LEONARD PORTER’S A Commentary by Denis McNamara

Saint Francis Xavier Stillwater, Oklahoma Denis McNamara M.Arch.H., Ph.D. is an architectural historian and author of The Heavenly City and Catholic Church Architecture and the Spirit of the Liturgy. Entries on Stations X through XIII were written by Leonard Porter. The entry on Station XIV was co-written by Dr. McNamara and Mr. Porter. To the People of Francis Xavier and All Who Visit,

fter years of planning and two years of construction, Saint Francis Xavier A Catholic Church was dedicated on March 11, 2018. Among its many architectural highlights is the Stations of the Cross, 14 paintings by American artist Leonard Porter. Originally painted for the King Church in New Vernon, NJ, the Stations tell the story of ’ final hours. Using a picture of dark and light, bright colors, and ancient imagery, Porter brings the Christ to life right here in Payne County, OK.

The explanations and meditations of this booklet come from the incredible work of Dr. Denis McNamara, an architectural historian who specializes in American church architecture. May the explanations and meditations of this booklet draw us deeper into the mystery of the Cross and of Christ’s love for us that is the foundation of the Catholic faith.

Pray well.

In Christ,

Rev. Brian O’Brien Pastor Stations of the Cross Commentary 1 Station I:

Jesus is Condemned to Death

2 Stations of the Cross Commentary Station I: Jesus is Condemned to Death

Station One begins with Christ standing before Pilate surrounded by members of the , who clench their fists in anger and demand vengeance on Christ. Holding a reed and wearing the crown of thorns, Christ stands serene and powerless before Pilate, who is raised up on a white marble throne which sits on a pedestal much like a statue base. Shown in perfect profile, Pilate appears frozen. His senatorial toga makes him nearly as white as the pedestal on which he sits, reinforcing his statue-like appearance and indicating that his power is merely external and worldly. Axe heads and fasciae stand behind Pilate’s throne, symbols of earthly power and authority, while Christ is bound and passive, the true King humbly accepting the judgment of an earthly king. Pilate points at Christ, ordering his suffering and death, yet he also directs the view of the one praying the Stations: go and walk the Via Crucis.

Two Roman guards hold Christ, figures who will appear repeatedly in the Stations. The bearded soldier wears a white belt, indicating that he is a Roman general. The other man in the helmet is , a centurion who grows in his love and appreciation of Christ as the Stations progress. The general wears a leather girdle with a breastplate showing Medusa, the monstrous Gorgon whose glance could turn a person to stone. This general would be unmoved by Christ’s passion, his stony heart untouched by grace.

By contrast, the centurion Longinus wears an image referring to the mythological story of the Choice of Hercules. In this story, Hercules is visited by two nymphs representing Pleasure and Virtue, and he is given the choice between a pleasant and easy life or a severe but glorious life. Hercules chooses the life of virtue and glory, despite its difficulties, an apt analogy for Christ’s redemptive Passion, since in choosing obedience to the Father, He suffers but rises again in glory. It also sets the stage for Longinus’ own conversion on the Way of the Cross, that he himself will choose to suffer with Christ with the hope of future glory.

In the background, a blood-red column prefigures the Flagellation at the Pillar, with the stripes of the marble itself imitating the wounds of Christ’s back. An eerie skull-like figure appears over Pilate’s knee, foreshadowing Christ’s at Golgotha, the “Place of the Skull.” As the procession moves from station to station, the figures will grow in number, the scenes will get more frenzied, the weather will grow darker, and different people representing all of humanity will enter and depart from the scene, indicating that all sinned and that all were redeemed.

Those praying this set of Stations see themselves in the images, simultaneously the sinner and also Longinus, who will choose the virtuous life by walking with Christ.

Stations of the Cross Commentary 3 Station II:

Jesus Takes Up His Cross

4 Stations of the Cross Commentary Station II: Jesus Takes Up His Cross

This station shows Christ taking up his cross. Rather than having the cross laid upon him, Christ reaches up for it, indicating his eagerness to do the Father’s will even in suffering. While his pose suggests reaching for the cross, it also speaks of the orans position of prayer found commonly in the Mass. Christ simultaneously looks up the take the cross and to pray to his Father in heaven. Porter frequently “quotes” ancient art work, and Christ’s pose is derived from the that of a Greek bronze from about 300 BC. In this way, Porter’s art not only speaks to today’s needs, but subtly layers images from history into a new painting.

Light and shadow come into high relief here. Christ’s clothing uses gem-like colors of red, indicating Christ’s humanity, and blue which indicates his divinity. The painting’s other figures were not only painted with less vibrant colors, but a smoky, semi-opaque glaze was put over the painting at the end to tone them down and place them in an almost imperceptible shadow.

Unlike the relative calm of the first station, station two moves outside and has more figures doing different things. The man in the yellow being led off is the “Good Thief” who will reappear later at the crucifixion. Background figures show differing emotions. Some show grief, others anger. A mother and two children in the rear near the column not only appear as grief stricken bystanders, but recall images of the Virgin and Child with the infant St. . Note how the one child standing alone embraces the column while subtly pointing toward the infant Christ, just as the Baptist pointed the way for Christ’s coming. In the back left, a group of philosophers gather and discuss what this could all mean. Some are old, some are young, some male, some female, allowing the people who pray with these stations to see themselves there with Christ.

