STATION I
Jesus in the Garden Of Gethsemane
Reading:
Jesus and his disciples came to the Garden of Gethsemane by moonlight. Grief and anguish came over him, and he said to his disciples, “The sorrow in my heart is so great that it almost crushes me. Stay awake with me.”
Then he walked a little further, fell to the ground, and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, take this cup of sorrow from me. Not as I will, but as you will."
When he returned to his disciples he found them asleep. He said to Peter, "So you could not stay awake with me for one hour? Keep watch and pray that you do not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Reflection:
When Jesus says to his disciples in the garden of Gethsemane “stay awake with me” he means, always stay aware. Live your life to the fullest. Live with your eyes wide open. Be aware of people around you by listening, watching, and interacting with them. Be aware because good opportunities could come.
Be aware of what is going on in the world. Be aware of not only the good things we do, but the bad things we do to the earth and nature. Being aware could also mean helping the earth. Help the world by recycling, composting, helping people, and making good decisions. You can be aware by opening your eyes and seeing the world.
Stay awake!
Stay awake!
STATION II
Jesus Betrayed by Judas
Reading:
While Jesus was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve disciples, arrived, accompanied by soldiers with swords and clubs. Judas had arranged a signal with them, saying, "The man I shall kiss is the one; arrest him and take him away."
So when he entered the garden he approached Jesus and said, "Rabbi." And he kissed him. At this signal the soldiers grabbed Jesus and arrested him.
Reflection:
When someone who you thought was on your side deceives you, it is a betrayal. It can happen under any circumstances and betrayal always hurts. The opposite of betrayal is loyalty. Loyalty is when you are always there for your friends or family. When you are loyal you do not think of yourself, only of others.
Loyalty is the most important aspect of friendship, because it allows you to trust one another without being worried that they will betray or hurt you. When you help one another, they will help you in return. Loyal people will never let you down.
STATION III
Jesus Condemned by the Sanhedrin
Reading:
When day came the council of elders of the people met, and they brought Jesus before their supreme court. They said, "Tell us are you the Messiah?"
He replied, "If I tell you, you will not believe me.”
They all asked, "Are you then the Son of God?" He replied to them, "You say that I am."
Then they said, "What further testimony do we need? We have heard it from his own mouth."
Reflection:
When questioning authority you must be polite and respectful. But you also have to make sure they know what you are saying. Jesus does not cooperate with the court. He believes in a different authority. When you truly believe in something you don’t care what others think no matter what consequences are.
STATION IV
Jesus Denied by Peter
Reading:
Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A bystander came over to him and said, "Weren’t you also with Jesus." But he denied it in front of everyone, saying, "I do not know what you are talking about!"
As he went out to the gate, another bystander saw him and said to those who were there, "This man was with Jesus." Again he denied it with an oath, "I do not know the man!"
A little later the bystanders came over and said to Peter, "Surely you are one of Jesus’ disciples; even your Galilean accent gives you away." At that he began to curse and to swear, "I do not know the man." And immediately a rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the words that Jesus had spoken: "Before the rooster crows you will deny me three times." He went out and began to weep bitterly.
Reflection:
Being honest isn’t always easy. You never want to give yourself away, so you lie. This will just make your life harder. If you lie once, you have to continue lying to cover up your first lie. People will stop trusting you and you will lose your friends. Lying can make you feel very guilty. The cure for lies is to tell the truth.
You can be who you really are and the right people will respect you. People will soon realize your true personality, and will respect you for who you really are.
Standing up for yourself is a really important thing in life. You should express who you really are. You shouldn’t always go with the flow. You don’t have to be different from who you are to have the popular kids like you. You can be who you really are and the right people will respect you. At first people will make fun of you, but soon people will start to respect you for who you really are.
STATION V
Jesus Judged by Pilate
Reading:
Jesus was handed over to Pontius Pilate the Roman governor. Pilate questioned him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" Jesus replied, "So you say."
Again Pilate questioned him, "Have you no answer? Do you see how many things you are accused of?" Jesus gave him no further answer.
… Pilate was amazed and ordered Jesus to be crucified.
Reflection:
Justice is always doing what is right. It is participating and taking charge. We can bring justice to our lives by being honest, truthful, and following through with our word. Truth is being loyal and honest, even when it might be hard or there might be consequences. The truth is very powerful.
STATION VI
Jesus Crowned with Thorns
Reading:
The soldiers of Pontius Pilate took hold of Jesus and led him into a great hall. There they stripped him of his clothes and draped him in a robe of purple, like a king. On his head they placed a crown of thorns. Then the soldiers knelt before Jesus and mocked him.
“Hail, the King,” they laughed, spitting on Jesus and beating his head with a cane.
Reflection:
In our station the soldiers humiliated Jesus. People mock others because they are ashamed with themselves and their own imperfections. Our world is full of this mockery and humiliation. What would the world be like if people tried to be respectful and accepting to one another? Next time you say something think about how it will affect both yourself and others. Mockery happens everywhere, to everyone, but it can be stopped.
