outdoor stations of the cross | Traveling in Faith

Third Station: Jesus Falls the First Time. Outdoor Stations of the Cross – Holy Spirit Catholic Church, Palmyra, PA.

Jesus fell. The burden and weight of the cross came crashing down on his bruised, bloody and tired body. There was a loud thud, the crowd jeered, the soldiers cursed Him and a cloud of dust billowed through the air. Jesus regains his composure, rises, lifts His cross and carries on. Where did He get the strength?

Jesus was human like us. He experienced life’s emotions, disappointments and challenges. If anyone understands exhaustion, suffering and pain He does. At times, life can be extremely difficult. The weight of the world is heavy and there are days when we just don’t want to get out of bed. But like Christ, we have to muster the strength to get up and keep moving forward.

“Falling down is not a failure. Failure comes when you stay where you have fallen.” – Socrates

Third Station: Jesus Falls the First Time – Outdoor Stations of the Cross –
The National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa, Doylestown, PA

Outdoor stations at St. James Catholic Church, Lititz, PA.

Peter denied Him. Judas betrayed Him. The crowd shouted “Crucify Him!” A convicted murderer was released instead of an innocent man. They executed Him.

Yes, this was all part of God’s plan and the crucifixion of Christ was necessary in order that we may be saved. Yes, that would have happened regardless, but does it preclude us from doing the right thing?

We are strong in our beliefs and convictions but would we have the strength to stand-up to an unruly and screaming crowd? Would we risk your own life for a just man who committed no crime? Even Pontius Pilate yielded to the crowd (knowing it is the wrong decision) but he didn’t want to risk an uprising. But it wasn’t just Pilate who condemned Jesus; it was all of us and our sins.

We all like to think we would “do the right thing”. We can be heard saying, “I would never do/say that!” The truth is, until we are in a specific situation, we don’t know how we will react or what decisions we will make. It is so easy to judge as an outsider looking in.

When have we condemned others because of something we’ve heard; not knowing if it true? When have we condemned Christ when we are hurtful in our words or actions? When have we been condemned by others due to gossip or judgement?

As we inch closer to Holy Week and Easter, let’s reflect on Jesus’ steps in fulfilling the promise of salvation. What role would you have played?

Traveling in Faith

Tag Archives: outdoor stations of the cross

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