Over the shoulders of the philosophers, a small palm tree indicates that this is , yet much of the architecture looks Roman. Here Porter intentionally departed from a literal sense of the location of the Way of the Cross, making something outside of a particular place and time. While acknowledging the factual reality of Christ’s time in the Holy Land, the image also speaks of the Church’s future in Rome. Porter intentionally used differing points of view in perspective. The design is not based on single-point perspective, like a renaissance painting, but with many perspectives, like an icon. These multiple points of view show that Christ’s Passion was meant to restore the world to order from chaos, yet he accomplished this by absorbing all chaos in his own person.

It is interesting to note that the men who lead Christ along with whips and angry comments (shown here as a shirtless man in a green tunic and another in blue) change in every station. Unlike most sets of stations which show a simple narrative of the same figures moving from station to station, those who lead Christ to the crucifixion will, over the course of the 14 stations, change in age and racial characteristics. In this way, Porter indicates that it was the sins of all humanity which led Christ to his death.

Stations of the Cross Commentary 5 Station III:

Jesus Falls for the First Time

6 Stations of the Cross Commentary Station III: Jesus Falls for the First Time

Station Three represents Christ falling for the first time. Christ’s garments again gleam with jewel tones even as the rest of the scene has been brought down in tone with smoky transparent glaze. The scene has now progressed outside the city, slowly leading to Calvary.

The two Roman soldiers on horseback reappear from Station One. Longinus, in the golden helmet, will eventually choose Christ, and here it is clearly visible, the “Choice of Hercules” image on his wide belt, a mythological scene representing Hercules’ choice between pleasure and virtue. This choice is indicated in the two Roman soldiers on horseback, beginning to choose different directions: Longinus toward Christ and the other away. In fact, Longinus’ first major move toward Christ is shown in this station, where he raises his hand in a small act of generosity, telling the henchmen to stop attacking the fallen Jesus. A small curb and indication of a road appears in the lower right corner as well, reinforcing the viewer’s sense of progress. More importantly though, it serves as a symbolic indication of crossing over. Note that Longinus’ horse’s foot has stepped over the curb, indicating his choice to leave the Roman world behind and follow Christ. Important to note here is the nature of the cross. Just as Christ’s journey progresses on the , so will the cross change as well. In this station it appears as clean, freshly cut lumber. As the stations advance, it will become battered as Christ’s body is battered, and more importantly, it will start to look less like lumber and more like a tree. At the Crucifixion, it will have actually grown roots, becoming again the Tree of Life.

In an intentional choice, Porter chose to represent the background scenery as a Renaissance painter might, gathering different tidbits of buildings taken from knowledge about ancient culture and arranging them to best help the narrative. The church, in which these stations now hang, is modeled on American colonial architecture, which had its roots in 18th century England and which found inspiration in the art and architecture of Baroque Rome. In order to bridge the gap between Baroque Rome and the American Colonial Revival, Porter chose this venerable method of representation of the background scenes.

In the rear on the left, a Jewish official makes a gesture, pointing up and sideways not onlyin scold of Christ, but also indicating the progress of the stations as they rise to Calvary. Here one can also see the dark “holes” that Porter has placed in the paintings–the area above Christ’s back and under the horse. This dark spot in the painting not only gives Christ a strong contrast of light against dark, but begins to give the painting itself the sense of being punctured or torn compositionally in imitation of Christ’s body. All the while, Christ’s face remains clear, resolute and peaceful. Here Porter presented beauty within violence. No matter how violent the image becomes, it remains beautifully rendered. Though Christ’s suffering was indeed violent and beautiful, it is a story of love, charity and forgiveness, and this is evident in the lovingly rendered paintings of the Stations.

Stations of the Cross Commentary 7 Station IV:

Jesus Meets His Mother

8 Stations of the Cross Commentary Station IV: Jesus Meets His Mother

In station Four, Christ meets his Blessed Mother together with and other women of Jerusalem. St. John is shown with them as well, wearing green and supporting the Virgin. Though the Virgin Mary swoons and Christ looks at her with compassion, his face remains focused on his task, as even compassion for his mother cannot keep him from his mission of salvation.

Here the chaos begins to grow. Earlier stations had certain calm, but now a man on the left holds a spear, prefiguring the piercing of Christ’s heart, pointing upward to the hill of Calvary as if yelling “get him out of here.” The Roman guard on the horse points to the Virgin, without compassion yelling for her to be removed from Christ’s path. In this way she shares some of the wrath of the mob, both Christ and his mother being pushed aside and both given little compassion. The gesture of the solider points not only to Mary, however, but also to the pyramidal tomb in the background. This tomb evokes the famous Tomb of Cestius in Rome, and its location behind many layers of buildings shows how the landscape in this image indicates Christ’s path in the Via Dolorosa: he will pass many buildings, but at last will be placed in the tomb.

