From Dr. Patrick ODougherty

Stations of the cross in Lent:  “Knock the Dust off Your Sandals” after Lent!

Station 1-Pilot Condemns Jesus to Death. Mathew 27-11-26

Jesus stands before Pilate. Pilate asks, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus says, “You say I am.”

Pilate says “Do you not know how many charges are made against you?A riot was starting. Pilate takes water and washes his hands before the crowd. He says, I am innocent of this man’s blood; deliver him your selves.” After whipping Jesus, Pilate hands him over for crucifixion.

Reflection: Liberation Theology is writ large in this Station. It goes out from the Mystical Body and into the crowd barefoot. Pilate a Roman judge’s hands Jesus over to crucifixion. A riot starts. The charges. The charges are read. Pilates washes his hands of this innocence. 

Station 2–Jesus Accepts his cross. Mathew 27: 27-31

Then soldiers took Jesus to the Governor’s quarters. They stripped him mocked him and put a red robe on him and twisted thorns into a crown for his head. They placed a reed in his hand and mocked him saying Hail king of the Jews! They then stripped him of his robe and led him to be crucified.

Reflection: Jesus is stripped, mocked robbed and crossed with a crown of thorns. Think of the thorns as a symbol of Mental illness. 

Jesus is stripped and led to his crucifixion. Take up your cross!

Station 3 Simon Helps Jesus Carry His Cross. Mark 15:21

The followers led Simon of Cyrene a bystander to help Jesus carry his cross.

Simon is the father of Rufus and Alexander.

Reflection: Who are the helpful bystanders in your daily life? Name them and thank them. Your Daily Life is your life and it’s philosophy.

Knock the dust off your sandals. 

Station 4-Jesus addresses the women. Luke 23:27-31

Women followers began crying and beating their breasts on behalf of Jesus. He addressed them by saying. Daughters do not weep for Jesus. Instead cry for your selves and for your children. For in the future the cry will be for the barren and for the empty wombs.

 and for the greats that did not feed children.  They will shout to the mountains Fall and to the hills cover the people. What then will they do when the wood is not green but dry wood?

Reflection: The arch weapon of the Palestinian people against Israel is the womb of a Palestinian. Yasser Arafat

Station 5-Jesus is stripped of his garments. John 19:23-25

The soldiers divided his garment into 4 parts. One part for each soldiers was the division. The tunic was seamless. So the soldiers cast lots for the tunic. The scripture says ,They divided my clothing among them and cast lots on his Vestments thus fulfilling the scripture. 

Reflection: A Case for One-Eyed Jacks is present! Chance factors and Providence are major truths in Ecclesiology.

Station 6-Jesus is nailed to his cross. Mark 15:23-32

Jesus is offered wine and myrrh. He refused to drink it. They crucified him starting at 9 O’Clock in the day. The inscription Against said, Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews. Two thieves were also crucified with Jesus one in the right and one on the left.

Passerby’s scoffed at Jesus and said come down from the cross so we may believe. The thieves crucified with Jesus also rebuked him.

Station 7-Jesus cares for his mother. John 19: 25-27

When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple John who he loved he said to Mary his mother, woman behold your son. Then he said to John, Behold your mother, Mary. John took Mary into his own home from this moment and cared for her.

Reflection: There is more than one Mary in the Bible. The Mary’s form a chord like a music chord to a great symphony. 

Station 8-Jesus dies on the cross. 

There was darkness at noon. Jesus cried out at 3:00o’clock, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani.” This means “My God, My God, Why have you forsaken me?” A bystander took a sponge filled with rancid wine crying out wait and see if Elijah will come and save Jesus. 

Then Jesus bowed his head and gave up his last. The centurion standing next to Jesus said “Truly this is the son of God.” Mark 15:33-39.

Reflection: Leviticus 2: 14-16 If you bring a grain offering of first fruits to the Lord, offer crushed heads of new grain in the fire. Put oil and incense on it. 

Jesus has delivered his body on death on the cross that you may have life. 

Ref. The Mission, St. Paul, Minnesota Stations 2018, et. passim.