Contemplating the Way of the Cross E-Book

Mary Leonora Wilson

• Herausgeber: anna ruggieri
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2020

Beschreibung

The Stations of the Cross are a time-honored way of remembering and praying with the passion and death of Our Lord. Contemplating the Way of the Cross: A Personal Encounter with Our Crucified Lord continues this tradition, in the method pioneered by St. Ignatius of Loyala, of placing yourself in the scene of each station. By engaging our imagination, we make these prayers our own and sanctify our imaginations, bringing us closer to Christ and his Sorrowful Mother.

Leseprobe

CONTEMPLATING THEWay of the Cross

A Personal Encounter withOur Crucified Lord

Written by Mary Leonora Wilson, FSP

Nihil Obstat:

Reverend Thomas W. Buckley, S.T.D., S.S.L.

Imprimatur:

✠ Seán Cardinal O’Malley, O.F.M. Cap.

Archbishop of Boston

May 31, 2019

ISBN 10: 0-8198-1679-5

ISBN 13: 978-0-8198-1679-5ISBN 13 (ePub): 978-0-8198-1680-1

Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible with Revised New Testament © 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C., and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All rights reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Cover design by Rosana Usselmann

Art of the Stations of the Cross, cover and interior, photographed by Nathan Castellanos, courtesty of Michele Kilker, All Saints Catholic Newman Center, Tempe, Az.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

“P” and PAULINE are registered trademarks of the Daughters of St. Paul.

Copyright © 2020, Daughters of St. Paul

Published by Pauline Books & Media, 50 Saint Pauls Avenue, Boston, MA 02130-3491

www.pauline.org

Pauline Books & Media is the publishing house of the Daughters of St. Paul, an international congregation of women religious serving the Church with the communications media.

Contents

Introduction

First Station: Jesus Is Condemned to Death

Second Station: Jesus Takes Up His Cross

Third Station: Jesus Falls the First Time

Fourth Station: Jesus Meets His Mother

Fifth Station: Simon of Cyrene Helps Jesus

Sixth Station: Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus

Seventh Station: Jesus Falls the Second Time

Eighth Station: Jesus Meets the Women of Jerusalem

Ninth Station: Jesus Falls the Third Time

Tenth Station: Jesus Is Stripped of His Garments

Eleventh Station: Jesus Is Nailed to the Cross

Twelfth Station: Jesus Suffers Three Hours and Dies

Thirteenth Station: Jesus Is Taken Down from the Cross

Fourteenth Station: Jesus Is Laid in the Tomb

Concluding Prayer

Introduction

Contemplating the Way of the Cross is inspired by the rich spiritual heritage of the founder of my religious order, the Daughters of Saint Paul. Blessed James Alberione established the Pauline Family back in the 1900s. We are truly a “family” of religious congregations, secular institutes, and lay cooperators: ten in all—living in the spirit of Saint Paul. Like Saint Ignatius before him, Blessed Alberione recommended that when we pray we place ourselves in the scene of the Gospel we are contemplating.

Praying with the imagination is a wonderful way to contemplate the Gospel stories, especially the life of Christ. Imaginative prayer involves using the gift of our imagination to experience the Lord’s presence in the Scriptures by entering into the story; it’s very relational. When we place ourselves in the scene, we imagine that we are there, living the word with all our senses: seeing, hearing, and pondering all that is happening. Since learning this time-tested method, I have used it while praying the Way of the Cross, and it has reaped great fruits in my spiritual life.

As you pray this Way of the Cross, I invite you to pray it imaginatively. When you pray in this way you need only visualize the Gospel event as if you were there; let it unfold before you and be part of the scene. Use all your senses. Who is there? What is happening? What is the mood? Be aware of the smells, the sounds, the energy, the reactions, and your own feelings. Get involved in the story and let your imagination take you where it will.

Praying imaginatively is not just about remembering how it might have been, or constructing a mental picture, nor is it about historical accuracy. It’s about being there now and letting God speak to you, stir you, strengthen you, enlighten you, and comfort you. Imaginative prayer is an invitation to the Holy Spirit to bring the Word to life in us at a deeper level, so that it may become always more personal and transforming.

Before you begin to pray the following Stations, spend a few quiet minutes asking the Holy Spirit to sanctify your imagination and to guide you through the Way of the Cross together with Jesus and Mary. When you begin, bullet points are given to help you set the scene in your imagination. As you read, imagine yourself with Jesus, Mary, and the others who were present. Watch their interactions and be aware of your own reactions. If you are praying the Stations alone, you might feel inspired to replace or add to the reflections or prayers with your own. Follow the lead of the Holy Spirit in you.

The Way of the Cross is a testimonial of Christ’s unquantifiable love! May your contemplation of the Passion of Christ open to you the Heart of Christ and intensify your love for him. Many graces await the one who prays with Scripture. Each time I contemplate the Way of the Cross, new treasures of understanding and grace are laid open before me, a deeper awareness of Jesus’ immeasurable love, greater love for God and for my brothers and sisters, new intimacies with Jesus, and a more intense resolve to live for him, “who has loved me and given himself up for me” (Gal 2:20). I pray that your own prayer is blessed by the One who calls you friend—the Friend who laid down his own life for you.