Awake Observes Lent with the Way of the Cross with Survivors

This week Awake held its fourth annual Way of the Cross with Survivors, our much-loved Lenten prayer service. This virtual event is based on the traditional Stations of the Cross devotion, but includes reflections written by those who have experienced abuse in the Catholic Church. The text of this service and a recording of the event, which is about 30 minutes long, are available below and ideal for personal prayer in the weeks leading up to Easter.

The service is particularly powerful because it allows participants to walk alongside Jesus on the road to the crucifixion and to see his journey through the eyes of abuse survivors.

Lily of the Valley or Mary’s Tears

“These reflections were written specifically for this prayer service by members of the Awake community who have experienced sexual abuse by a Catholic leader,” prayer team member Natalie Pucillo explained at the start of the event. Some survivors read their own words during the service, while other reflections were read on survivors’ behalf by someone else in the Awake community.

During each station, participants saw a beautiful image of a plant related to that part of Christ’s passion. For example, during the fourth station, “Jesus Meets His Mother,” the screen was filled with an image of the delicate blooms of the Lily of the Valley or Mary’s Tears plant. At the end of each station, participants prayed these words together: “Jesus, heal us through your beauty.”

To give you a sample of this powerful prayer experience, we share the reflection and prayer used in the seventh station below. If you choose to pray with the written text or event recording and find it meaningful, please consider posting a comment with a message of support for the victim-survivors who offered their reflections.  

The Seventh Station: Jesus Falls the Second Time

As Jesus falls again, I try to imagine His thoughts during this moment. He has already fallen once, and He knows He will still fall again. It must have been so painful to both His body and spirit. Sometimes the painfulness of my healing feels like the way of the cross, and when I fall down it is easy to get discouraged. Experiencing a long day of depression or an unexpected reaction to a situation seems like I have fallen back into old ways that I thought I was past. Jesus, please show me how you found the strength to get back up again. Jesus, please help me get up again. Jesus, I want to believe this way of the cross will become my way of healing.

Leader: For all who have been wounded by abuse in the Catholic Church, let us pray.

Response: Jesus, heal us through your beauty.