, nothing was to change, or for that matter, was able to change.  Again, could this be another station, another “bus stop” of the cross? ...my own stations of the cross that God, the Holy Spirit was bringing to me?  As I thought on these things I heard three beeps of a car horn that strangely sounded like a cock crowing.

As you walk through your own life be aware that Christ continues to carry his cross in others. 

The remaining ashes of Ash Wednesday are enthroned in the Chapel of St. Simeon Skete during the Lenten Season.

...and he went a little further...

The NHA Way of the Cross (Sierra Leone)

The following is the Nazareth House Apostolate “Way of the Cross” as seen in the toil of the people of Sierra Leone.  Every Lenten Season, NHA is asked to repeat this for those practicing their Lenten Discipline.   

Nazareth House Apostolate

St. Simeon Skete
Taylorsville, Kentucky
The Stations of the Cross

Reflections of the Suffering Christ present 

in the people of Sierra Leone.

Note:

1. The young boy above displays the scourging on his face. He received these beatings for asking to go to school instead of selling coal to help provide for the family.
2. The Stations of the Cross are actual photos taken by NHA photographers of the people we serve in Sierra Leone through Nazareth House Apostolate.
3. These Stations are designed for you to ponder and develop your own personal meditations.

The First Station: 

JESUS IS CONDEMNED TO DEATH

A disease rarely seen and easily cured in the West, Sheku carries a belly full of internal parasites—worms. There is no medication available for him. He is without hope and condemned to die. The very next day after this picture was taken he passed on. To give our lives to the making of more money and acquiring more possessions when there are people to be saved is to worship a lesser god.

“He was beaten, he was tortured, but he didn’t say a word. Like a lamb taken to be slaughtered and like a sheep being sheared, he took it all in silence. Justice miscarried, and he was led off”— Isaiah 53:7-8 (The Message)

The Second Station: 

JESUS CARRIES HIS CROSS

The wood is heavy, the day is hot. He has no proper clothing to ward off the blistering sun beating down on his back. Yet, this small boy continues on, focused on completing his task. He will sell the wood as firewood to provide food for his family. He understands that the heavy burden he carries is his loved ones’ salvation –the means by which they will continue to stay alive. Jesus carrying the cross is the call of God for us to continue on carrying the crosses of life when all is surely lost.

“But the fact is, it was our pains he carried— our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us. We thought he brought it on himself, that God was punishing him for his own failures. But it was our sins that did that to him, .” Isaiah 53:4 (The Message)

The Third Station: 

JESUS FALLS THE FIRST TIME

Weak and hungry, this young boy collapses on the steps of a village home. He is unable to continue on, there is no energy left. He hasn’t eaten in several days. We all wish that some things in life would “go away”. But when they don’t, when we see no way out of them, then we must understand that God’s will is better for us than our own.

“But it was our sins that did that to him, that ripped and tore and crushed him—our sins! He took the punishment, and that made us whole. Through his bruises we get healed.” Isaiah 53:5 (The Message)

The Fourth Station: 

JESUS MEETS HIS MOTHER

Jesus said to his mother, “Women, here is your son”, then he said to his disciple: “Here is your mother”. John 19:26, 27 Whatever the cost, Mary trusted that God’s will was more to be followed than her own. Mary took the step for us that can give us the guts to take the step for others.

“Simeon went on to bless them, and said to Mary his mother, This child marks both the failure and the recovery of many in Israel, A figure misunderstood and contradicted— the pain of a sword-thrust through you— But the rejection will force honesty, as God reveals who they really are.” Luke 2:33-35 (The Message)

The Fifth Station: 

SIMON CARRIES THE CROSS

The thinner man (on the left) is struggling to push the over-weight rice cart to the vendor. Weak, sick and starving, he labors on. The employer, who hired him to transport the rice, pays the man very little wages. His family is hungry but he doesn’t have enough money to purchase even one of the bags of rice that he hauls. A young, strong man sees the man’s toil and steps in to help him push the load.

There are so few choices for the poor. They have to endure backbreaking labor simply to provide a meal a day for their families. May we recognize there is beauty in a burden shared.

“I’ll meet you there. I’ll come down and speak with you. I’ll take some of the Spirit that is on you and place it on them; they’ll then be able to take some of the load of this people—you won’t have to carry the whole thing alone.” Numbers 11:17 (The Message)

The Sixth Station: 

VERONICA WIPES JESUS’ FACE

At Grafton Displacement Camp, the children are ill. All of them are sick at some degree, suffering fevers with frequent hacking coughs. Most have worms . There was not one child in that camp that didn’t have a thick runny nose. In the name of compassion we must be willing to risk all.

