CROSS WALK KATHY ECKLIN ST. PATRICK CATHOLIC CHURCH LENOX, IOWA ALWAYS HELD THE WEDNESDAY OF HOLY WEEK

Transcription

1 CROSS WALK KATHY ECKLIN ST. PATRICK CATHOLIC CHURCH LENOX, IOWA ALWAYS HELD THE WEDNESDAY OF HOLY WEEK FIRST STATION Begin in front of the church Cross (that we carry) and basket for canned goods that participants are asked to bring to be donated to the local food pantry Song Someday First Station: Jesus is Condemned to Death Jesus stands before the crowd after being beaten. He humbly accepts the punishment given to him by those who witnessed His miracles. How could they have accused Jesus and condemned Him? Today millions of people are condemned to death by malnutrition and starvation. Let us see Jesus again condemned in these brothers and sisters. How often do we take more than we need, or leave food on our plates when so many are hungry in this world? Jesus, forgive me for the ways in which I condemn and pierce others with my words and actions. Help me to love like You and to learn from Your example. Maybe someday I will be able to share Your love with everyone. Play song and everyone walk to the second station.

2 SECOND STATION Cross/TV and radio Song Hands and Feet Second Station Jesus is made to carry the cross By now Jesus has endured a sleepless night, betrayed by His friends, and a beating that is too horrible to fully imagine. He has been whipped, stripped, and spit on by countless of people. And now, they hand Him a cross to carry. We want to follow Jesus, yet how often do we listen to television, music or our friends and do something we know is wrong, and in some way hurt others or ourselves? Do we look to each person we meet and ask what can we do for them? Jesus, help me not to forget the load that You carried for me. Give me the strength and courage to carry my load and to be Your hands and feet for others. Play song Hands and Feet and walk to third station. THIRD STATION Cross With Be a Good Example Poster Song Live Like You Are Dying Third Station Jesus is tired as He walks along the road with the heavy cross on His shoulders. The cross keeps pushing on His shoulders, and the stones on the road hurt His feet. People yell and push Him; and the soldiers shout for Him to move faster. Then Jesus falls, and the soldiers yell at Him more. Jesus falls again today when people suffer some people wait for us to help them up, but how many times have we turned away from someone we don t like, or pass someone by because they look or act different? Jesus, help me to remember Your courage and

3 strength when You fell. Give me the courage and strength to help others up from their falls. Play song Live Like You Were Dying and move to the 4 th Station FOURTH STATION Cross/ Statue of Mary Song Mary Did You Know Fourth Station Mary Meets His Mother As Jesus walks slowly with the cross on His shoulders, a woman comes up to Him. It s His mother, Mary. How sad for them to see each other now. God is with them, they can t even say anything to each other, because they are so sad. Many people today, especially refugees and orphans have not families, yet we are all one family in Christ Jesus. How do we treat members of our own family? Do we fight with our brothers and sisters? Do we help our family out? Do we reach past immediate family and offer comfort and help? Do we even spend time with other members in the community who have few, if any family around? Jesus, help me remember that I am never alone. Help me to see my parents, brothers, sisters, family members, and friends as You saw Yours. Play song Mary Did You Know and walk to the 5 th Station

4 FIFTH STATION Red Cross and Wheel Chair Song I m Alive and Well Fifth Station Simon Helps Jesus Carry His Cross The soldiers who had beaten Jesus all day had what appears to be a moment of compassion. Yet instead, their selfish motives override their opportunity for charity. They only want to follow their orders to get Jesus up to the place of crucifixion. How beat Jesus looks that the soldiers decide to grab Simon, a Cyrenian, out of the crowd to carry the cross. How often do I pass up the opportunity to help someone in need? Do I, like Simon, reach out to Jesus in others? With younger children? With the elderly who are homebound or in care facilities? With the handicapped? Jesus, open my ears to hear the ways that you call me to serve you. Help me follow Simon s example of helping others. Help me to know what it means to be a true and faithful servant. Play song I m Alive and Well and continue to the 6 th station SIXTH STATION Cross with towel Song Reach Out and Touch Somebody s Hand Sixth Station Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus By now the thorns cut so deeply into Jesus head that even seeing where He should step next is almost impossible. Up to this point all who approached either shouted or spit on His face. As Veronica approaches, she walks differently than the others. As she reaches out her hands and wipes Jesus face with her cloth, suddenly her face of compassion becomes clear. No words are necessary, for in that moment Your dignity as a man is restored. How many times have I forgotten

5 that each person is made in your image and likeness and therefore deserves respect? Do I make others objects of my pleasure and ignore their humanity? Veronica courageously stepped forward and dared to treat you differently than everyone else. Could I do the same? Could I reach out and touch somebody s hand? Jesus, give me the courage to follow Veronica s example of treating others with love even when no one else does. Play song Reach Out and Touch Somebody s Hand and moved to the 7 th station SEVENTH STATION Cross with white cane or blind sticks Song Stand Seventh Station Jesus Falls the Second Time The soldiers are enraged that Jesus falls this time. They can t understand how Simon s help is not enough. In their anger they hit Jesus again and again before remembering that Jesus needs to be alive to be crucified. Remembering His love and faithfulness Jesus gets up and keeps going. We are reminded of Jesus falling whenever we see blind and struggling people. Do we offer to help someone who is struggling at school or in our community? Do we help those who have no friends? Jesus, help me to take a stand when I see others who have fallen or are struggling. Give me the grace to follow through with good and positive actions. Help me to be a person of integrity. Play Stand and move to the Eighth Station EIGHTH STATION Cross with picture or display of children Song God s Will

