The Via Dolorosa

The Stations of the Cross: the Via Dolorosa (the Sorrowful Way)
Delivered at St. Mary's Church, Barton-on-Humber
Wednesday 4 April 2007, 19:15 to 19:50

[Picture: The Arrest; Station 1]



Leader: We start in the Garden. Here we are with you, Lord Jesus.
All: Because by your Holy Cross you redeem the world.

The painting shows Jesus arrested by two Roman soldiers. Alongside is Judas. Others are off-scene. Judas is shown carrying out Psalm 41 verse 9, that says:

Even my bosom friend in whom I trusted, has lifted the heel against me.

And he has been carrying out Zechariah 11: 12, that has it:

I then said to them, "If it seems right to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them." So they weighed out my wages thirty shekels of silver.

These the gospel writers interpreted as messianic texts in the Hebrew Bible. Thirty shekels of silver is 120 denari, or a labourer's wage for nearly a third of a year. So the writers assumed this was big money. Caiaphus, who would have paid a bribe, was the leading Sadducee and did not believe in a Messiah. He would call it Kingship, and neither that nor any messianic claims were religious crimes for which Jesus would have been stoned. As a disturber of Roman rule on the edge of the Roman Empire, Jesus was to be executed by these authorities.

And what of Jesus in the garden? This reading from Matthew chapter 26 from verse 36 states:

They went to a place called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, 'Sit here while I pray.' He took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be distressed and agitated. And he said to them, 'I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and keep awake.' And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. He said, 'Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what you want.'

Let us pray: O God, in the olive garden your Son met you in prayer and confided the greatest temptation: to take the simpler way and not the costly sacrificial road. He was not tempted but knew the inner voice pointing towards the road ahead. Judas would hand him over. Give us grace that we might listen to the deeper voice, and to overcome the perils of temptation: the voice that draws us up the Calvary path of service and sacrifice that, through even death, the glory of transformation in resurrection comes.

And, O God, the mockery of the trials shows that true judgment is of yours alone. Grant that we never condemn ourselves by making judgment. May we always show respect for every human life. Amen.

And so the journey has begun and we follow him in this dark hour.

Leader: Lord Jesus Christ crucified, prisoner of love:
All: Have mercy on us and on the whole world.

[Picture: Holy Week; Station 2]

Leader: Jesus takes up his cross. Here we are with you, Lord Jesus.
All: Because by your Holy Cross you redeem the world.

Jesus is mocked, beaten, and spat upon, his back torn with scourges, his head in pain from those thorns made like a crown. The heavy cross is laid on his shoulders and causes more pain. He must carry the means of his own execution, the weight of the cross symbolising the weight of sin. The Cross he takes is his altar: Jesus is to be sacrificed upon it, once and for all.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, this heavy cross is a burden we all must bear. Many times it is pushed aside despite it having the measurements of each one of us. Help us carry the Cross and teach us the lessons of the Cross. Amen.

Leader: Lord Jesus Christ crucified, prisoner of love:
All: Have mercy on us and on the whole world.

[Picture: Jesus Falls for the First Time; Station 3]

Leader: Jesus falls for the first time. Here we are with you, Lord Jesus.
All: Because by your Holy Cross you redeem the world.

The painting shows Jesus having fallen, angels above lining themselves passively above the road he still has to travel. The painting reproduces a commemoration of the Eastern Orthodox Church.

Getting ever weaker with the effort and loss of blood, and mocked by torments, Jesus falls beneath the weight of his cross, the weight of sin. Every walk with God bears its weight of difficulties and has its sacrifices. Jesus then rose to walk on, and so must we.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, we often fall and become discouraged. In imitation of you we rise again to walk further, even with greater trials ahead. Give us the strength to stand up again and give us the courage to walk on. Amen.

Leader: Lord Jesus Christ crucified, prisoner of love:
All: Have mercy on us and on the whole world.

[Picture: Timeless Reconciliation; Station 4]

Leader: Jesus meets his sorrowful mother. Here we are with you, Lord Jesus.
All: Because by your Holy Cross you redeem the world.

One interpretation has it that Jesus in his ministry has had some difficulty of relationship with his mother. This painting intends to show timeless reconciliation. I place Mary in what at first looks like a Muslim hijab, but she wears a Star of David and carries an Eastern Orthodox book. Above her in the sky is an Arabic script for God.

Mary has seen Jesus through every part of his life; she nurtured him and now, in every mother's fear, she must see her offspring die before she dies. She would take up his cross but, alas, he must take it on. She too will go all the way to the cross at Calvary, and stand at its foot.

Leader: Lord Jesus Christ crucified, prisoner of love:
All: Have mercy on us and on the whole world.

[Picture: Timeless Reconciliation; Station 5]

Leader: Simon of Cyrene helps an ever weaker. Jesus carry his cross. Here we are with you, Lord Jesus.
All: Because by your Holy Cross You redeem the world.

Simon, from the Palestinian-Jewish town of Cyrene in Libya is often considered the first African Christian. He does not know who is being crucified and why, but in the painting the soldier points at him to help. He shares Jesus' burden. In the background of this painting both Palestinian and Israeli flags fly alongside each other.

