The Justice STATIONS OF THE CROSS Prayer Service with Six Stations FranciscansForJustice.org Station One CHRIST FALLS THE FIRST TIME Consider the Poor and Unjust Systems What made Christ fall? Was he dehydrated? When did he last have anything nourishing to eat? Was the wood of the cross far too heavy? Was the hill just too steep? Nationally, most farm workers are deprived of fresh drinking water as they pick tomatoes, oranges, strawberries, grapes, etc. (e.g., In September 2012 California Governor Jerry Brown vetoed legislation that would have made it a crime for growers not to provide adequate shade and water to their field workers.).... 14.5 percent of U.S. households struggle to put enough food on the table which affects 16.2 million children. The world is facing a hunger crisis unlike anything it has seen in more than 50 years. 925 million people are hungry; every day, almost 16,000 children die from hungerrelated causes. Organizations like National Farm Worker Ministry and Bread for the World advocate in state and federal government settings to lighten the load of our sisters and brothers who are suffering. Those who work in these organizations rely on their faith in God to find strength when the steps up into these government buildings appear too steep to climb. Prayer (from St. Francis): "God is our power and strength, Who alone is good, Who alone is almighty, Who alone is omnipotent, wonderful, glorious, and Who alone is holy, worthy of praise and blessing through endless ages."
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The Justice STATIONS OF THE CROSS
Prayer Service with Six Stations
FranciscansForJustice.org
Station One
CHRIST FALLS THE FIRST TIMEConsider the Poor and Unjust Systems
What made Christ fall? Was he dehydrated? When did he last have anything nourishing to eat?Was the wood of the cross far too heavy? Was the hill just too steep?
Nationally, most farm workers are deprived of fresh drinking water as they pick tomatoes,oranges, strawberries, grapes, etc. (e.g., In September 2012 California Governor Jerry Brownvetoed legislation that would have made it a crime for growers not to provide adequate shadeand water to their field workers.).... 14.5 percent of U.S. households struggle to put enough foodon the table which affects 16.2 million children. The world is facing a hunger crisis unlikeanything it has seen in more than 50 years. 925 million people are hungry; every day, almost16,000 children die from hungerrelated causes.
Organizations like National Farm Worker Ministryand Bread for the World advocate in state andfederal government settings to lighten the load ofour sisters and brothers who are suffering.Those who work in these organizations rely ontheir faith in God to find strength when the stepsup into these government buildings appear toosteep to climb.
Prayer (from St. Francis):
"God is our power and strength, Who alone is good, Who alone is almighty, Who alone isomnipotent, wonderful, glorious, and Who alone is holy, worthy of praise and blessing throughendless ages."
Station Two
JESUS MEETS HIS MOTHER We Meet Christ in Mother Earth
St. Francis titled the planet we call home, "our sister, Mother Earth." Remembering that 'Justice'means 'right relationship,' what do you suppose Francis is teaching us when he wrote that theEarth is our sister, is our mother?
Just as Jesus and his mother, Mary, had(what shall we label it?) a twowayrelationship, that is how we ought to relatewith the Earth. Mother Earth is tender, deep,and nurturing to me; the challenge is tocontemplate how I live my daily life so as to betender, deep, and nurturing to her.
We hear in Genesis: "The Lord God took Abram outside and said, 'Look up at the sky and countthe stars, if you can. Just so shall your descendants be.'" You can make choices today that willmake it easier for generations to come to be able to contemplate their relationship with MotherEarth.
'Interfaith Power and Light' has offices in 37 states to mobilize people of faith at the state andfederal levels to respond to climate change issues. Look them up online by state.
Prayer (from St. Francis):"God is our power and strength, Who alone is good, Who alone is almighty, Who alone isomnipotent, wonderful, glorious, and Who alone is holy, worthy of praise and blessing throughendless ages."
Station Three
VERONICA WIPES THE FACE OF CHRISTMothers of the Disappeared / Madres de los Desaparecidos
Long after the Gospels had been passed to many generations, someone decided to give birth tothe story that as Jesus carried his cross, a woman wiped the sweaty and scratched face ofJesusleaving us a sacred image on the cloth; she was given the name "Veronica." (The name"Veronica" comes from the Latin 'vera' meaning "true" or "truthful," and the Greek 'eikon'meaning "image.")
