SCRIPTURE:

And he said, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!”

So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves.” And all the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!” Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified.

Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole battalion before him. And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him. – Matthew 27:23-31

DEVOTIONAL:

Jesus stands in the most human of places. He has already experienced profound solidarity with so many on this earth, by being beaten and tortured. Now he is wrongfully condemned to punishment by death. His commitment to entering our lives completely begins its final steps. He has said “yes” to God and placed his life in God’s hands. We follow him in this final surrender, and contemplate with reverence each place along the way, as he is broken and given for us.

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

As I view the scene, I become moved by both outrage and gratitude.
I look at Jesus. His face. The crown of thorns. The blood. His clothes stuck to the wounds on his back.
Pilate washes his hands of the whole affair. Jesus’ hands are tied behind his back.

This is for me. That I might be free. That I might have eternal life.
As the journey begins I ask to be with Jesus. To follow his journey. I express my love and thanks.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION:

• When have you been misjudged or wrongly accused?
• When have you misjudged or wrongly accused others?
• In what ways do you “wash your hands” from doing the just act by going along with the crowd?

SCRIPTURE:

So when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Stone Pavement, and in Aramaic Gabbatha. Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover. It was about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, “Behold your King!” They cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” So he delivered him over to them to be crucified.

So they took Jesus, and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. – John 19:13-17

DEVOTIONAL:

Jesus is made to carry the cross on which he will die.  It represents the weight of all our crosses.  What he must have felt as he first took it upon his shoulders!  With each step he enters more deeply into our human experience.  He walks in the path of human misery and suffering, and experiences its crushing weight.

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.

Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

I contemplate the wood of that cross.  I imagine how heavy it is.  I reflect upon all it means that Jesus is carrying it.

I look into his eyes.  It’s all there.

This is for me.  So I place myself with him in this journey.  In its anguish. In his freedom and surrender.  In the love that must fill his heart.

With sorrow and gratitude, I continue the journey.  Moved by the power of his love, I am drawn to him and express my love in the words that come to me.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION:

What kinds of burdens do you bear?

What kind of pressures do you feel at work, school, or at home?

What kind of pressures in society to you bear?

In what ways do you help others shoulder their burdens as Christ helps you shoulder yours?

SCRIPTURE:

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. – Matthew 11:28-30

DEVOTIONAL:

The weight is unbearable. Jesus falls under it. How could he enter our lives completely without surrendering to the crushing weight of the life of so many on this earth! He lays on the ground and knows the experience of weakness beneath unfair burdens. He feels the powerlessness of wondering if he will ever be able to continue. He is pulled up and made to continue.

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

I stare at the weakness in his eyes. I can look at his whole body and see the exhaustion.

As I behold him there on the ground, being roughly pulled up, I know forever how profoundly he understands my fatigue and my defeats.

This is for me. In grief and gratitude I want to let him remain there. As I watch him stand again and gain an inner strength, I accept his love and express my thanks.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION:

When have you felt like you have failed?

Failed your friends?

Failed your family?

Failed your brothers and sister in Christ?

Failed in a role you thought was for you?

SCRIPTURE:

But standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” 27 Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home. – John 19:25-27

DEVOTIONAL:

Jesus’ path takes him to a powerful source of his strength to continue. All his life, his mother had taught him the meaning of the words, “Behold, the handmaid of the Lord.” Now they look into each other’s eyes. How pierced-through her heart must be! How pained he must be to see her tears! Now, her grace-filled smile blesses his mission and stirs his heart to its depth. Love and trust in God bind them together.

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

As I watch them in this place along the way, I contemplate the mystery of love’s power to give strength.
She knows the sorrow in every mother’s heart, who has lost a child to tragedy or violence.
I look at the two of them very carefully, and long for such love and such peace.

This is for me. Such incredible freedom. The availability of a servant. I find the words to express what is in my heart.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION:

When have you seen the look of sadness in parents’ faces?

Parents, when have you seen the look of sadness in your children’s faces?  

Parents, when have you had to watch a path unfold for your child that pains you and hurts you?

SCRIPTURE:

And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross. – Mark 15:21

DEVOTIONAL:

Jesus even experiences our struggle to receive help. He is made to experience the poverty of not being able to carry his burden alone. He enters into the experience of all who must depend upon others to survive. He is deprived of the satisfaction of carrying this burden on his own.

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

I look into his face and contemplate his struggle. His weariness and fragility. His impotence.
I see how he looks at Simon, with utmost humility and gratitude.

This is for me. So I feel anguish and gratitude. I express my thanks that he can continue this journey. That he has help. That he knows my inability to carry my burden alone.

I say what is in my heart, with deep feeling.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION:

When have you felt “caught in the middle” of something?

