Stations of the Cross

Want to make one thing clear, I am a lay person, I am nothing special. In fact of lay people, I am still just a high school student. Now, I do have an incredible knowledge of theology and liturgy, that others have pointed out, even a few of our deacons admire this. Now I don't want to say this as a prideful thing ("dixit ecclasiastes: 'vanitas, vanitatum, et omnis vanitas'", a little Latin for you), but because I want to tlak about Stations. Now in my area, stations of the cross is celebrated on Fridays, and I am in charge of such celebration at my high school (a Catholic High School). Now I am but a lay person, leading other lay people (and one brother). Actually last week we had a seminarian deacon (transitional deacon) leading us, I invited him since I see the importance of 1. community, and 2. vocations. 

Now onto the deep theology of Stations, and not just my look at myself. Stations of the cross is a great reflection during the Lenten season upon Christ's saving passion. It was undertaking his passion and death that he chose to die for our salvation. By his death he opened up the floodgates of God's mercy to us, allowing us to enter into perfect communion with God, and enter into eternal life with him. By his ministry he taught us, and by his death he saved us, and in his resurection, he showed the fullness of his divinity, rising again, and then after this he revealed to his apostles the mission they would have in this world.

Most places use some form of the chant "Stabat Mater", in a lot of places. We do, we use the tune, a few verses, and then some re-wordings. The hymn "Stabat Mater", roughly meaning in English, "Sorrowful Mother". This hymn itself is a reflection upon Christ's passion, especially about Mary.

Now I added to our celebration of stations, as I walk from the sacristy to the front of the altar, the "O Sacred Head Surrounded". This is one of my favorite Lenten (or Passiontide) hymns. It's based on a Bach piece called "Passion Chorale". There are Latin and German versions (which are probably orginal), as well as in other language there are probably translations, but I think of these version as more important. It's a nice hymn, and we might have to take a look at them in future blog posts (probably on later Fridays of Lent).

I invite you to go to stations, and reflect on Christ's passion. How we can emulate it in our lives is to accept the crosses in our lives. And above all in our version, last week with Deacon Christian, he reflected on "my soul is saddened even unto death", and he mentioned how we should in this, bring to Christ those things that "sadden our soul even unto death".

A Blessed Lent to you all, as we continue this Great Fast.

In Christ,

Matthew

PS - formatting on this screwed up as I tried to add the photo, so that is why it look so odd. Sorry!