In
Wilmington, Delaware, USA, on Good Friday, for several years prior to the
COVID-19 Pandemic, my Episcopal Parish and choir of Sts. Andrew and Matthew (SsAM), with members
of other congregations of various denominations, gathered to
walk the city streets in procession stopping at 8 different places that
were designated as our Urban Stations of the Cross for that particular year. Some of the places chosen over time were community centers, shelters, food distribution organizations, the
State Building housing criminal courts, and neighborhood sites of prior violence and death. Traditionally
there are 14 Stations but in the interest of time and coordinating with the
City for assistance in crossing busy streets, etc., 8 were chosen each year. The
procession returned to SsAM for the 8th Station and a concluding prayer
service. It was a humbling privilege to be asked to write the prayers for these Urban Stations each year being joined with the others who wrote for and planned these powerful experiences. The following is my contribution to the walk of 2017.
If
you have never experienced the Stations of the Cross, or even if you have many times, follow along as if
on the walk in this year through the last hours of the earthly life
of Jesus.
1.
Jesus is condemned to die – Truth
Jesus, Scapegoat of Cowards,
Messiah of Humanity, You were condemned to earthly death by the will of the self-interested,
who, fearing loss of their local power, fueled and manipulated the rage of the
discontented. As we walk through our human time, let us look deeper into Your
Gospel to find our guidance, seeking the True Life of eternity with You.
Christ, Lord of Life,
Now and Forever
Grant us courage to follow and
stand fast in Your TRUTH
2.
Jesus takes up his cross – Fortitude
Jesus, Messiah of Humanity, with courage and determination, You took on the cross,
bearing its worldly weight upon your scourged and weary shoulders. Help us, in
everyday moments and our deepest darkest times, to see Your cross as a symbol
of survival, on our way to the never-ending joy of Life without shadow in
Love’s Pure Light.
Christ, Lord of Life, Now and Forever
Strengthen
our hearts to persist in this life with Your FORTITUDE
3.
Jesus falls for the first time – Perseverance
Jesus, Messiah of Humanity, even in a most weakened physical state, You are our model
of endurance, an example of pushing on through excruciating pain ~ physical, emotional, and spiritual ~ even in the
most brutal stages of Life. As our Perfecter of Faith, reinforce our willingness
to get up again and again and again, whenever we fall down in our faith in You.
Christ, Lord of Life, Now and Forever
Empower us to run with
PERSERVERANCE the race to everlasting peace.
4.
Jesus meets His Mother – Tenderness
Jesus, Messiah of Humanity, this exquisite yet tragic image of Mother-Son love reaches
profoundly into the essence of us all. Infuse our souls with the instinct to
protect and shelter each other in the midst of Life’s traumas – loved ones and
strangers alike – as we are sheltered by Your Saving Grace.
Christ, Lord of Life, Now and Forever
Inspire our hearts to reflect and
offer the TENDERNESS of Your perfect love.
5.
The Cross is laid on Simon of Cyrene – Hope
Jesus, Messiah of Humanity, as even the strongest need a helping hand in a difficult time
of Life, relieve us of our reluctance to give aid to another in trouble, for
whatever the burden and whatever the cost.
Christ, Lord of Life, Now and Forever
May the infinite HOPE of Your Sacrifice
dwell deeply in our souls.
6.
Jesus and the women of Jerusalem – Compassion
Jesus, Messiah of Humanity, in Your most difficult moment in human Life, You show us
an extraordinary example of empathy for others. Assist us as we strive to
follow Your Commandments to love God, and to love others as if they were
ourselves.
Christ, Lord of Life, Now and Forever
Grant us the COMPASSION to know
ourselves and others as Your very own.
7.
The Crucifixion – Acceptance
Jesus, Scapegoat of Cowards, Messiah of Humanity, as Your mortal time waned upon the cross, Your steadfast
spirit gave way to accepting this price for the redemption
of every single human Life. Let us take a moment to be still, to
breathe deeply, to ponder the depth and breadth of emotion, the wonder and awe,
of the moment that Your being transformed from lifeless Human to Eternally
Divine.
Christ, Lord of Life, Now and Forever
Empower our souls to know Repentance, Faith,
Trust, and ACCEPTANCE of the trials of our Earthly time, caring for others as we care for ourselves, as our vehicle to Heavenly Glory. In the Shadow of Death
there is Life, everlasting.
8.
Jesus is laid in the tomb – Life
Jesus, Messiah of Humanity, let us wait in quiet solitude, in the silence of the Tomb,
for a radiant awakening in the dawn of New Life. Grant us a peaceful transition
at our own time, being serenely willing and unflinchingly ready to rise again
in Glory, free of sin and strife, through the magnitude of the Sacrifice by our
Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Christ, Lord of Life, Now and Forever
Transform our mortal sojourn by
the way of Your Truth, Fortitude, Perseverance, Tenderness, Hope, Compassion,
and Acceptance, as we await Your Glorious Resurrection and the LIFE of the
World to Come. AMEN.