Behind the Virgin’s outstretched hand we see a small tableau of an old man and youth. Just as Christ’s salvific action bridges the time between the old law and the new era of grace afterthe Resurrection, so this tableau indicates that Christ’ Passion comes at an “in-between time” after the Age of Shadow and before the Age of Reality at the end of time. The youth carries a shepherd’s staff, indicating his symbolic representation of Christ the in the new age of grace.

Christ’s pose is calm, his expression determined, his clothing gem-like and radiant, prefiguring heavenly glory. Moreover, he climbs up a single step indicating his progress up to the hill of the crucifixion.

Marian images appear as well. A small red anemone appears in the left foreground, a flower traditionally associated with the Virgin. Less obvious, though, is the round temple in the background, which alludes to the Temple of Sybil in Tivoli, once known as the Temple of Vesta (a similar example exists in ruin in the Roman Forum to this day). In these small round temples were located the sacred fire ofRome, tended by the famous vestal virgins who took a vow of chastity. More than a simple old-looking background building, this temple speaks of the virginal nature of the Mother of God.

Stations of the Cross Commentary 9 Station V:

Simon of Cyrene Helps Jesus to Carry His Cross 10 Stations of the Cross Commentary Station V: Simon of Cyrene Helps Jesus to Carry His Cross

In Station Five, Simon of Cyrene is pressed into service to help Christ carry the cross. Christ has fallen and is beginning to look more spent than in earlier stations. The glory of his garments remains, indicating his divine action, yet his face shows the effort of his labors. The clouds have gathered in dark storminess.

Throughout this station are images of work and help which echo the very notion of helping Christ carry the Cross. Notably, Simon himself wears the conventional clothing of the peasant worker, including the knife in his belt. In this station, the good centurion Longinus reappears on horseback (the “choice of Hercules” apparent on his belt once again), who in an act of charity presses Simon into service.

The large buildings of Jerusalem’s Temple Mount—the only archaeologically accurate buildings in the entire set of stations– loom in the background, the place of God’s presence and the sacrificial offering of animals in accordance with God’s law.

The setting of the Temple has another meaning for Porter, since the Temple was the scene of the story in concerning the woman caught in adultery. In this biblical narrative, Christ gave help to a woman caught up in the anger of the mob, just as Simon of Cyrene now helps Christ.

In the background on the right is shown a small arch with a column supporting it at its keystone. Here the architecture itself speaks of helping. An arch normally carries the weight of the wall above it, but in this small detail a central column helps support the arch, just as Simon helps support the cross of Christ. Through the arch is seen a courtyard with a small well with three women around it, a tiny tableau speaking of drinking from the well of salvation.

Notions of being punctured appear here more vividly. Just as Christ’s body was punctured, so the painting participates in “puncturedness.” Porter placed a small white square in the upper left, indicating a window or puncture in the great city wall. Areas of extremely dark paint appear behind Simon and his bright yellow tunic, not only putting him in high relief, but suggesting dark holes in the painting itself.

Stations of the Cross Commentary 11 Station VI:

Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus

12 Stations of the Cross Commentary Station VI: Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus

Station Six shows Veronica wiping the face of Jesus. Porter intended this station to be a “flexion point” in the progress along the Via Crucis. Keeping the three great epochs of salvation history in mind—the time of shadow (Old Testament), the time of reality (the end of time) and the time of the image (our current time)—we see Christ reaching across from one epoch to the other, from shadow to image.

Accordingly, the painting centers on themes of image, threshold and reaching across boundaries. Fundamental to the scene is Christ giving the image of his face to Veronica. Just as Christ’s own image came from heaven to earth in the Incarnation, so His image is given to Veronica across an implied threshold in the scene itself. Christ stands up high in a brightly-lit right side of the painting, reaching across and down to the darker left side. Interesting to note is the two-way exchange evident here. Veronica gives her veil to wipe the face of Christ, yet what she receives back is transfigured and glorified: a veil made more like Christ just as humans would be made more like Christ by being restored to divine life in his image.

In further allusion, Porter associates the wiping and cleansing of Christ’s face as analogous to baptism, a sacrament of purification of the one who offers him or herself to Christ. To this end, Porter included a small fountain in the lower right, a small pipe from Christ’s side of the painting, flowing with water into a jar which then flows over into the world. The water represents the heavenly bliss of grace, freely flowing from heaven to earth. Note too that the pipe is held up by two small wooden sticks forming a cross, derived from the small cross often held by John the Baptist in traditional paintings. An image of John, who led others to literal baptism, here supports the free flow of the waters of grace.

A column-like woman in deep shadow witnesses Christ’s action on the left side of the painting. Porter thought it important to have many witnesses in the stations, not only to coincide with the biblical descriptions, but to indicate the nature of a Christian community which sees and is inspired by other members of the Mystical Body. A small orange wall in the background supports a decorative finial in the shape of an acorn, a reference to the tree, both the tree that caused the fall of Adam and Eve and the Tree of Life which is the cross. Images of piercedness occur here, as well, in the small grate under the steps upon which Veronica kneels and in the arch behind her feet.

