Pages

Friday 6 April 2012

Via Crucis

In English, ‘the Way of the Cross’.
I’m preparing the Way of the Cross service for use at the Midwestern Regional Hospital here in Dooradoyle this evening. Composing a prayer service isn’t easy at the best of times, but this one is proving harder than usual. Perhaps it has to do with the subject matter itself – the Passion of the Lord.
Good Friday asks us to enter into the mystery of Suffering itself, as taken into the heart of the Triune God by the Incarnate Son. It’s only human to want to avoid suffering, to avoid even thinking about it – much less contemplating it. Christianity would be so much easier without the Cross. Or, if there is to be a Cross, have it be incidental to the life and message of the Christ.
Alas, no such luck. The Father revealed to us in the Son is one who is glorified through the Cross. Funny expression that – ‘glorify’. Jesus uses the terms ‘glory’ or ‘glorify’ 22 times in John’s Gospel; almost always pointing to his imminent Sacrifice. Why is that?

I can’t say. About a billion Catholics will attend the Good Friday liturgy today and venerate the crucifix. Churches tend to be full; and some attending will not have been inside a church for some time. What is it about the Suffering God that draws us in so?

Update: Over on the Jesuit scholastics blog, Catching Fire, I've put up the text of the Way of the Cross reflections I composed.

No comments:

Post a Comment