6 Eighth Station Jesus Meets the Women of Jerusalem Jesus tells the women not to keep crying because of Him. He tells then, instead, to take care of others, and especially take care of their children. Sometimes it is easy to just think of ourselves about what is not going the way we want it, or about problems we have. It is very hard, then, to think about other people. How does your heart look when you do that, when you think only of yourself? Jesus, please let us stop to think about others, as that is the only way we can do God s will. Play song God s Will and move to the 9 th Station NINTH STATION Cross (by this time we are at the Catholic Cemetery and use a cross there) Song If Today Way Your Last Day Ninth Station Jesus Falls the Third Time Jesus falls the third time from sheer exhaustion. How difficult it must be for Jesus who is fully God and fully man. God knows that this has to be finished and that it is not yet complete. Man feels excruciating pain and every bone in His body wants to stop. Jesus gets up, vows not to fall again, as He can see the place they are leading Him to is close by. He knows the end is close. How many times have I let my flesh win over my spirit? How often have I chose sin rather that to follow your way? Was it my sin that became too heavy that made you fall a third time? Jesus, help me to follow your ways. Give me the grace to recognize when I sin and the desire to sin no more. If today was my last day, would I be worthy to see you in heaven? Play song If Today Was Your Last Day and continue to the Tenth Station

7 TENTH STATION Cross with basket to put used clothing in that walkers are asked to bring which will be donated to the local clothing project Song Temporary Home Tenth Station Jesus is Stripped of His Garments As the soldiers strip Jesus bear it is not the nakedness that is painful but rather the vicious tearing of the garment from the bloody cuts. Jesus is stripped of His dignity as a man. For even animals are given a swifter, less painful death. How often do I judge others by the way they look or what they wear? Di I find my own self worth and identity by the clothes I wear or the way I look? Jesus, help me to look past the outside of others. Help me not to judge them by how they look or what they wear. Help me find myself worth and identity in you. Please let me remember this is my temporary body and home. Play Temporary Home and continue to the Eleventh Station ELEVENTH STATION Cross with crown of thorns on it (Lead me, Lord magnets with a picture of a pair of shoes and bible)(i ve used necklaces made of nails, different nails with poems, etc. to give out in years past) Song Walk by Faith Eleventh Station Jesus is Nailed to the Cross Lying down on wood is not foreign to Jesus. The first place He was laid when He came into this world was a manger. There He was laid in love and it is not out of love that He lays here on this wooden cross. In reflection, I am angered by the soldiers. I can t understand why they are doing this to you and yet the hardest thing to realize is that not only am I in the crowd watching all of this, but I m also

8 one of them nailing you to the cross. Dear Jesus, please help me not to take my faith for granted. Please let me be able to tell others about your love and faith for us. Let me be able to walk in faith knowing that you were nailed on the cross for me. Walk to 12 th Station while listening to Walk By Faith TWELFTH STATION Cross with Purple Cloth (wristbands with the word FORGIVEN will be passed out) (I have also used homemade crocheted crosses, pocket cross, etc. in pass years) Song Good by song Twelfth Station Jesus Dies on the Cross Finally, after the long walk, after falling three times, after having men beat Him, after being nailed to the cross and suffering on the cross, Jesus bows His head and dies. Before He took His last breath the faces if humanity must have flashed before His eyes as one by one He recounted who He died for. Jesus, help me never to forget your love for me. Help me know that You died for me. Moment of silence to remember all people who have died. Play Good by song and walk to the 13 th station THIRTEENTH STATION Cross with an angel Song There is a God Thirteenth Station Jesus is Taken Down from the Cross

9 The first arms that held Jesus as He entered the world were also the last ones. Mary was told a sword would pierce her heart the day she presented You as an infant to the Father. Now as she holds her son s body that is mangled beyond recognition she sees not only the man she now holds, but also the child she held and her heart is pierced. All hope seems to be gone. How many times have I lost hope in Jesus? How often have I doubted Your ability to be God in my life? Jesus, help me to trust in You. Help me to place all my hope in You and give me peace in knowing that You are Lord over all things. Please help me to remember there is a God. Play the song There is a God and walk to the 14 th Station. FOURTEENTH STATION Tomb ( we use a small one that someone made) Song We Are the World Fourteenth Station Jesus is Placed in the Tomb Jesus friends wash His body and wrap it in clean sheets. They touch His body gently, and then they put His body into a tomb. When they finished, they pushed a very large stone over the entrance, so that no one could go inside. How many times has death felt like the end? When you have lost a loved one it can be hard. How often do you miss the opportunity to say I love you to those special people in your life? Do you tell your family and friends how you feel about them? Jesus, help me always to remember that death is not the end. Give me strength to say the words, I love you to those people in my life that I love. Help me to love every person, not just in words but also in action. Please help me remember that we are the world. Play We Are the World and walk to the church. As they walk into the church everyone gets a candle.

10 This year I am closing the walk with the Resume of Jesus Christ. I have also used If Jesus Had an Obituary and My Son...Take My Son. We then use the song Go Light Your World and light all the candles. We end with a prayer, which is followed by a supper.