Stations of The Resurrection
Stations of The Resurrection
Stations of The Resurrection
The Latin American Bishops Conference in 1979 described the value of such devotions:
"At its core the piety of the people is a storehouse of values that offers answers of
Christian wisdom to the great questions of life. The catholic wisdom of the people is
capable of fashioning a vital synthesis.... It creatively combines the divine and the human,
Christ and Mary, spirit and body, communion and institution, person and community,
faith and homeland, intelligence and emotion.”
The essential criterion of popular piety is that it extends, but does not replace, the
liturgical life of the Church. The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy of the Second
Vatican Council teaches that devotions "should be so drawn up that they harmonize with
the liturgical seasons, accord with the sacred liturgy, are in some way derived from it and
lead people to it" (Sacrosanctum Concilium §13.3).
Examples of this principle were the liturgical reforms of Vatican Council II which
restored the "Paschal Triduum of the Passion and Resurrection of Christ" as the
culmination of the entire liturgical year. The "Three Days" begin with the evening Mass
of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday and close with evening prayer on Easter Sunday
night. Prayer—ritual—sacrifice—commemoration--welcome—celebration--mark this
intense period with great fervor among the people.
The Via Lucis, the “Way of Light,” emerges for Triduum liturgies in the same spirit of
devotion. Also known as the Stations of the Resurrection, this devotion parallels the
Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary just as the Via Crucis complement the Sorrowful
Mysteries. These stations were discovered in the Catacombs of St. Callistus in Rome.
The Via Lucis is particularly suited for Easter Sunday, for the weekdays of the Easter
Octave (known as "Bright Week" among the Eastern churches), and throughout the Fifty
Days of the Easter Season.
In a fashion similar to the Via Crucis and the four passion narratives, the Via Lucis
reflects upon the final chapters of each of the four gospels, which narrate the appearances
of the Risen Lord from Easter to Pentecost. Fourteen "Stations of Light" have been
identified.
The Official Vatican prayerbook for the Jubilee Year 2000, Pilgrim Prayers, includes a
Via Lucis along with the traditional Via Crucis. Both of these complementary devotions
are celebrated in the Via Garden at St. John's Center for Youth and Family, Plymouth,
Michigan. It is hoped that these resources will help the Christian community, which has
so passionately identified with the Crucified Lord in the Via Crucis, walk boldly into the
light of the Third Millennium with the Risen Christ!
Reading: "The angel of the Lord said to the women: 'Do not be
afraid! I know that you are seeking Jesus the crucified.
He is not here, for He has been raised just as He said."
(Matthew 28: 5b-6a).
Reflection: On the first day of the week, at the dawning of the new creation, Jesus arose
from the dead. No one saw the event, yet like the apostles, we are called to
be witnesses of this central faith event. The light and power of Christ's
death and resurrection has become the pattern for our living. May we
recognize Christ’s dying and rising in our midst.
Silence
Prayer: This is the day, Lord God, that You have made! Raising Christ from the
dead, and raising us with Christ, You have fashioned for Yourself a new
people. As we hear the word that brings salvation, make our hearts burn
within us. Through the presence of every friend and stranger, reveal to us
the face of the One who had first to suffer, but who has entered now into
glory, Jesus Christ, our Passover and our Peace, living and reigning with
You, forever and ever. Amen.
Reading: "Then the other disciple also went in, the one who had
arrived at the tomb first, and he saw and believed"
(John 20: 8).
Reflection: The empty tomb was not a proof of the resurrection, but rather a silent
witness of the greatest event of our faith. Seeing the empty tomb, the
disciples were motivated to seek the Risen Lord at work in their midst. They
saw and believed in the continuing presence of the Lord of love. All the
empty and lonely places of human life are precisely where the Lord wishes
to work and be revealed.
Silence
Prayer: God our Father, creator of all, today is the day of overwhelming joy. The
Lord appeared to those who had begun to lose hope and opened their eyes to
what the Scriptures foretold: that first He must die and then rise. May the
Risen Lord breathe on our minds and open our eyes that we may know Him
in the breaking of bread, and follow Him in His risen life. Grant this
through Christ our Lord. Amen.
All:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
The dear belov'd apostle John
Could faster than St. Peter run,
Arriving first before the tomb. Alleluia.
Reading: "She turned around and saw Jesus there, but did not
know it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, 'Woman, why
are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?' She
thought He was the gardener and said to Him, 'Sir, if
you carried Him away, tell me where you laid Him,
and I will take Him.' Jesus said to her, 'Mary!" She
turned and said to Him in Hebrew, ‘Rabbouni,’ which
means Teacher. Jesus said to her, 'Stop holding on to
Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go
to My brothers and tell them, 'I am going to My
Father and your Father, to My God and your God.'