The painting is about reconciliation. Simon is represented by the Hindu Parsuram, an Indian priest, an incarnation of God, who to save humanity took up the sword. But here he is helping Jesus who takes a different approach to redeem the human race. In the background are other religious figures and a representation of Mary Magdalene.

Let us pray: O God, not only do we receive your blessing by carrying our burdens courageously, but even more do you bless us when we help others carry theirs. May we always tend to those others in need and sustain them. We make our prayer through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Leader: Lord Jesus Christ crucified, prisoner of love:
All: Have mercy on us and on the whole world.

[Picture: The Women; Station 6]

Leader: Veronica wipes the face of Jesus. Here we are with you, Lord Jesus.
All: Because by your Holy Cross you redeem the world.

In this next painting we have another displacement of time and place. It looks like they are in some leafy suburb where even the houses seem to have eyes. A courageous woman comes to the front and wipes some of the blood from Jesus' face with her cloth. Veronica is strong and modern, and the soldier can only keep to one side. Someone else (we notice) has already compassionately given Jesus something to wear. His face leaves an imprint on the cloth, a reward for Veronica. Perhaps we are reminded of the speculation around the Turin Shroud.

Let us pray: O God, whose son imprints in our hearts your love, may we always see your holy face in the image of those who suffer and whom we help. Amen.

Leader: Lord Jesus Christ crucified, prisoner of love:
All: Have mercy on us and on the whole world.

[Picture: In Debt; Station 7]

Leader: Jesus falls again. Here we are with you, Lord Jesus.
All: Because by your Holy Cross you redeem the world.

In this painting there is a crisis of debt, the outcome of a number of burdens, even if these burdens are rewarding. There is a bust of a Roman and a cross on the wall. Notice the help that is being given, as indeed Simon of Cyrene continued to help Jesus.

Let us pray: We pray through Christ that our burdens can be lifted, and that we graciously accept the offers of help when they come to us. Amen.

Leader: Lord Jesus Christ crucified, prisoner of love:
All: Have mercy on us and on the whole world.

[Picture: The Women; Station 8]

Leader: Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem. Here we are with you, Lord Jesus.
All: Because by your Holy Cross you redeem the world.

The painting illustrates women of not just Jerusalem; they are the women of everywhere.

Here is a reading from Luke 23, where a weakened Jesus says:

"Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For the days are surely coming when they will say, 'Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.' Then they will begin to say to the mountains, 'Fall on us,' and to the hills, 'Cover us.' For if they do this when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?"

These women are not powerless, no longer. Women here, led by Veronica, completely and fully minister to Jesus. Some are single, some are partnered with men or with women, some marry, some have children, many work. The wood is still green. All of them have somewhere on their bodies the gold that is in Jesus. Yes, women still show tears, as do men. Even in the midst of his pain, Jesus is moved at the sight of tears, and has consoled these holy women as he has consoled everyone.

Let us pray: O God, Jesus spoke only these words on the way to the cross. Let us use our words with such wisdom and compassion for the sympathies others show to us. Amen.

Leader: Lord Jesus Christ crucified, prisoner of love:
All: Have mercy on us and on the whole world.

[Picture: Holy Week *; Station 9]


(* The Service used Jesus Falls for the First Time again)

Leader: Jesus falls for the third time. Here we are with you, Lord Jesus.
All: Because by your Holy Cross you redeem the world.

He falls exhausted. Simon is still with him, and helps him to his feet. This time, though, with the site of execution close, the soldiers push Simon away as they will dismiss Christ himself. The soldiers take over. Proverbs 24:16 says:

For though they fall seven times, they will rise again; but the wicked are overthrown by calamity.

Leader: Lord Jesus Christ crucified, prisoner of love:
All: Have mercy on us and on the whole world.

[Picture: Holy Week; Station 10]

Leader: Jesus is stripped of his garments. Here we are with you, Lord Jesus.
All: Because by your Holy Cross you redeem the world.

Whatever compassion Jesus has been shown in the midst of his humiliation, Jesus now is prepared for the final phase of the way of the cross. Soldiers first strip Jesus of his clothing. Wounds are opened afresh. Modesty is lost. Yet this body is still the temple. His clothing was divided into four, representing perhaps the four corners of the earth or, even, four winds.

The four winds where we live remind us of warmth from the south, moisture from the west, cold from the north and dryness from the east, touching our senses and keenly felt upon the body in our elemental state.

Let us pray: Help us appreciate, O Christ, that the body is a temple, within which is the place of the indwelling God and ground of our being. Let us celebrate the body, and for appropriate expression, including modesty, and fidelity, as within faithful, sensual and sexual relationships. Amen.

Leader: Lord Jesus Christ crucified, prisoner of love:
All: Have mercy on us and on the whole world.

[Picture: Nailing Jesus to the Cross; Station 11]

Leader: Jesus is nailed to the cross. Here we are with you, Lord Jesus.
All: Because by your Holy Cross you redeem the world.

Stripped to the minimum, Jesus is laid down where a strong man can hammer through his body, breaking into the temple of his body.