How did you respond to the situation?

How did you reflect Jesus’ spirit in your response to the situation?

Think of a time when a struggle made you feel totally powerless.  What was it like to receive help without asking?

What is it like to extend help to another who does not ask?

SCRIPTURE:

And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me. – Matthew 25:40

DEVOTIONAL:

Jesus’ journey is at times brutal. He has entered into the terrible experiences of rejection and injustice. He has been whipped and beaten. His face shows the signs of his solidarity with all who have ever suffered injustice and vile, abusive treatment. He encounters a compassionate, loving disciple who wipes the vulgar spit and mocking blood from his face. On her veil, she discovers the image of his face – his gift to her. And, for us to contemplate forever.

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

What does the face of Jesus hold for me? What do I see, as I look deeply into his face?
Can I try to comfort the agony and pain? Can I embrace him, with his face so covered with his passion?

The veil I behold is a true icon of his gift of himself. This is for me. In wonder and awe, I behold his face now wiped clean, and see the depth of his suffering in solidarity with all flesh.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION:

Have you ever ignored someone who is in need?

Or, when have you stopped to help someone in need?

How have you showed compassion to those in need?

How has the experience of showing and receiving compassion left Christ’s imprint on you?

SCRIPTURE:

In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them; in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old. – Isaiah 63:9

DEVOTIONAL:

Even with help, Jesus stumbles and falls to the ground. In deep exhaustion he stares at the earth beneath him. “Remember, you are dust and to dust you will return.” He has seen death before. Now he can feel the profound weakness of disability and disease and aging itself, there on his knees, under the weight of his cross.

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

I contemplate Jesus brought very low. As I behold him there on the ground, with all the agony taking its toll on him, I let my heart go out to him.
I store up this image in my heart, knowing that I will never feel alone in my suffering or in any diminishment, with this image of Jesus on the ground before me.

This is for me, so I express the feelings in my heart.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION:

When have you felt like giving up, but chose not to?

How did God give your strength?

How did you get back on your feet again after you have fallen?

SCRIPTURE:

And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting for him. 28 But turning to them Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ 30 Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ 31 For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?” – Luke 23:27-31

DEVOTIONAL:

The women of Jerusalem, and their children, come out to comfort and thank him. They had seen his compassion and welcomed his words of healing and freedom. He had broken all kinds of social and religious conventions to connect with them. Now they are here to support him. He feels their grief. He suffers, knowing he can’t remain to help them more in this life. He knows the mystery of facing the separation of death.

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

I look at their faces. So full of love and gratitude, loss and fear. I contemplate what words might have passed between them.
I remember all his tender, compassionate, merciful love for me. I place myself with these women and children to support him.

This is for me. So, I let this scene stir up deep gratitude.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION:

What things that happen in the world make you sad, make you cry?.

What can you do about these things as an individual or as a family?

Look at the faces of those around you today.  What can you do to show “tender, compassionate, merciful love” to them?

SCRIPTURE:

You are those who have stayed with me in my trials, and I assign to you, as my Father assigned to me, a kingdom, that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.  – Luke 22:28-32

DEVOTIONAL:

This last fall is devastating. Jesus can barely proceed to the end. Summoning all this remaining strength, supported by his inner trust in God, Jesus collapses under the weight of the cross. His executioners look at him as a broken man, pathetic yet paying a price he deserves. They help him up so he can make it up the hill of crucifixion.

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

I pause to contemplate him there on the ground. The brokeness that makes me whole. The surrender that gives me life.
I pause to experience and receive how completely he loves me. He is indeed completely poured out for me.

As I treasure this gifted experience, I express what is in my heart.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION:

How do you feel God’s loving forgiveness, even when you sin, even when you fall, over and over again?

How do you feel God’s presence as you move through the fall and move on to a different path?

SCRIPTURE:

When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier; also his tunic. But the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom, 24 so they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.” This was to fulfill the Scripture which says,

“They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.” So the soldiers did these things. – John 19:23-24

DEVOTIONAL:

Part of the indignity is to be crucified naked. Jesus is completely stripped of any pride The wounds on his back are torn open again. He experiences the ultimate vulnerability of the defenseless. No shield or security protects him. As they stare at him, his eyes turn to heaven.

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

I pause to watch the stripping. I contemplate all that is taken from him. And, how he faces his death with such nakedness.
I reflect upon how much of himself he has revealed to me. Holding nothing back.

As I look at him in his humility, I know that this is for me, and I share my feelings of gratitude.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION:

When have you felt humiliated or made to feel foolish?

Has anyone made fun of you for your belief in Jesus Christ?

How did you, or how would you respond?