“Then the King will say to those on his right, Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what’s coming to you in this kingdom. It’s been ready for you since the world’s foundation. And here’s why:

I was hungry and you fed me,
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to me.” Matthew 25:34-36 (The Message)

The Seventh Station: 

JESUS FALLS THE SECOND TIME

This young girl has been sent out to fetch water for her family. She is extremely thirsty, weak and tired. She lays on the side of a curb to rest. Later she scoops the water from the drainage ditch into her bucket and returns home. The effects of war, disease and extreme poverty have taken their toll on many in Sierra Leone after the 11 year war in which thousands died and many more maimed. The people struggle to get back up and rebuild their country.Over and over we fall into the lure of the world, we must follow Christ by getting up and continuing on in His path.

“When a woman gives birth, she has a hard time, there’s no getting around it. But when the baby is born, there is joy in the birth. This new life in the world wipes out memory of the pain. The sadness you have right now is similar to that pain, but the coming joy is also similar. When I see you again, you’ll be full of joy, and it will be a joy no one can rob from you. You’ll no longer be so full of questions. John 16: 21-23 (The Message)

The Eighth Station: 

JESUS CONSOLES THE WOMEN

A man contributes alms to the ill, the famished, and the maimed women who have gathered to beg at the street corner. May we recognize Jesus in others, no matter how lowly or poor, rich or greedy—may we see Him in everyone.

“A huge crowd of people followed, along with women weeping and carrying on. At one point Jesus turned to the women and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, don’t cry for me. Cry for yourselves and for your children. The time is coming when they’ll say, ‘Lucky the women who never conceived! Lucky the wombs that never gave birth! Lucky the breasts that never gave milk!’ Then they’ll start calling to the mountains, ‘Fall down on us!’ calling to the hills, ‘Cover us up!’ If people do these things to a live, green tree, can you imagine what they’ll do with deadwood?” Luke 23:28-31 (The Message)

The Ninth Station: 

JESUS FALLS THE THIRD TIME

Malaria has brought this child to a listless state. She hasn’t the strength to raise her head. Pain we bring upon ourselves is one thing to bear, but pain brought about unnecessarily is greater to bear. The burden can break the spirit. This poor little girl is suffering simply because she was born in Africa. Around the world malaria is being prevented and cured, but in Sierra Leone it is the number one killer of children under the age of 5. Every individual has a place in God’s heart and therefore should have that same place in our own hearts.

“You’re my cave to hide in, my cliff to climb. Be my safe leader, be my true mountain guide. Free me from hidden traps; I want to hide in you. I’ve put my life in your hands. You won’t drop me, you’ll never let me down.” Psalm 31:3-5 (The Message)

The Tenth Station: 

JESUS IS STRIPPED

A young man’s torn, raggedy clothing barely cover him. He is lucky to have found this to wear. Yet, dignity is here, even here. The stripping away of resources brings you to a total reliance on God.

“Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.” Philippians 2:5-8 (The Message)

The Eleventh Station: 

JESUS IS NAILED TO THE CROSS

Isha was burned over 80% of her body. Her parents had no available means to treat her burns or the subsequent infection. Every time those, with the means to prevent it, ignore those who are suffering Jesus is nailed to the Cross.

“Out of that terrible travail of soul, he’ll see that it’s worth it and be glad he did it. Through what he experienced, my righteous one, my servant, will make many “righteous ones,” as he himself carries the burden of their sins. Therefore I’ll reward him extravagantly— the best of everything, the highest honors—Because he looked death in the face and didn’t flinch, because he embraced the company of the lowest. He took on his own shoulders the sin of the many, he took up the cause of all the black sheep. Isaiah 53:11.12 (The Message)

The Twelfth Station: 

JESUS DIES ON THE CROSS

Her burns oozing and infected, Isha’s body is no longer able to keep going and she dies. Her parents, unable to do anything to stop it, watch in pain as she draws in her last breath.

“Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” Isaiah 53:12 (The Message)

The Thirteenth Station: 

JESUS IS TAKEN DOWN 

FROM THE CROSS

Salu carries the body of his newly born child to the grave. He has no money for a proper coffin, he uses a cardboard box. Because the family had no money for a c-section, the medical facility allowed the baby to die in the womb and did nothing to assist the child in birth. Another child dies on the cross of poverty.