First they take his right hand and drive in the spike with a hammer, next they take his left hand and pull until it is taut and nail it down. The feet are next, the man pulling on them as far as the body will stretch and fastening them to the cross with one large spike. The whole Cross is lifted and dropped into one of the holes already dug for this, the next execution. Thus, hung, here begins the strain on Jesus' lungs and nerves with continuous pain.

Mary looks on, and the small number of people concerned for Jesus, while Jesus remains concerned for others.

Let us pray: Where we cannot walk in the way of holiness, nail down our feet; where we cannot help others with our hands, nail our hands; and more: where we cannot say good, seal our lips; where we cannot see straight, attach blinkers so that we may see only the good, the noble and the beautiful; and, where we cannot be righteous, because we have sin, nail us to our cross. We desiring nothing other than God, seeing Jesus' nakedness, nailed and lifted to hang there: we ask for mercy on us and on the whole world.

Leader: Lord Jesus Christ crucified, prisoner of love:
All: Have mercy on us and on the whole world.

[Picture: The Crucifixion; Station 12]

Leader: Jesus is crucified. Here we are with you, Lord Jesus.
All: Because by your Holy Cross you redeem the world.


In the painting, two people standing at the foot of the cross cannot bear to look. Here Christ, his cross and these people too, are bathed in gold. The background is a deadened, darkened blue. This, then, is as an icon of crucifixion. Can we bear to look?

Furthermore, words taken from Psalm 22 express the final abandonment of the God: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Also we have, differently, in Luke chapter 23 verse 34, the final abandonment of the people, about whom Jesus says, "Father forgive them for they know not what they do".

These last words have been an excuse for the most vile anti-semitism within parts of Christianity. Jews have experienced slavery and worse than slavery. There is a tradition in Judaism that Good Friday is one of the most frightening days of the year. Why is that?

Let us pray: O God of unity and compassion, you know that in our fallen state we revert to our tribes. Help us to see that the other person is like us, with the same pains and the same hopes. Help us understand the other person, the one who is feared, and help us accept the other person for whom they are and, perhaps, not who we might want them to be. Amen

Leader: Lord Jesus Christ crucified, prisoner of love:
All: Have mercy on us and on the whole world.

[Picture: Holy Week; Station 13]

Leader: Jesus taken down from the cross. Here we are with you, Lord Jesus.
All: Because by your Holy Cross you redeem the world.

Elijah did not come and save Jesus, as some thought he might; and after six hours Jesus is taken down. It is said Jesus is laid with his head upon Mary's lap. He is taken to the tomb.

Leader: Lord Jesus Christ crucified, prisoner of love:
All: Have mercy on us and on the whole world.

[Picture: Holy Week; Station 14]

Leader: Jesus is laid in the tomb. Here we are with you, Lord Jesus.
All: Because by your Holy Cross you redeem the world.

The head is taken away from Mary's lap, and the body is washed with soap and water, dried and, accompanied by healing herbs, wrapped in a clean linen shroud. The body is laid on a slab in the tomb.

Leader: Lord Jesus Christ crucified, prisoner of love:
All: Have mercy on us and on the whole world.
Now let us look at the final Station of the Cross, at what is to come.

[Picture: The Resurrection; Station 15]

Leader: We are looking from inside the tomb [No responses]

The painting shows a vision of great light and in that light is an ethereal body: a transformed body. In the darkest cave the bright light is even brighter, and a light to redeem the world.

From now on, no one is quite sure what they are encountering and how to describe it, or quite what they believe when meeting the transformed Jesus Christ. Paul says he received a vision and calls it a spiritual body. Disciples tell each other. They doubt. In Luke, a man walks with two disciples, and he is unrecognised. He asks them a series of questions about the recent events. Only when they 'get it' do they recognise him. When they eat the bread and drink the wine they see him. And once they have understood in the eucharist, he is gone. Here is Jesus Christ, the first of the resurrected, revealed to theLeaders in good order and finally to the 120 or 500 in number congregation.

And so let us pray and meditate [Metta Bhavana]: first for ourselves, so that we in the power of Christ may love firstly ourselves [pause]; and now think of someone you like or already love, and pray for them [pause]; and can you think of someone who you neither particularly like or dislike, perhaps someone you see or work with, and pray for them in a spirit of loving kindness [pause]; and think of an enemy, someone you have had to dislike, even if that person is remote, say through television, and pray for them [pause]. Let us pray for all these people, for our neighbours and friends, for your own church and other churches, and the servant-leaders, and pray for this town and other towns, and pray - to the Father, in Christ, helped by the Holy Spirit - for the whole world. Amen.

Note: on the day an introductory text was missed (and gone from here); most stages were also introduced by numbers despite an intention otherwise (but it seemed right to change back); 13 and 14 ended up being a little merged by mistake, and 14 was separated out again through concise ad-libbed extra points; 15 did have a responsive start, but was missed, but it suited it to be missed as it was looking ahead and there was no similar ending due to the Metta Bhavana.

 

 

Adrian Worsfold

Pluralist - Liberal and Thoughtful