When is a time that you have been made extremely vulnerable in front of a group of people?

In what ways do you hide behind “clothes” from God’s Love?  What do you need to strip away?

SCRIPTURE:

And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments. And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”

One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” – Luke 23:33-34

DEVOTIONAL:

Huge nails are hammered through his hands and feet to fix him on the cross. He is bleeding much more seriously now. As the cross is lifted up, the weight of his life hangs on those nails. Every time he struggles to pull himself up to breathe, his ability to cling to life slips away.

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

I make myself watch the nails being driven through his flesh. And I watch his face.
I contemplate the completeness of his entry into our lives. Can there be any pain or agony he would not understand?

This is for me. Nailed to a cross to forever proclaim liberty to captives. What sorrow and gratitude fill my heart!

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION:

The gift of life is precious. Do you sometimes take life and the good things of life for granted?

What is like for you to recognize that Jesus understands fully the pains of your life?  

SCRIPTURE:

After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Since it was the day of Preparation, and so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. He who saw it has borne witness—his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth—that you also may believe.  For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken.” And again another Scripture says, “They will look on him whom they have pierced.” – John 19:28-37

DEVOTIONAL:

Between two criminals, a mocking title above his head, with only Mary and John and Mary Magdalene to support him, Jesus surrenders his last breath: “Into your hands I commend my spirit.”

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

I stand there, at the foot of the cross, side by side with all of humanity, and behold our salvation.
I carefully watch and listen to all that is said.
And then, I experience the one who gives life pass from life to death, for me. I console Mary and John and Mary. And let them console me.

This is the hour to express the deepest feelings within me.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION:

What decisions in your everyday life do you make, big and small?

Do you ever ask God to help you make these decisions?

Jesus shows us that the biggest act of faith is to “commend” our spirits into the hands of God.  What parts of your life needs to be placed in God’s hands?

SCRIPTURE:

After these things Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away his body. 39 Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight. 40 So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. – John 19:38-40

DEVOTIONAL:

What tender mourning! Jesus’ lifeless body lays in his mother’s arms. He has truly died. A profound sacrifice, complete.

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

I behold this scene at the foot of the cross. I contemplate touching, caressing his body. I remember all his hands have touched, all who have been blessed by his warm embrace.
I pause to let it soak in. He knows the mystery of death. He has fallen into God’s hands.

For me. That I might love as I have been loved. I pour out my heart to the God of all mercies.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION:

What are some actions that show your friends and others that you love Jesus?

What actions can you do as a family to show that you care for Jesus?

What actions can we take in our lives to show Jesus is our priority?

Where can we love as we have been loved by Christ today?

SCRIPTURE:

And Joseph bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud and laid him in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock. And he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Jesus saw where he was laid. – Mark 15:46-47

DEVOTIONAL:

They take the body of Jesus to its resting place. The huge stone over the tomb is the final sign of the permanence of death. In this final act of surrender, who would have imagined this tomb would soon be empty or that Jesus would show himself alive to his disciples, or that they would recognize him in the breaking of bread? Oh, that our hearts might burn within us, as we realize how he had to suffer and die so as to enter into his glory, for us.

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

I pause to contemplate this act of closure on his life. In solidarity with all humanity, his body is taken to its grave.

I stand for a moment outside this tomb. This final journey of his life has shown me the meaning of his gift of himself for me. This tomb represents every tomb I stand before with fear, in defeat, struggling to believe it could ever be empty.

In the fullness of faith in the Risen One, given by his own Holy Spirit, I express my gratitude for this way of the cross. I ask Jesus, whose hands, feet and side still bear the signs of this journey, to grant me the graces I need to take up my cross to be a servant of his own mission.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION:

Has there ever been a time that it was difficult to believe in Jesus’ promises?

The promise of everlasting life?

The promise that God will always love and forgive you?

What parts of life need to be sealed up behind the stone so that God might bring forth new life in us?

The St. George Episcopal Church Outdoor Stations of the Cross has been lovingly donated by two members of our parish family in thanksgiving for all that St. George has done for them and their family. The family has been members of our Church for many years and their sons both attended St. George Episcopal School. This new installation is to honor God and to bring glory to His name.

Thank You:

-Alan Johnston for designing and building the wooden holders for all of the Stations.

-The Dragonslayers Men’s Group, especially Jerry Carden, Mark Piedfort, and Art Meier, for installing the posts and Stations in the courtyard.

-Members of St. George for writing the reflections that are being shared with our parish family as part of this Lenten Journey.

-Don Castro for the beautiful tiles you created that make such a profound impact on our Lenten Journey. Images of Don’s tiles are shared with permission, and more information about the artwork may be found at www.fourteenstations.com.