STATION VII
Jesus bears the cross
Reading:
When the priests saw Jesus they cried out, "Crucify! Crucify!" And the soldiers took Jesus, and made him carry his own cross out to a hill called Golgotha, which means “Place of the Skull.”
Reflection:
It may seem like violence solves problems at the moment, but not in the long run. Violence only makes things worse. You hold the burden of hurting someone, and you may feel powerful for your “accomplishment” in the beginning, but in the end you’re only hurting yourself.
Violence has harmed many people physically and mentally. Violence has been used to solve problems, but it only escalates into greater problems. It is an unfortunate trait on the human race. It will always be an issue because it is hard to suddenly stop something that has been present for many years. A way that we can solve problems without violence is by communicating in a respectful and calm way. We have to compromise so that both sides equally win. Violence doesn’t give you any steps forward, you just end up taking three steps back.
STATION VIII
Jesus is helped by Simon the Cyrenian
Reading:
Jesus stumbled under the heavy wooden cross that he had to carry and fell on the rough cobblestones. In the crowd was a man called Simon, from Cyrene, who was passing on his way from the country. The soldiers took hold of him and ordered him to carry the wooden cross on which Jesus would be crucified.
Reflection:
Like a flower blossoms and becomes more beautiful with every pedal that blooms, helping others adds buds to a flower inside you. When you lend a hand to another person, there is a self gratitude that occurs, but also others respect you in return. Simon shows us an example of why it is important to support someone in need. He was the only person who showed Jesus any compassion when he helped him carry the giant wooden cross after Jesus had collapsed onto the ground because of its heavy weight. It didn’t matter that the Roman guards ordered Simon to assist Jesus because he ultimately could have said no. To truly help someone is to do it out of the kindness and empathy of their heart- to care about the cause. That is when you grow as a person. Simon truly helped Jesus, not because he was the son of god and he felt an obligation to, not just because the Romans told him to, but because he would have done this anyway, because he wanted to help a hurting man. Simon didn’t do this for fame or for attention, he did this because he saw a man in pain and he felt like it was his duty to help Jesus. We should help people everyday, even though we don’t expect anything in return. Jesus sacrificed his life for us, so that we could live under God. Helping others is the will of God. Even after thousands of years, Simon is still remembered as the person who helped Jesus Christ.
STATION IX
Jesus meets the daughters of Jerusalem
Reading:
A large crowd of people followed Jesus, including many women who wept for him. Jesus turned to them and said, "Daughters of Jerusalem do not weep for me. But weep for yourselves and your children for days are coming when the world will be in peril. Right now the wood is green, but what will happen when it is dry.”
Reflection:
How can the environment take care of us if we cant take care of it? The environment nourishes us and provides all the resources that we need to live. If we don’t take care of our world we may not have these resources later on, for generations to come. Environmental issues effect our earth because each disaster leads to another, which creates a chain of issues in our environment. Our world is a part of us and if it is not taken care of, that part will be lost.
Our school is a very environmentally protected place which allows us to learn and thrive everyday. We are very grateful to have the opportunity to learn and spend time in nature. It shows us a different perspective of learning and taking care of the world. We can stop avoiding the recycling bin and pick up a piece of trash once in a while and learn how to protect our earth. This world is our home, it breathes air and life into us and we should treat it with all of our respect.
“God has cared for these trees, saved them from drought, disease, avalanches, and a thousand tempests and floods. But he cannot save them from fools.” - John Muir
STATION X
Jesus is crucified
Reading:
When they reached the hill of Golgotha, a lonely spot outside the city walls, they crucified Jesus along with two thieves, one on his right, the other on his left. Jesus called out, "Forgive them Father, they know not what they do."
Reflection:
Lo siento, Je suis desolem, Jeg er ked af, I’m sorry. These are some of the words used around the world that people use to ask for forgiveness. Nobody is perfect and everybody makes mistakes. When somebody does something the first time, they don’t always do it correctly. If they aren’t forgiven for their mistakes, then they will never learn the right way. If we don’t forgive others for their mistakes, nobody will learn and the world won’t grow and flourish. No one invention from the beginning of life has been created perfectly the first time. Things are constantly changing and evolving. For all mistakes that we make, we still have to pay the price of admitting to ourselves the wrong we have committed. Always be true to yourself and don’t try to fight with the devil inside of you. Let the angel inside of you take charge and remind you that what you did was wrong.
When you do something wrong, you shouldn’t deny it or blame it on somebody else. What you should do is confess the truth as soon as possible, because the longer you wait, the harder it will be to tell the truth. Telling lies and denying the truth will only make the situation worse, and will commonly lead to consequences and not being forgiven. You will be burdened with the guilt of your wrongdoing until this weight is lifted from your shoulders by forgiveness.