Mary of Magdalen went and announced to the
disciples, 'I have seen the Lord,' and what He told
her" (John 20: 14b-18).
Reflection: In the fourth gospel, Mary Magdalen is given the mission to carry the good
news of the resurrection to the apostles and the disciples. Mary had been in
the company of Jesus and His followers, and is given the privilege to
announce the hope of new life. She is known over the centuries as "the
apostle to the Apostles." Jesus called her by name, gave her the eyes of
faith, and called her to give a unique personal witness to her friends in the
faith community.
Silence
Prayer: God our Father, You will that all people to be saved and come to the
knowledge of Your truth. Send workers into Your great harvest that the
Gospel may be preached to every creature. May Your people, gathered
together by the word of life and strengthened by the power of the
sacraments, advance in the way of salvation. We ask this through Christ our
Lord. Amen.
Reflection: The Emmaus road is the story of the Christian life. These disciples were
walking away from Jerusalem and the apostolic faith community in defeat
and dejection. They had lost hope. We too, have moments of despair and
desolation. The Risen Lord Jesus accompanies us along the road, even
when we are moving in the wrong direction. Only the Lord can "break
open" the Word in order to help us understand the stories of our lives,
especially suffering, and read them in harmony with the pattern of the
Scriptures. Only the Lord can rekindle our energy and our resolve to devote
ourselves to what is most important in life.
Silence
Prayer: Lord God, as disciples on our pilgrimage, we implore Jesus Christ: stay with
us, Lord. Open our hearts to true conversion and, as we have known the
Lord in the breaking of the bread, so make us witnesses of a new humanity,
renewed, reconciled and at peace in Your love. Send us as heralds of the
repentance and forgiveness You offer to all in the name of Jesus, who lives
and reigns with You, forever and ever. Amen.
Reading: " ...They urged Him, 'Stay with us, for it is nearly
evening and the day is almost over.' So He went in to
stay with them. And it happened that while He was
with them at table, He took bread, said the blessing,
broke it, and gave it to them. With that, their eyes
were opened and they recognized Him, but He
vanished from their sight. Then they said to each
other, 'Were not our hearts burning within us while He
spoke to us on the way and opened the scriptures to
us’" (Luke 24: 29-32).
Reflection: The encounter on the road leads to the table, the breaking of the bread and
the total gift of self. Recognition of the Risen Lord is always linked with
the Eucharist. At the heart of our Christian life is this meal of Word and
Eucharist which we celebrate every Sunday. The Risen Lord presides over
all our journeys, wishing to set our hearts on fire in generous service to all
people in need, near and far. The gift we have received is the gift we share.
Humbly, we set out on the various roads of our lives to respond to all the
hungers of the human family.
Silence
Prayer: You are truly blessed, O God of holiness: You accompany us with love as
we journey through life. Blessed too, is Your Son, Jesus Christ, who is
present among us, and whose love gathers us together. As once He did for
His disciples, Christ now opens the Scriptures for us and breaks the bread.
May the Eucharist we celebrate guide us to the fullness of Christ's life. We
pray in the power of Christ's Spirit, forever and ever. Amen.
Reflection: The disciples on the road to Emmaus quickly returned to the other disciples
in Jerusalem with "burning hearts." Their despair had been reversed and
they were eager to convince the others that Jesus was alive. Jesus the Christ
is always eager to gather the community of disciples at the table of faith and
to show them that He has risen with His wounds glorified. All our wounds
will one day be glorified. We seek to understand how the Risen Lord
invites us to be "wounded healers," recognizing now that the Lord desires
us to be ambassadors of reconciliation, while we ourselves are being
forgiven and healed.
Silence
Prayer: God of unchanging power and light, look with favor and mercy on the
entire community of Your Church. Bring lasting salvation to the human
family, so that the world may see the fallen lifted up, the old made new, and
all things brought to perfection, through Him who is our origin, our Lord
Jesus Christ who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.
Reading: "Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them,
'Peace be with you'... The disciples rejoiced when they
saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, 'Peace be with
you. As the Father has sent Me, so I send you.' And
when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to
them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive
are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are
retained'" (John 20: 19b, 20b-23).
Reflection: Even though the doors of the Upper Room were bolted shut, the Risen Lord
pierced through all fear and united the hearts of the disciples with the gift of
peace. Deep inner peace is the root and source of the peace and joy that the
world cannot give. The Risen Lord calls us to seek peace always through a
non-violent commitment to conflict resolution and thus transform the world,
relationship by relationship.