“There was a man by the name of Joseph, a member of the Jewish High Council, a man of good heart and good character. He had not gone along with the plans and actions of the council. His hometown was the Jewish village of Arimathea. He lived in alert expectation of the kingdom of God. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Taking him down, he wrapped him in a linen shroud and placed him in a tomb chiseled into the rock, a tomb never yet used.” Luke 23:50-53 (The Message)

The Fourteenth Station: 

JESUS IS LAID IN THE TOMB

Alimamy, a good man, trained by Doctors without Borders, did much to save the lives of many in his country. Always putting others first, Alimamy treated a patient with a very contagious disease. He used the last available methods of treatment. When Alimamy caught the disease, there was nothing left to use to treat himself and he died.

There is always that silence at the graveside, repeated in hospital rooms, in war-torn villages, in deep famines – that speechless group huddled together in loss. A silence replaced only by the victory being won by Christ as He rises from the dead and our sin being transformed into forgiveness.

“The women who had been companions of Jesus from Galilee followed along. They saw the tomb where Jesus’ body was placed. Then they went back to prepare burial spices and perfumes. They rested quietly on the Sabbath, as commanded”. Luke 23:55-56 (The Message)

© Way of the Cross,  NHA Media 2009, all rights reserved. Stations written by Vicki Hicks 

From the Sixth Hour to the Ninth Hour

"Now from the sixth hour there was darkness 

over all the land 

unto the ninth hour". Matthew 27:45

Today prior to noon, at St. Simeon Skete, we will walk and pray the first 11 Stations of the Cross.  

At noon, the time that Jesus is lifted up on the Cross we will remain in silence until 3 PM when we then complete the remaining Stations of the Cross.  

And when the sixth hour was come, 

there was darkness over the whole land 

until the ninth hour. Mark 15:33-34

The Stations are done this way every Friday at the Skete, not only during the Lenten Season but all year.  

We do this devotion a bit different than the standard way said at a church.  For us, it is called "The State of The Cross" rather than the Stations of the Cross. 

The word "state" is used rather than Station because every step, action and word as well as everything felt and done by those who took part in this tragic reality, continues to be present in its Stations. 

The Scriptures: "The son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day. And He said to them all, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. for whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it." Luke 9:22-24

In encountering the Cross, people throughout the ages have always been confronted by the choice either of becoming Christ's followers or his executioners. 

"So from that day on they planned to put Him to death." John 11:53 

 It is a practice of the skete to continually study - a daily ongoing study - the Way of the Cross.    As we begin the weekly "State of the Cross" we invoke the help of the Holy Spirit.  Certain Greeks said to the Apostle Philip, "we would see Jesus" (John 12:21) and it is this prayer that we address to the Holy Spirit: 

 "Holy Spirit, I would see Jesus"

Then it is said:

I see you, Jesus...

you go it alone:

you drink the cup:

you are condemned to death:

you take up your cross:

you fall for the first time:

you meet your mother:

Simon carries your cross:

Veronica wipes your face:

you fall, the second time:

the women weep for you:

you fall, for the third time:

you are stripped:

your are nailed to the cross:

you die:

you are taken down from the cross:

you are placed in the tomb. 

I see you, Jesus

I walk with you Jesus

The Intro to each Station:

In the State of the Cross, I offer myself to the "insert first, second - whichever station you are on" Station of: "describe the action such as Meeting your Mother, etc" 

Before each Station: 

V. I see the O Lord Jesus, and I am saved

R. Because by the Holy Cross thou has redeemed the world. 

At this time a meditation can be read and then 

After each Station:

Eleven Jesus Prayers

"And He went a little further" Matthew 26:39

Stabat Mater 

At the Closing: (the following are said)

The Offering 

The Poorer Means

"I go in the Name of the Lord, IAM sends me as a chosen vessel to bear His Name and you shall call His Name, Jesus" 

Since we say The Stations every Friday and our practice is the ongoing study of the Way of the Cross,  as we stand before each station what we have studied, what we have internalized, the versions we have read over the years come forth as we say the eleven Jesus Prayers.  

And it was about the sixth hour, 

and there was a darkness 

over all the earth 

until the ninth hour. Luke:23:44

We use different versions of the stations, most recently a wonderful Way of the Cross written by the author,  Susan Prudhomme.  We've worked through it this Lent and now it is part of rumination of the collective stations we've taken into our hearts and recollect as we pray the Jesus Prayers at each Station. 

For further reading on the Stations of the Cross we recommend the following links: 

MY WAY OF THE CROSS (click here)

Sierra Leone Way of the Cross (click here)