Stations of the Cross on Overcoming Racism
What do the final hours in the life of Jesus say to us about racism in America today?
The first station in the Stations of the Cross in the Church of Saint Stephen in Salmbach, Bas-Rhin, France, cropped. Gerd Eichmann, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Salmbach-St_Stephan-Kreuzweg-01-Jesus_wird_zum_Tode_verurteilt-gje.jpg.
Tom Faletti
March 1, 2024
Do the final hours in the life of Jesus say anything to us about racism in America today?
The connections are numerous and compelling. I invite you to pray the “Stations of the Cross: Overcoming Racism,” which I wrote to explore those connections:
Stations of the Cross: Overcoming Racism
Background
The Stations of the Cross, also known as the Way of the Cross, are an ancient prayer form that Christians developed to remember the events surrounding the Passion and death of Jesus Christ. This particular version of the Stations challenges us to explore the ongoing problem of racism through the lens of the suffering of Jesus.
While the Stations are often prayed in churches during the season of Lent, these Stations can be prayed anywhere, anytime. You don’t need to be in a church to reflect on the links between Jesus’s suffering and the struggles of those who endure racism in our nation today.
You can download a PDF document containing the Stations here: Stations of the Cross: Overcoming Racism. You can also find a link to it and other resources under the “Parish Resources” heading here: Combatting Racism - Parish Resources.
The US bishops wrote a lengthy letter addressing the issue of racism. A PDF of that pastoral letter can be found here: Open Wide Our Hearts: The Enduring Call to Love Pastoral Letter Against Racism. Links to that letter and other statements can be found here: Combatting Racism - Statements and Letters.
The unjust and racist treatment of our Black brothers and sisters as well as people of many other races and ethnicities continues to tarnish our nation. Their pain must become our pain, their cause must become our cause, until the discrimination ends and all people are truly treated equally.
USCCB Links
Stations of the Cross: Overcoming Racism: https://www.usccb.org/resources/stations-of-the-cross-overcoming-racism.pdf
Combatting Racism - Parish Resources: https://www.usccb.org/committees/ad-hoc-committee-against-racism/combatting-racism-parish-resources
Open Wide Our Hearts: The Enduring Call to Love – Pastoral Letter Against Racism: https://usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/racism/upload/open-wide-our-hearts.pdf
Combatting Racism - Statements and Letters: https://www.usccb.org/committees/ad-hoc-committee-against-racism/combatting-racism-statements-and-letters
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