Silence
Prayer: God of perfect peace, violence and cruelty can have no part of You. May
those who are at peace with one another hold fast to the good will that
unites them; may those who are enemies forget their hatred and be healed.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Silence
Prayer: Heavenly Father and God of mercy, we no longer look for Jesus among the
dead, for He is alive and has become the Lord of life. From the waters of
death You raise us up with Him and renew Your gift of life within us.
Increase in our minds and hearts the risen life we share with Christ and help
us to grow as Your people toward the fullness of eternal life with You. We
ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Reading: "Jesus said to them, 'Bring some of the fish you just
caught.' So Simon Peter went over and dragged the net
ashore full of one hundred fifty-three large fish. Even
though there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus
said to them, 'Come, have breakfast.' And none of His
disciples dared to ask Him, 'Who are You?' because
they realized it was the Lord" (John 21: 10-12).
Reflection: After the crucifixion, the apostles returned to their former way of life. Out
on the familiar Sea of Galilee, these expert fishers find themselves
ineffective and baffled because not even a single fish was caught. From the
shore, the Risen Lord guides them and directs their nets until they are filled
to overflowing. As He prepares breakfast for them, He nourishes their
hearts and promises them that they can also be fed by making disciples in
His name. He calls them to an entirely new way of fishing—fishing for
people.
Silence
Prayer: Father in heaven, author of all truth, a people once in darkness has listened
to Your Word and followed Your Son as He rose from the tomb. Hear the
prayer of this newborn people and strengthen Your Church to answer Your
call. May we rise and come forth into the light of day to stand in Your
presence until eternity dawns. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Reflection: The Risen Lord directs His attention to Peter whose embarrassing three- fold
denial was still ringing in his heart. The questions posed by Jesus help
Peter to find reconciliation and to embrace his new mission to tend and feed
the sheep. Their encounter reminds us that forgiveness is always available,
even for the most serious of mistakes we can make. This warm embrace of
forgiveness strengthens our resolve to be reconcilers and healers in the
Spirit of Jesus. Only love can overcome guilt and deception. Only love and
forgiveness can make us whole.
Silence
Prayer: Father, fill our hearts with the fire of Your love and the desire to ensure
justice for our brothers and sisters. By sharing the good things You give us,
may we secure justice and equality for every human being, an end to all
division, and a human society built on love and peace. Grant this through
Christ our Lord.
Reflection: From the mountaintop, the Risen Lord gives the "Great Commission" to the
disciples to reach out to the ends of the earth. We realize that we are the
recipients of this faith- filled mission: our ancestors embraced the faith of the
apostles, who were the original witnesses of the resurrection. The greatest
response we can give to such a legacy is our dedication to a new
evangelization of our contemporary culture. We must allow the Risen Lord
to reinvigorate our whole way of living, helping us to re-evaluate every
aspect of our lives with the values of the Kingdom of God.
Silence
Prayer: God of all creation, whose mighty power raised Jesus from the dead, be
present to this community of disciples whom You have called to the hope of
a glorious inheritance among the saints. Strengthen us in the power of the
Spirit to go and make disciples of all nations, to obey everything that Jesus
Christ has commanded us, and to know that He is with us always until the
end of the age, interceding on our behalf, living and reigning with You in
the power of the Holy Spirit, now and forevermore. Amen.
Reading: "So then the Lord Jesus, after He spoke to them, was
taken up into heaven and took His seat at the right hand
of God. But they went forth and preached everywhere,
while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the
word through accompanying signs" (Mark 16: 19-20).
Reflection: The Scriptures do not portray the Ascension as a day of sadness. While still
looking up at the skies, the disciples were consoled by the continuing
presence of the Lord. They return to the familiar surroundings of the Upper
Room, with Mary, the mother of the Lord, to pray in anticipation of their
mission. In this "original novena," we continue to implore the Risen Lord to
be the center of our lives and to keep us focused as a jubilant pilgrim people.
Silence
Prayer: Eternal God, clothe us now with Your power. With the eyes of our hearts
enlightened, may we come to understand the immeasurable greatness of
Your power at work in us who believe. In that strength, may we boldly
pronounce the Good News of our salvation to everyone. We ask this through
Christ our Lord. Amen.
Reading: "When they entered the city, they went to the upper
room where they were staying.... All [the apostles]
devoted themselves with one accord to prayer, together
with some women, and Mary, the mother of Jesus, and
His brothers" (Acts 1: 13a, 14).
