Walk the Stations: Oh Lord, Hear Our Prayer
By Marti Jewell, D. Min., Associate Professor Emerita, Neuhoff Institute for Ministry & Evangelization
Date published: April 10, 2020
Churches won’t be holding Holy Week services this year. No Palm Sunday processions. No Stations of the Cross. No moving from one to the next in solemn silence. Instead, with the coronavirus pandemic, it seems the whole world has been called to walk the Stations.
The first station: Jesus is condemned to death. Each morning the numbers of those who have died of the coronavirus are posted, sometimes doubling from the day before.
The fifth station: Simon of Cyrene carries the cross. I find myself praying for the doctors and nurses, the EMTs and healthcare workers who are the frontline in the fight against this deadly disease. Their courage and willingness to live out their vocation is essential to the sick; their selfless stepping up easing the suffering of so many.
The sixth station: Veronica wipes the face of Jesus. Who is going to minister to our suffering communities? Who is going to dry their tears? My heart goes out to all those in ministry, both lay and ordained, who are trying to find ways to be present. Confined to their homes many can only reach out through live-streaming and phone calls. Some risk going out to those most in need, like to the elderly gentleman who lives alone and is so thankful that someone is picking up groceries and checking on him.
The tenth station: Jesus is stripped of his garments. Protective clothing. Masks. Not enough. Dear God, there are not enough! How do we provide the needed garments, beds, and supplies?
The twelfth station: Jesus dies on the cross. So many are dying - dying with Jesus on the cross - so many kinds of death. So much suffering.
This is the Paschal Mystery. This is what it looks like right now. But Easter will come. The day, the season, the Resurrection. This is our hope. This is what we are called to believe. We don’t know what it will look like. The apostles didn’t recognize the risen Lord. But it will come. This is the Paschal Mystery.
Oh Lord, hear our prayer.