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Operation Rice Bowl at the Cathedral
Join our faith community in a transformative Lenten journey through CRS Rice Bowl to meet people in Uganda, El Salvador and Indonesia who are working hard to overcome the challenges of hunger and the impact of climate change. Rice Bowl Donations will be accepted Holy Week through Easter Sunday at the Cathedral. To learn more go to https://www.crsricebowl.org/
For your Lenten Meditation, Stations of the Cross 11 and 12
ELEVENTH STATION
Jesus is nailed to the cross
Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
All: Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world. Leader: He replied to him, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43) We’ve all been there—stuck in a seemingly impossible situation, weighed down, perhaps, by financial burdens, family obligations and the opinions of others. We’ve all been nailed to the cross. And often it feels as though we’ve come to the end; we can’t move, can’t maneuver our way out of this bleak situation. We have been left alone to flounder. This is a part of the human experience that all of us go through, regardless of our wealth, our nationality or our past experiences. Jesus knows this, and never gives up on us. Even the thief with whom he was crucified was given the opportunity to be made better. And if Jesus offers us these second, third or hundredth chances, what then should we offer to our neighbors? Prayerfully considering the stories we’ve heard of so many of our brothers and sisters around the world, we ask: what can we do to help others come down from the crosses of hunger, homelessness or sickness?
All: Christ Jesus, you are always willing to give us another chance to better ourselves and those around us. May we follow your example and never cease to help others come down from the crosses that bind them, always prayerfully reflecting on our own role in putting them there.
Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be to the Father…
TWELFTH STATION
Jesus dies on the cross
Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
All: Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world. Leader: My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? (Matthew 27:46) (All kneel together for a reflective pause, and then rise.) By human standards, the Crucifixion and Death of Jesus is the ultimate failure. Members of the Jewish community had waited so long for the Messiah, had put their faith and hope in a man they believed had come to liberate them, and he died a horrific death. It was a devastating, final moment, and so many of Jesus’ friends had already fled the scene, abandoning hope in a better future. It’s a good thing the Crucifixion and Death of Jesus are not to be judged by human standards. Rather, what we see as failure, God transforms into victory. Where we see nothing but hopelessness and devastation, God is at work in surprising and spectacular ways. When we think of the hardships so many in our world face, we might easily grow discouraged; but our God offers us hope, and wants all of us to work together to build a world of peace and justice. How does this perspective of Easter inspire our own work in seemingly hopeless, failed situations? How does God want us to look upon problems like poverty, natural disasters and environmental decay—by human standards, or something more hopeful?
All: Christ Jesus, even in the most devastating failures, you show us the importance of hope. May we have the courage to work patiently and tirelessly with those in need, always keeping our sights on you. Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be to the Father…
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