With the election of the new Pope, news reports state that more than 40% of the world'sCatholics live in Latin America....In Latin America, there are mothersour Catholic sisterswhoare seeking the truth from their government leaders to find their children and husbands who arestill missingwho are disappearedbecause of wars and the drug trade. They form groups suchas the "Mothers of the Disappeared." These are women who desperately long to be able to wipethe sweaty and scratched faces of their children and husbands.
Consider the mothers and fathers inMexico, Central America, and SouthAmerica who continue to lose theirchildren and spouses to drug cartelsand military activities. Perhaps thisweek you can hold them up in prayer.Perhaps you can spend a little timefamiliarizing your Self with faithfilledpeople who want to change theseunjust systems..... [Friends ofCoMadres; School of the AmericasWatch; Amnesty International & in thesearch box type "disappeared."]
Prayer(from St. Francis):"God is our power and strength, Who alone is good, Who alone is almighty, Who alone isomnipotent, wonderful, glorious, and Who alone is holy, worthy of praise and blessing throughendless ages."
Station Four
JESUS MEETS THE WEEPING WOMEN OF JERUSALEMAgainst the Death Penalty
Traditionally, at the time of Jesus there were professional mourners. In your imagination, picturethis scene as Jesus and Joseph of Arimathea are carrying the cross (the cross that Jesus willbe executed upon). They pass by the weeping women. Do you consider these women as paidactorsor as passionate women in distress that soon they might witness an execution?
In the state that you live in, do you know how many people are locked up on death row?If you live in a state that presently carries out executions,do you know how many have occurred in the last 12 months?
Most people of faith realize that the death penalty only perpetuates the cycle of violence. Here aretwo resources: National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty; Catholic Mobilizing Network:Catholics Against Capital Punishment
In Paul's Letter to the Ephesians we hear:"Live as children of the light, for light produces every kind of goodness and righteousness andtruth."
Prayer (from St. Francis):"God is our power and strength, Who alone is good, Who alone is almighty, Who alone isomnipotent, wonderful, glorious, and Who alone is holy, worthy of praise and blessing throughendless ages."
Station Five
JESUS IS STRIPPED OF HIS GARMENTSHumans Strip the Earth
Do you know the definition of "fracking?" It is the term now used in the media that stands for"hydraulic fracturing." What is that?
Fracking is the procedure by energy companies that tap into natural gas deposits trapped inshale deep under the ground. To free them, they drill deep, then pump in a compressed mixtureof water, silica sand and a collection of chemicals.We must be careful, as this process uses vast amounts of fresh water that becomepermanently removed from the natural water cycle; toxic fumes are released; and there aremassive amounts of toxic frack waste that are being generated.
The U.S. is in the middle of afracking boom, one driven byadvances in technology (mostnotably horizontal drilling) andthe discovery that the U.S. ishome to previouslyunimaginable stores ofuntapped oil and natural gas.
When Jesus went to the tomb to restore life to Lazarus, he asked that the stone be rolled awayfrom the place of burial. "Jesus said, 'Take away the stone.'" Technology has created alifethreatening way to roll aside stones deep in our earth's core. It appears that we now have yetanother ecological hazard that can take away life rather than restore life.
Pay attention to media reports on fracking, and check out the source for each study you readabout.
Prayer (from St. Francis):"God is our power and strength, Who alone is good, Who alone is almighty, Who alone isomnipotent, wonderful, glorious, and Who alone is holy, worthy of praise and blessing throughendless ages."
Station Six
JESUS IS NAILED TO THE CROSSThe Christ of the Cosmos
"Creator, forgive them, they know not what they do."
Justice is about keeping our relationships "right." That is what our Scriptures teach us, and thatis what our Christian tradition teaches us. We keep Justice alive because of a profound belief ina living Christ.Each of us is on a spiritual journey. Think back over the last year—what new insights have youdiscovered about how "big" your image of Christ has become?
"Creator, forgive them, they know not what they do."
Justice is also about mending broken relationships. Listening to this prayer by Jesus on thecross, have you ever wondered who is the "they" who are doing actions that need forgiveness?
Who is crucifying Christ in 2013?Who are the "they" in your personal life?Who are the "they" in our U.S. society?Who are the "they" in different parts of the world?
.... Perhaps more importantly as a focusyou candiscern the many actions of forgiveness that youdeem necessary to bring into your presentdayliferelating to all the "they's"....
Prayer (from St. Francis):"God is our power and strength, Who alone is good, Who alone is almighty, Who alone isomnipotent, wonderful, glorious, and Who alone is holy, worthy of praise and blessing throughendless ages."
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