Stations of the Cross Commentary 13 Station VII:

Jesus Falls a Second Time

14 Stations of the Cross Commentary Station VII: Jesus Falls a Second Time

Station Seven shows Christ falling a second time, and here Porter provides a sense of movement in addition to the narrative itself. Note the curve in the road and the pointed finger of the man holding onto the column. In a church, the seventh station would be the last one at the rear of the north side of the building, so the worshipper would have to cross the back of the nave, turn left and begin with the stations, back to the front. Here the painting itself gives cues to the one praying. The road turns in the direction of the person’s actual route in the church, the horse begins to move in a new direction, and the figures not only point toward Christ’s path, but the path of those who pray the Stations. This intentional similarity of movement is meant to intensify the experience of walking the stations with Christ.

Many figures occupy the space of the picture plane, representing here many nationalities. The henchmen who push Christ along are new in every painting, and here one is blonde and the other dark-haired. A middle-eastern man and an African are shown as well, indicating that all sinners required redemption and are implicated in the death of Christ.

Christ’s weary face remains determined, looking up to heaven in a kind of peaceful calm outside of the chaos coming at him from every side. His cross is beginning to get more ragged– eventually at the crucifixion it will take on the irregularity of a tree once again, becoming the Tree of Life. The pathos of Christ’s suffering is evident in the face of the man behind the cross in the white garment and the red sash as he sees Christ about to be hit with a piece of lumber. The secondary narrative crisscrosses the painting—the faces of shock, sorrow, anger, indifference, wonder and violence all surround Christ.

On the left, an elderly man representing the old system of belief reaches up to remove the laurel wreath from a Roman statue, indicating that there is no victory in the pagan religions. Rather, the true victory over sin and death is in the crown of thorns worn by Christ.

Stations of the Cross Commentary 15 Station VIII:

Jesus Meets the Women of Jerusalem

16 Stations of the Cross Commentary Station VIII: Jesus Meets the Women of Jerusalem

Station Eight shows Christ meeting the women of Jerusalem and giving them the difficult words “Do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and your children,” alluding the coming destruction of the Temple and indeed of Jerusalem itself. An overturned brazier at Christ’s feet speak of the Temple’s destruction, the end of shadowy worship of the Old Testament and the birthing pains of a new daughter, the Church, who sings right praise.

Porter’s painting shows the increased chaos of sin entering the walk of the Via Crucis. The setting is outside the city walls, progressing ever closer to the hill of Calvary. Roman soldiers file out of the city, bringing all earthly power against Christ, carrying the Roman standard of military power. Soldiers seem to rain down on Christ, just as the clouds darken and the wind picks up and begins to blow the centurion’s cloak. The centurions on horseback clearly show their respective understanding of the event. In the gold helmet, Longinus ponders Christ’s death and travels with him. The other centurion bares his arm in a display of earthly power, turning his horse away from Christ.

Porter intentionally gives the scene a simultaneous calm and frenzy made possible in classical painting. Though the figures are in deep mourning, their poses are carefully and beautifully composed. Though Christ suffers, his divinity remains evident.

The daughters of Jerusalem come from many races and social classes, with arms reaching out to Christ inspired by David’s Brutus. In common biblical symbolism, women, like the woman at the well or the Virgin Mary, represent the Church, and here they are clustered like an edifice of great strength. Like Christ, they glow with vibrant Easter colors, while the rest of the scene is pulled back in darkness by Porter’s addition of smoky glazes over the paint.

On the extreme right, a woman, almost invisible in deep shadow, weeps at the destruction of Jerusalem at the foot of a statue figure known as a caryatid, another woman-figure emblem of the Church. This example, based on an original from Hadrian’s Villa, wears a castle on her head. The image of a woman with a castle on her head is a long standing image of a city, or polis. The Church is therefore represented as a person – a woman as pillar of the Church – yet simultaneously as a city, pouring out a libation bowl in her right hand, just as the Church will dispense divine life in the sacraments after the destruction of the Temple.

Stations of the Cross Commentary 17 Station IX:

Jesus Falls for the Third Time

18 Stations of the Cross Commentary Station IX: Jesus Falls for the Third Time

In Station Nine, Jesus falls for the third time. Here we see Christ even farther beyond the city wall, storm brewing and wind blowing. Four henchmen now torment the fallen Christ after only two appeared in the previous stations, indicating the increase in the violence of the sins of mankind that rain down upon him. Using a classical convention, the henchmen have differing physical features and dress rep- resenting the “Four Races of Man,” indicating that all of humanity brought Christ to the crucifixion, and conversely that Christ died for all. The colors of the clothing have all been elevated, increasing the visual dynamism of the painting.

The unrepentant centurion lords over the scene, the rising storm blowing his cloak. He looks with a scowl directly at Christ while even his horse is forced to look away in terror. By contrast, Longi- nus has dismounted from his horse, becoming almost lost in the crowd on the left side of the painting, looking at Christ with sadness. At the far right, a shadowy woman in purple runs away with her baby, an allusion to the Massacre of the Innocents which occurred at the beginning of Christ’s life, indicating that the innocent Christ is indeed accepting the violence of men.

Christ’s face remains resolute even in his weakness, and his cross is beginning to appear more tree-like at the bottom, indicating its transformation from instrument of torture to Tree of Life.

