Marian Helper Winter 2012-2013

Q. What’s the origin of the Way of the Cross? And why is it in every church? A. The earliest Christians in Jerusalem probably marked the Way of the Cross of Christ from the very beginning. There is even a tradition that the Blessed Virgin Mary would visit the places of the Passion daily. Then, there was a desire by Christians from different countries to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem to do the same thing. Obviously, it was not possible for everyone to make the journey. This was especially true when the Turks closed down access to the Holy Land in the 11th century. Christians then sought to build replicas of the holy places in their own countries for the sake of those who couldn’t get to Jerusalem. The Franciscans began their almost continuous presence in the Holy Land in 1217, and the holy places there were entrusted to them in 1342. It’s likely that the present form of the stations with indulgences attached can be traced to this time period. There is a varied history to the stations that draws frommany sources. Apparently, in the early days, pilgrims would begin at the site of the Crucifixion and work their way back to Pilate’s House. There would be a varying number of stops along the way fromas few as 5 to as many as 42. Tradition tells us that the practice of remembering the stations as a devotion in a chapel began with St. Francis of Assisi. From there, it began to spread to churches through- out the world. One Franciscan was even called the “preacher of the Way of the Cross,” St. Leonard of Port Maurice. In a 20-year period in the 18th century, he erected 571 sets of stations. He is probably the one who reversed the order to the way we know it today. It is a beautiful devotion, which can be practiced at any time. The devotion is often done commu- nally on Fridays during the season of Lent. Q. Can you tell me about the Advent season and some of the main customs? A. The Advent season, which begins four Sundays before Christmas, marks the beginning of the Church’s liturgical year. It is a time of preparation for the solemnity of Christmas and for the whole Christmas sea- son. The word Advent comes from a Latin word that means “coming to.” It refers to the coming of Christ. The first half of Advent has liturgical read- ings that speak of Christ’s coming at the end of time. After Dec. 17th, the readings refer to Christ’s coming at Christmas. We are also called to reflect on Christ’s coming into our lives daily through the Sacraments and through His grace in various ways. Among the Advent traditions are the Advent Wreath with four candles that are lit each Sunday accompanied by prayers in the home or at church. An additional white candle at the center represents Christ and is lit at Christmas. An Advent Calendar with tiny doors represent- ing each day of the season has become another way of preparing. In some cultures, a series of dawn Masses before Christmas is celebrated. The feasts of the Immaculate Conception and Our Lady of Guadalupe fall during Advent. Our Lady is especially associated with Advent because of the nature of the season—waiting in joyful hope for the coming of our Savior —as she did during her pregnancy. In our Western culture, Christmas shopping, the playing of Christmas Carols from the begin- ning of November, and the general stress of that time of the year have made it difficult for many Catholics to observe the season. It can easily become forgotten. We might ask Our Lady to help us find the time to slow down, to pray more, perhaps to attend Mass more often, to get to confes- sion, and to offer some sacrifices in order to prepare our hearts for the coming of the Prince of Peace. The beautiful O Antiphons that are recited before Christmas, which are found in the verses of the hymn “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel,” can be a wonderful source for our meditation throughout Advent. with Fr. Joe Roesch, MIC Marian Ask a Why the Way of the Cross? Fr. Joe Roesch, MIC, welcomes your questions. Send them to: Ask a Marian, Editorial, Eden Hill, Stockbridge, MA 01263, or e-mail [email protected]. M ARIAN H ELPER • W INTER 2012-13 • www.marian.org 7 Back to Index