Reflection: Throughout the history of the Church, there have been apostolic movements
dedicated to prayerful contemplation, and others resulting in transforming
action. As we have crossed the threshold into a new millennium, we look to
the "Upper Room" as a symbolic place where we return over and over again,
so that we can become "contemplatives in action." As persons who are both
prayerful and energetic in service to the Gospel, we must always keep vigil
for the advent of the Risen Lord, with the flame of faith alive in our hearts.
Only the Lord can refresh our spirits and renew us in the ministries that flow
from our Baptism and Confirmation.
Silence
Prayer: Father most holy, see Your Church gathered here in prayerful worship like
the first disciples and Mary in the Upper Room. Grant that we may
accomplish, in the joy of the Holy Spirit, all that You give us to do in the
world. May we gladly share in Christ's sufferings so as to rejoice when His
glory is revealed. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Reading: "... Suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a
strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house. Then
there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted
and came to rest on each one of them. And they were
all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in
different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to
proclaim"
(Acts 2: 2-4).
Reflection: The power of the Holy Spirit drives the disciples from the Upper Room into
the streets and marketplace. The Spirit compels them to take the message
everywhere, in places familiar and unfamiliar, not stopping until they reach
the ends of the world. We have been clothed with the same Spirit. We are
called to be evangelizers and witnesses, near and far, wherever we go. The
Spirit always goes before us, preparing the way and strengthening our hearts
to be generous servants of the Risen Lord who ever guides us. Pentecost is
an enduring and continuing event. We implore the Holy Spirit to renew the
face of the earth by renewing us.
Silence
Prayer: Father in heaven, through this spiritual journey, You have reminded us of
the fullness of the mystery of Your revealed love. See Your people gathered
in prayer, open to receive the Spirit's flame. May it come to rest in our
hearts and disperse the divisions of word and tongue. With one voice and
one song, may we praise Your name in joy and thanksgiving. Grant this
through Christ our Lord, and in the power of the Spirit, both now and
forevermore. Amen.
Sign of Peace
“Via Lucis” is a component of the award-winning program, Jubilee 2000, and was
produced by the Archdiocese of Detroit for Year Five, “Living Christ’s Presence.”
The Via Crucis reminds us that we are called to be crucifers. We take up the cross with
the Risen Lord who teaches us and accompanies us through the challenges of daily life.
The Via Lucis, a contemporary rediscovery of an ancient devotion, highlights the
continuing presence of the Risen Lord, as we recognize His guidance and leadership
through the events of our living. Walking the Via Lucis makes us lucifers, light bearers in
a darkened world. This insight gives a whole new positive meaning to the name "Lucifer"
that was limited previously only to Catholic literary traditions’ link with the name of the
leader of the fallen angels.
Our celebratio n of the liturgy is meant to be the source and spring as well as the journey
through the valleys and mountaintops of our faith. The devotional itinerary through the
Via Crucis and Via Lucis echoes the paschal mystery of the death-resurrection of Jesus
Christ. Walking the Via Crucis and the Via Lucis helps us to identify with the Lord who
always walks ahead, behind and all around us.
Amen! Alleluia!
Acknowledgments
[SCRIPTURE VERSES taken from the Revised New Testament of the New American Bible,
1986, Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, DC., used with permission. HYMN
TEXT taken from” O Sons and Daughters.” GIA Publications and the Catholic Liturgy Book.
Used with permission. LITURGICAL PRAYERS adapted from The Roman Missal:
Sacramentary, 1970, United States Catholic Conference; and from Prayers for Sundays and
Seasons, Years A, B and C, Archdiocese of Chicago: Liturgy Training Publications, 1996-1998,
used with permission. VIA LUCIS ILLUSTRATIONS taken from The Official Vatican
Prayerbook for the Jubilee Year 2000, Pilgrim Prayers, used with permission. Translation
facilitated by Rev. John West, Archdiocese of Detroit.]
Peter and John Visit the Tomb with Mary III Sanhedrin Condemns Jesus
Magdalen
Mary Magdalen Proclaims His Rising to V Pilate Condemns Jesus to the Cross
the Apostles
Jesus Appears on the Road to Emmaus VI Jesus is Scourged and Crowned with
Thorns
Jesus Gives the Disciples the Power to VII Jesus is Mocked and Given the Cross to
Forgive Carry
Jesus Confirms the Faith of Thomas VIII Simon the Cyrenian Helps Jesus Carry
His Cross
Jesus Eats with the Disciples on Tiberias IX Jesus Meets the Women of Jerusalem
Shore
Jesus Gives the Great Commission to the XII Jesus Promises Paradise to the Penitent
Disciples Criminal
Jesus Ascends into Heaven XII Jesus Speaks to His Mother and to His
Disciple
Mary and the Disciples Keep Vigil for the XIII Jesus Dies on the Cross
Spirit's Advent