Stations of the Cross Commentary 19 Station X:

Jesus is Stripped of His Garments

20 Stations of the Cross Commentary Station X: Jesus is Stripped of His Garments

In Station Ten, Jesus is stripped of His garments and offered gall and vinegar to drink. Having been subjected to brutal assaults and mockery along his path to Calvary, Jesus is further humiliated by being stripped, revealing the fragility of His mortal form.

As if to add insult to injury, Roman soldiers on the left propose a game of chance to decide who gets to keep His robes. The Roman commander smirks at the idea. A henchman jokingly offers Christ’s red robe up for the game.

On the right another offers Christ a drink of gall and vinegar under the direction Longinus. The gall and vinegar are often thought of as a poison and another taunt, but they were actually painkiller. Longinus is offering Christ a path to lessen His suffering. He knows that what is coming will involve excruciating pain. It is an act of mercy and compassion on his part. Christ of course declines knowing that it is through His suffering that man may be saved.

In the foreground a small ravine makes the ground appear ripped, underscoring the violence to Christ and his garments. In the background, ruins imply the devastation wrought on this man and a bare tree, echoes the image of Christ stripped bare.

Stations of the Cross Commentary 21 Station XI:

Jesus is Nailed to the Cross

22 Stations of the Cross Commentary Station XI: Jesus is Nailed to the Cross

In Station Eleven, Jesus is nailed to the cross. In the foreground a pathway leads to this point and comes to an end signaling that Christ’s procession has finished and He now faces the final trial. The recurring theme of Christ as tree based on Christ’s speech in Station 8 (Luke 23:31) and seen in previous stations is repeated here. We see a tree stump almost making Christ and the cross appear as a tree that has been cut down.

All the preceding tumult and commotion has emptied out. The mood is somber and dark, the only sounds are the wind billowing the soldier’s cloak and the slow clanging of the hammer. The storm clouds are clearing, and the three women cower just over the horizon, helpless to offer any comfort.

The soldiers look on grimly almost as if they were carrying out an ancient ritual sacrifice. A henchman, whose face is hidden, hammers the dreadful nails into Christ’s feet. Christ looks upward as he endures what must have been unimaginable pain.

Stations of the Cross Commentary 23 Station XII:

Jesus Dies on the Cross

24 Stations of the Cross Commentary Station XII: Jesus Dies on the Cross

In station Eleven, Jesus is nailed to the cross. In staion Eleven's foreground, a pathway leads to this point and comes to an end here, in Station Twelve, where Christ dies on the Cross. An eclipse is seen in the sky, signaling that an event of momentous import for heaven and earth has occurred.

Christ’s flesh has lost its color, his hands are brutally disfigured by nails and the weight of His body pulling on them. His head slumps toward His mother who looks up at him, tears welling in her eyes. Christ commended her into John’s care and now he clutches her hands and supports her as if she might collapse.

The Magdalene and other women weep despondently. Behind her Longinus stands with his arms at his side, opening his heart to Jesus and the epiphany that “Truly this man was the Son of God”. He holds in his right hand the lance that will pierce Christ’s side.

Blood from Christ’s feet runs down the cross to ground, as if to water this “tree” that has been planted into the ground. Close inspection reveals that was once clean cut lumber bares the scars of the journey to this place, but it also has grown knots and is seemingly embedding itself into the ground.

At the foot of the cross, is a skull indicating that this is Golgotha, (the Place of the Skull). The skull is said to be that of Adam and the cross hewn from the Tree of Knowledge from Eden.

Stations of the Cross Commentary 25 Station XIII:

The Body of Jesus is Taken Down from the Cross 26 Stations of the Cross Commentary Station XIII: The Body of Jesus is Taken Down from the Cross

In Station Thirteen, Christ is taken down from the cross and laid upon the knees of His mother. As the two henchman and St. John gently let Christ down from the height of the cross, His body forms a gentle s-curve, that is repeated in the shroud waiting below.

Mary delicately embraces the hand of her dead son. In a similar gesture Mary Magdalene reaches out to the foot that she once washed piously with her own hair, lamenting its now disfigured state. At her foot is seen a jar of ointment, her traditional attribute, and the crown of thorns now radiant with divine signifi- cance. The nails that pierced Christ flesh also glow in the background.

Joseph of Arimethea stands partially hidden in the rear. Here Porter took an ancient convention from mythological belief systems in which Zeus would appear on earth in human form. So Joseph here wears especially regal dress, not just because he was a wealthy man, but to give the viewer an image of what the Father sees without actually representing the Father. In this way, the viewer gets to imagine the grief of God the Father without fear of idolatry.

The Cross has now spread out a significant root system, living again as the Tree of Life as it will in Paradise.

Stations of the Cross Commentary 27 Station XIV:

Jesus is Laid in the Sepulcher

28 Stations of the Cross Commentary Station XIV: Jesus is Laid in the Sepulcher

In the last of New York painter Leonard Porter’s Stations of the Cross, we see Christ’s body laid in the tomb. Though lifeless, Christ’s body is lit up, eerily white amid the muted colors of the background and other figures. His body, stiff with rigor mortis, still shows the shape of the cross, his arms outstretched. The two henchmen on the left, now look at each other saying, “What have we done?” Mary Magdalene has fallen to the ground in her grief, with a jar of ointment once again, this time to anoint Christ’s lifeless body. Joseph of Arimethea has reverted to mortal form.

