Via Crucis 2006

Via Crucis Grid Blog: The Corner Stations 9 & 10

Mark at Cowpi Journal remixed the Via Crucis Grid Blog image.  I love the contrast.

It reminded me of a line from the the book The Outsiders, which was written in the 1960s by S.E. Hinton, a then 15 year old girl.  The book was adapted into a movie in the '80s. In the scene, Johnny (played by Ralph Macchio) tells Ponyboy (played C. Thomas Howell)

Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold.

Stevie Wonder took this line and did a a wonderful song based on it.

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Via Crucis Grid Blog: sententiae et clamores Stations Ix & X

I was in Jerusalem on September 28, 2000 when Ariel Sharon went into to the al-Aqsa Mosque, provoking what came to be known as the second intifada. There was a riot and the army occupied the area around the mosque and the Western Wall. Seven Palestinians were killed by the IDF. The next day the city was tense and quiet. Soldiers were everywhere, and everyone's nerves were shot. There was no noise except for the call to prayer broadcast from loudspeakers on the minarets that looked over the city.

It was Friday and normally on that day the Franciscans would do the Via Crucis through the Old City, retracing what were traditionally thought to have been the steps of Jesus on his way to Calvary. Because of the situation that day, however, they did not venture out onto the streets, but rather carried out the whole procession inside the Holy Sepulchre, instead of just the end of it.

It was a strange and sad evening inside that strange and sad church. Huge and labyrinthine, home to so many denominations -- Greeks, Catholics, Armenians, Syrians, Copts, Ethiopians -- that night it was crowded as the Franciscans and Armenians both processed in different parts of the building, forced to share the space because of the chaos outside. The clear Gregorian hymns of the Franciscans mixed with the haunting Eastern chants of the Armenians. Outside, the people I had gotten to know over the past week were getting ready for the killing that would be practiced by both sides.

Via Crucis Grid Blog: World of Your Making Station 9 & 10

Help us do more, we must do more, to comfort the dying and heal the afflicted.

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Via Crucis Grid Blog: Argent by the Tiber Station 9

Meditation
The great weight of the world's sin crushes You down to the dusty earth a third time. Dust from which Adam was formed. Dust to which I and my hapless race return. Where would our souls go but down to Hell for Eden was lost by our usurpation. But You, Perfect God and Perfect Man would not leave our souls in Hell, and would now willingly walk this torturous way for Death's death. Spring my heart from the prison of pride. By the merits of Your Suffering, win back for me paradise that I may never leave You.

Pater noster, qui es in cælis: sanctificetur nomen tuum; adveniat regnum tuum; fiat voluntas tua, sicut in cælo, et in terra. Panem nostrum quotidianum da nobis hodie; et dimitte nobis debita nostra, sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris; et ne nos inducas in tentationem; sed libera nos a malo. Amen.

Eia mater, fons amoris, me sentire vim doloris fac, ut tecum lugeam.

Via Crucis Grid Blog: Church Geek Station 9

Richard Fox in the introduction to his book Jesus in America, writes:

{Jesus} identity is elastic. There is no single Jesus, in America or elsewhere. He can lead crusades like a warrior he can turn the other check. He can thrash about in the temple and cup a blind person’s face in his hands. He can withdraw into the desert like John the Baptist and he can gather the little children.

It seems that the trick is not to always presume that we are right and that we automatically have Jesus on our side. It is, rather, to humbly allow Jesus to speak to us, to challenge us, and to discern one with another what Jesus might or might not be saying about this or that thing of concern.

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Via Crucis Grid Blog: Wanderings of a PostModern Pilgrim Station 9

We, as humans, have a fatal flaw.

All fall.

Sooner or later, we all fall.

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