Lenten Highlights
The Israelites at Meribah, and the Stations of the Cross
Readers, I am pretty exhausted from traveling last week and work obligations this week. I’ll have some new articles this weekend, including an exclusive article for paid subscribers, but to tide you over, here are some favorite articles of mine from the Lenten season, written in the past couple of years.
The first is a spiritual and theological reflection on the grumbling of the Israelites in the wilderness, after God has freed them from slavery in Egypt. The Exodus narrative invites us to meditate on how we continue to struggle to place our trust in God, even when we know from experience that God is present and working in our lives.
Do Not Harden Your Hearts As At Meribah
Praying the Liturgy of the Hours during Lent this year has been revelatory. Early in Lent, the Office of Readings (the canonical hour which can be prayed at any time of day and which includes a more extensive scriptural reading and a reading from an author from the Tradition) goes through the Exodus narrative bit by bit each day. What struck me as the n…
The second article, from two years ago, is on the Stations of the Cross, the participatory devotion popular during Lent, and in particular on Good Friday. The article weaves together a history of the devotion with reflections on how the devotion emerged as a way for the faithful to take part in pilgrimage without having to go far from home, encourages participants to use their imaginations to place themselves in the Gospel narrative, and calls on the faithful to imitate Christ’s suffering.
Theological Reflections on the Stations of the Cross
Throughout the season of Lent, and particularly on Good Friday, Catholics around the world participate in the devotion known as the Stations of the Cross. In this devotion, a group of participants stop, pray, and meditate at fourteen “stations,” visual representations (like paintings or statues) of fourteen moments in the Passion of Christ, starting wit…
Thank you for your patience, enjoy these articles from the archives, and keep your eye out for new articles this weekend!