Christ’s hands are lovingly bound as if to bandage His wounds. His right hand points into the tomb, just as Pilate’s pointed finger began the sorrowful walk in Station One. The next phase of Christ’s mission will begin in the tomb, gathering the souls of the dead.

Light is seen on the horizon and a tree grows anew in the background, prefiguring the resurrection. It is a palm, symbol of victory.

Stations of the Cross Commentary 29

DEVOTIONAL STATIONS OF THE CROSS BY DENIS MCNAMARA

Saint Francis Xavier Catholic Church Stillwater, Oklahoma Preparatory Prayer

(Kneel)

All: My Lord, Jesus Christ, You have made this journey to die for me with unspeakable love; and I have so many times ungratefully abandoned You. But now I love You with all my heart; and, because I love You, sincerely sorry for ever having offended You. Pardon me, my God, and permit me to accompany You on the way of the cross. You go to die for love of me; I want, my beloved Redeemer, to die for love of You. My Jesus, I will live and die always united to You.

(Rise)

†Stabat Mater dolorosa †At, the Cross her station keeping, iuxta Crucem lacrimosa, stood the mournful Mother weeping, dum pendebat Filius. close to Jesus to the last.

†to the tune of Stabat Mater

Devotional Stations of the Cross 1

Station I:

Jesus is Condemned to Death

2 Devotional Stations of the Cross Station I: Jesus is Condemned to Death

Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise You.

(Genuflect)

All: Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)

Leader: My children – See that I surrendered to the powers of the world, to the power of evil! See that the Creator became subject to the creature. Where have you become subject to the world, lost in the world? I will rescue you because I became subject to the world and still remained God. Is there anything I cannot conquer for you? Simply give Me every place in you where you are subject to evil and I will conquer it for you.

Such is the depth of my love.

All: Jesus, we ask in humble prayer to be freed from the bondage of sin and to hold fast to the things of Heaven. Set free from our sins, may we live a holy life, kept safe from every trial. Amen.

Cuius animam gementem, Through her heart, His sorrow sharing, contristatam et dolentem all His bitter anguish bearing, pertransivit gladius. now at length the sword had passed.

Devotional Stations of the Cross 3 Station II:

Jesus Takes Up His Cross

4 Devotional Stations of the Cross Station II: Jesus Takes Up His Cross

Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise You.

(Genuflect)

All: Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)

Leader: See that My Son reached eagerly for the Cross! Yes, the sins of men brought Him to the Cross, but see how eager He was to reach for it. Now I give a new gift of freedom to humanity. What crosses do you carry, My children? I am still eager to carry them for you. Give Me your spouse, your child, your parent, the strangers on the street. Give me the world with all its crosses and I will carry them for you.

Such is the depth of my love.

All: Jesus, trusting in your kindness we bring you our crosses of pain, trauma, haunting memory, and every hopeless situation in our relationships with others. We acknowledge them and give them to You. In joining our crosses with Yours, we hope for the joy of everlasting life with You, where you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen.

O quam tristis et afflicta Oh how sad and sore distressed fuit illa benedicta, was that Mother, highly blest, mater Unigeniti! of the sole-begotten One.

Devotional Stations of the Cross 5 Station III:

Jesus Falls for the First Time

6 Devotional Stations of the Cross Station III: Jesus Falls for the First Time

Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise You.

(Genuflect)

All: Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)

Leader: My children, see I became weak for you. I experienced your weakness and so I understand your plight. So do not fear Me. I am One who under- stands. Where are you weak? Where do you fall again and again? Do not rely on yourself and your human will alone. Give your falls to Me, your weaknesses to Me. Ask Me to strengthen you. Ask and I will do it! For I have learned your weakness and am therefore all mercy.

Such is the depth of my love.

All: Jesus, where we are weak we ask for strength. May your Mercy sustain our families and relationships, illuminating our hearts with the splendor of your grace. Give to us the life of Your unfailing light, we who walk in the shadow of death. Amen.

Quae maerebat et dolebat, Christ above in torment hangs, pia Mater, dum videbat she beneath beholds the pangs nati poenas inclyti. of her dying glorious Son.

Devotional Stations of the Cross 7 Station IV:

Jesus Meets His Mother

8 Devotional Stations of the Cross Station IV: Jesus Meets His Mother

Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise You.

(Genuflect)

All: Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)

Leader: See, My children, that My mother suffered with Me. My sinless mother said “yes” to Me and all that it meant. She who was conceived without sin, too, became subject to the pain of man’s sins out of love of Me and love of you. So go to her and ask her for intercession. She will offer you consolation and lead you to Me. Give to her now, all that you suffer – the totality of your crosses – and she will bring you strength.

Such is the depth of my love.

All: Jesus, we thank you for your blessed mother Mary who never abandons her children. She who suffered all with You, the pains of our sin, we ask in full confidence our petitions and needs before her. Guided by her help and motherly care, our crosses become lighter and sweeter, as she made Yours. Amen.

Quis est homo qui non fleret, Is there one who would not weep, matrem Christi si videret whelmed in miseries so deep, in tanto supplicio? Christ’s dear Mother to behold.