Even though Jesus is about to die, he is able to forgive the soldiers. He knows that sometimes people do things that they don’t mean to do, and they do them without thinking. He believes that nobody’s perfect, and that everybody does things in their life that they later regret. Jesus believes that anybody can be forgiven no matter how severe the crime is. Even if you realize deep down inside that what you did was wrong, but you can’t come out and say it or do something to change it, you are still worthy of forgiveness. Jesus knows that sometimes people need somebody to help them realize that what they are doing is wrong. The message that Jesus left us was that everybody deserves to be forgiven. When everybody is forgiving the world will finally be at peace with one another.
STATION XI
Jesus promises the Kingdom to the good thief
Reading:
One of the thieves hanging there next to Jesus insulted him, saying, "Are you not the Messiah? Then save yourself and us."
But the other thief scolded him, and said, "For us, the punishment is fair. We have committed crimes. But this man has done no wrong.” Then he turned to Jesus, "Remember me, Lord, when you come into your kingdom."
Jesus replied to him, "Today you will be with me in Paradise."
Reflection:
After you have done something sinful, you are consumed by guilt. You feel as though guilt is covering you like a thick blanket and preventing you from enjoying life. There is only one way to overcome your guilt: atone. Atonement is admitting to your misdeed and making up for your fault.
Atonement is difficult when you feel guilty. You are distraught over what has happened, and you can only focus on being mad and feeling remorseful. Sincerely apologizing is no longer important to you. The only thought that runs through your mind is, “If only I could go back and change things!” This thought will be stuck with you unless you atone. At the time, apologizing seems like a very bad idea and that it will give you the worst outcome, but apologizing is always the better option.
STATION XII
Jesus speaks to Mary and his disciple
Reading:
As the sky darkened, Jesus lowered his eyes and saw his followers who had come to be with him. Among them were John, his beloved disciple, and Mary, his mother.
“Mother, this is your son,” he said to Mary and nodded to John. To John, he said, “Son, this is your mother.” For Jesus wanted John to take care of Mary.
Reflection:
Family is important because they are the ones who will always love and care for you no matter what. Family are the ones with whom you always get a second chance. You can fight with them, but deep down, every person knows, that family is important because they are the ones who lead you through the hardships and triumphs of life.
A family is a group of people that love and care for you. Your family doesn't have to be related to you, but they have to be there for you and help you make the right decisions as you slowly progress on your journey to adulthood and the rest of your life. Your family is like a seed that starts you on your way and helps you develop into a better person. Your family will always be your indispensable guide no matter how old or how young you are.
Love is the basis for a family and allows them to survive. It takes compassion to take care for one another, and courage to realize that caring for each other is more important than caring foryourself. Your family might not be perfect, or always know the right thing to say, but those mistakes don’t even compare to how much they love you.
A family is not so much a physical thing, so much as a mutual feeling that bonds you to someone. They are who you want to be around, the people who bring out the good side of you. A family will sacrifice themselves for your well-being. A family will make you laugh and smile, and comfort you when you are sad. That is what makes you a family, not always who your parents are or what house you live in, but anyone or anything that you love with all your heart and who loves you with all their heart in return.
STATION XIII
Jesus dies on the cross
Reading:
“My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” Jesus cried out in his agony. It was the middle of the day but the sky darkened and the sun was eclipsed.
“It is done,” Jesus said, with a loud cry. “Father, into your hands I give my spirit.” He bowed his head and died.
Reflection:
With his famous last words,” It is done.” Jesus died on the cross and sent his spirit to heaven. Death is the series of events in which your spirit completes the journey of life on earth and at last reaches a new place. Many people are scared of death and try to keep it far away. Death holds insecurity for even the wisest people. Jesus was quite the opposite. Instead of becoming scared, Jesus welcomed death with open arms and told the people around him not to be afraid of what may come after this life. Many people dissolve the fears of death through devout faith. Beliefs give people much needed courage and security when facing the unknown of death. You cant evade the clutches of death, but you can look past the fear and insecurity, and like Jesus, greet death like a friend.
STATION XIV
Jesus is placed in the tomb
Reading:
Joseph of Arimathea, a rich and important man who was a faithful follower of Jesus, went to Pontius Pilate. Bravely, he asked the Roman governor to let him bury Jesus. Pilate gave his permission. With haste, Joseph returned to Golgotha.
Joseph gently took Jesus’ body down from the cross. He wrapped it in fine, clean linen, and laid it in a new tomb, cut from rock. In front of the tomb he rolled a heavy rock.
Reflection:
The spirit and the body are joined together. The body is your physical self and the spirit is your personality, thoughts, emotions, and soul. We need both to exist. The spirit and the body combine to make us. The body and spirit are like night and day. They are opposites, and yet one could not exist without the other. The body has come from dust and to dust it will return. The spirit comes from heaven and to heaven it will return. The body must return to nature and the spirit must return to its nature.
Today as we reenact the the story of Jesus’ journey between life and death we have contemplated some of the central themes of being: Truth, love, and forgiviness. The body may die away, the summer my end and the winter may cover the land. But these truths will always exist waiting to be reborn in the spring, in young people, and throughout the everlasting universe.
