Reflect
The Stations of the Cross are such a foundational part of our faith, and outdoor stations are especially moving as we walk them within wind. We are both outside in those moments, praying under sky, and yet also inside the Passion of Christ. What outdoor stations have you encountered? How did they deepen your faith?
Pray
Thank you God, for the stations along paths,
for the Passion overlapped with lichen
and moss, dying things,
returning things, rain-worn things,
rotting things, each station with a little roof,
but otherwise exposed, withstanding seasons of wind,
months of snow, or sun, no protection at all,
but welcoming whatever comes,
every fly and dragonfly
alighting upon you, pulsing its wings.
We’re grateful for these sacred pathways
behind our churches, at beloved shrines.
And the ones along the waves of the seawall:
a man staggering under the weight of the cross,
a seagull crying overhead.
Act
Take some time to behold the life-sized outdoor stations by renowned sculptor Timothy Schmalz at the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy in Massachusetts: www.shrineofdivinemercy.org/stations.