Devotional Stations of the Cross 9 Station V:

Simon of Cyrene Helps Jesus to Carry His Cross 10 Devotional Stations of the Cross Station V: Simon of Cyrene Helps Jesus to Carry His Cross

Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise You.

(Genuflect)

All: Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)

Leader: See, My children, My human nature was so weak as to need the assistance of men! This is how low I became out of love of you. I am with you and those who love you are waiting on every side. Do not despise those you love who might see your weakness. Ask them to pray for you. Ask them to carry your cross with you and I will carry it with them. Accept their love as you accept Mine.

Such is the depth of my love.

All: Jesus, you said that the greatest commandment was to love God with all your heart, with all your mind, and with all your strength. In loving our neighbors as ourselves, may we carry the crosses of others without hesitation. May we be cleansed from our old earthly ways and help our brothers and sisters be renewed by growth in heavenly life. Amen.

Quis non posset contristari Can the human heart refrain Christi Matrem contemplari from partaking in her pain dolentem cum Filio? in that Mother’s pain untold?

Devotional Stations of the Cross 11 Station VI:

Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus

12 Devotional Stations of the Cross Station VI: Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus

Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise You.

(Genuflect)

All: Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)

Leader: My children, who can see the face of God and live? Yet I became so weak that a woman wiped My brow. In My gratitude I left an image of My face for the world, a face of Fatherly friendship. Ask Me to make My face your face. You will be My face for your spouse, your child, your friends, and your neighbor. I gave the world My face to be carried by others!

Such is the depth of my love.

All: Jesus, you ask that our face be Your holy face. Your face in , crowned with the thorns of our pride, became for us our source of divine friendship. We seek Your face, Lord, in our crosses. Your Presence, Lord, humbles us and inspires us, Your sons and daughters. We are deeply sorry for our sins against You, and we devote our hearts to You again once more, not as slaves but as friends. Amen.

Pro peccatis suae gentis Bruised, derided, cursed, defiled, vidit Iesum in tormentis, she beheld her tender Child et flagellis subditum. All with bloody scourges rent:

Devotional Stations of the Cross 13 Station VII:

Jesus Falls a Second Time

14 Devotional Stations of the Cross Station VII: Jesus Falls a Second Time

Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise You.

(Genuflect)

All: Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)

Leader: My children, I came to save you, and to save you I had to become like you in every way but sin. How could I experience your weakness without sin? By falling upon My face under the weight of mankind’s sins for a second time.

Such is the depth of my love.

All: Jesus, you carried our weakness by becoming weak. May we give up the false strength of the world, self-reliance, and instead accept Your weakness which conquered death! In the hope of the Resurrection, may we unite our cross of earthly attachments to You. Place your love in our hearts so we may not be afraid to love others in our weakness. Amen.

Vidit suum dulcem Natum For the sins of His own nation, moriendo desolatum, saw Him hang in desolation, dum emisit spiritum. Till His spirit forth He sent.

Devotional Stations of the Cross 15 Station VIII:

Jesus Meets the Women of Jerusalem

16 Devotional Stations of the Cross Station VIII: Jesus Meets the Women of Jerusalem

Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise You.

(Genuflect)

All: Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)

Leader: My children, see I met the sorrowing women and brought them My consolation even as I carried their cross. I told them not to sorrow, for I am the New Jerusalem.

Such is the depth of my love.

All: Jesus, the world You created us to live in you made good, but we await here in this Old Jerusalem for the New! May our ways be firm in keeping your statutes, by the help of Your Mercy. Since we have from you all that we are, through your grace may we seek what is right and have strength to do the good we desire. Amen.

Eia, Mater, fons amoris O thou Mother! Fount of love! me sentire vim doloris Touch my spirit from above, fac, ut tecum lugeam. make my heart with thine accord:

Devotional Stations of the Cross 17 Station IX:

Jesus falls for the Third Time

18 Devotional Stations of the Cross Station IX: Jesus Falls for the Third Time

Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise You.

(Genuflect)

All: Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)

Leader: My children! How I have lowered myself, licking the ground and swallowing dust, as was the curse of the ancient serpent in the Garden for his treachery. See I took the curse of evil to destroy that evil.

Such is the depth of my love.

All: Jesus, you bring life out of death. We fall into the mud of the world, into the darkness of sin: greed, idolatry, lust, anger, pride, sloth, hatred, blasphemy. We surrender and dash these sins against Your merciful love, and we embrace You once again. For our hearts are restless until they rest in You. Amen.

Fac, ut ardeat cor meum Make me feel as thou hast felt; in amando Christum Deum make my soul to glow and melt ut sibi complaceam. with the love of Christ, my Lord.

Devotional Stations of the Cross 19 Station X:

Jesus is Stripped of His Garments

20 Devotional Stations of the Cross Station X: Jesus is Stripped of His Garments

Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise You.

(Genuflect)

All: Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)

Leader: See, My children, I was held up naked before the world. First I was stripped of My heavenly glory, then of the little earthly possessions I had been given. Naked I stood before the world! Naked, I said: “Here I am. I come to do My Father’s will. I have only Myself to offer.”

Such is the depth of my love.

All: Jesus, we have only the present to love You. We present ourselves before you with an open heart and ear, ready to do Your Will. We renounce our ways of self-reliance and pride, phantoms of joy and godliness that lead us to unhappiness and despair. May we truly revere, O merciful God, Your holy gifts by which you ceaselessly nourish us. With true humility, may we always partake of them with abundant faith in our heart. Amen.

Sancta Mater, istud agas, Holy Mother pierce me through, crucifixi fige plagas in my heart each wound renew cordi meo valide. of my Savior crucified.

Devotional Stations of the Cross 21 Station XI:

Jesus is Nailed to the Cross

22 Devotional Stations of the Cross Station XI: Jesus is Nailed to the Cross

Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise You

(Genuflect)

All: Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)

Leader: See, My children, do you see My love for you? My hand, the hand that fashioned the world, became trapped and helpless, fastened to the Tree to undo the Tree of the Garden. I took upon Myself the limitations imposed by the Fall, fastened to a tree. In doing so, I transformed it into the Tree of Life.

Such is the depth of my love.

All: Jesus, you were nailed to the Cross for us. We don’t think about it enough and we are not grateful enough. Help us to put aside our sinful ways and to unite the sufferings of our lives with your passion and death. Your humility is our inspiration. Your sacrifice shows us how to live. May we always strive to recognize your sacrifice and love shown to us in your death on the Cross. Amen.

Tui Nati vulnerati, Let me share with thee His pain, tam dignati pro me pati, who for all my sins was slain, poenas mecum divide. who for me in torments died.

Devotional Stations of the Cross 23 Station XII:

Jesus Dies on the Cross

24 Devotional Stations of the Cross Station XII: Jesus Dies on the Cross

Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise You.

(Genuflect)

All: Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)

Leader: My children, My dear ones! See what love I have for you! I hung on the Cross, despised among men, the author of all glory. Yet I did this for love of you, to enter into death to destroy it forever. You have been redeemed.

This is the depth of my love.

All: Jesus, Your sacrifice on the Cross has given us new life, sanctifying us to things eternal. In Your death, we experience the death of our brokenness, weaknesses, sins, and hopelessness. You gave us Your Body and Blood to be united with You forever. Effect in us the healing that brings us immortality so our joy may be complete. We long to live with You forever. Amen.

Fac me tecum pie flere, Let me mingle tears with thee, crucifixo condolere, mourning Him who mourned for me, donec ego vixero. all the days that I may live.

Devotional Stations of the Cross 25 Station XIII:

The Body of Jesus is Taken Down from the Cross 26 Devotional Stations of the Cross Station XIII: The Body of Jesus is Taken Down from the Cross

Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise You.

(Genuflect)

All: Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)

Leader: See My victory, My children! You need do nothing more but wait for Me in the silence. I free you from the fear that you must do more, even as you wait for Me.

This is the depth of My love.

All: In the silence of our hearts, Jesus, we reflect in awe of Your victory and glory! Create a clean heart in us and renew the joy of our salvation. As we pass from old to new, with former ways left behind, may we be renewed in holiness of mind and heart. Amen.

Iuxta Crucem tecum stare, By the cross with thee to stay, et me tibi sociare there with thee to weep and pray, in planctu desidero. is all I ask of thee to give.

Devotional Stations of the Cross 27 Station XIV:

Jesus is Laid in the Sepulcher

28 Devotional Stations of the Cross Station XIV: Jesus is Laid in the Sepulcher

Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise You.

(Genuflect)

All: Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)

Leader: See, quietly I lay, invisible to the world and the powers of the world, returning to the dust of which man was made. You need to do nothing but rest in hopeful expectation.

This is the depth of my love.

All: Jesus, we believe in You. Do strengthen our faith. All our hopes are in You. Do secure them. We love you, teach us to love you daily more and more. In your power and kindness, you willed us to be reconciled to yourself and our salvation to be restored. As we wait in hopeful expectation of new life, take us up into the mystery of salvation. Amen.

Virgo virginum praeclara, Virgin of all virgins blest!, mihi iam non sis amara, Listen to my fond request: fac me tecum plangere. let me share thy grief divine.

Devotional Stations of the Cross 29 Final Prayer

Leader: Wait for the white dawn of victory, My children. The whiteness of My burial shroud has become the clothing of the redeemed, washed clean in the Blood of the Lamb. Wait for Me and My Easter victory. Pray and ask that I share this with you. Ask and it will be given to you, for I am a Father who keeps His promises.

This is the depth of my love.

All: Jesus, this Lent we pray to abstain from all sins by chastening our bodies for the healing of our souls. Strengthen our hearts to carry out Your loving commands. Inspire, encourage, and sustain us through our crosses so we may be preserved from selfishness and led to the happiness that flows from charity. In the quiet anticipation of Your Resurrection, animate our desire for the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness. Amen.

30 Devotional Stations of the Cross Our Father

Our Father, Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

Hail Mary

Hail Mary full of Grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed are thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Glory Be

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Fac, ut portem Christi mortem, Let me, to my latestbreath, passionis fac consortem, in my body bear the death et plagas recolere. of that dying Son of thine.

Devotional Stations of the Cross 31