THE NEW WAY OF THE CROSS FOR THE FAMILYFr. Angelito de Torres

Nihil Obstat: Fr. Anthony Timoner Chancellor

Imprimatur: Most Rev. Gilbert A. Garcera Bishop of the Diocese of Daet

Published and distributed byPaulines Publishing HouseDaughters of St. Paul2650 F.B. Harrison Street1300 Pasay City, PhilippinesE-mail: edpph@paulines.phWebsite: www.paulines.ph

Cover: Illustrations: Rexie San Luis Design: Ann Marie Nemenzo, FSP

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher.

1st Printing 2014ISBN 978-971-590-772-9

at the service of the Gospel and culture

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INTRODUCTION

The Way of the Cross of Jesus is not without value, nor is it without meaning for us in the twenty-first century. It was His means to fulfill His mission to save mankind – “for it is in dying that human beings are given eternal life.” What a great love!

The family is a miniature of society, where every member has roles to play for its building up and maintenance. And the most important of these roles is loving. Loving is an art of dying in order to impart life. And since the family is the school of love, loving should be its priority.

There is no such a thing as a perfect family. But there is nothing wrong if human families strive toward perfection. Family members hurt each other through their oftentimes unmindfully cruel behavior. It is a heavy and unbearable cross that a family may not be prepared to shoulder,

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for it stretches the moral fiber of a family to the limit. How many families become dysfunctional because of pessimism? How many families disintegrate because of distrust and misunderstanding?

Few families realize that crosses are part of life; that to be discouraged because of those crosses is not an option; that to surrender because of them is unthinkable. Families tend to forget that there is a remedy to every hurt and pain, to every pitfall in a relationship. And that remedy is love. Love is divine in origin, and thus possesses power to smooth the way.

Fulton Sheen, a holy bishop and well-known author said, “Family is the area where the unlovable is loved and it is the environment in which love solves personality problems.”

This New Way of the Cross for the Family seeks to help family members meditate on the crosses their family has to bear. Issues that are experienced can be resolved in reflection

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and prayer done together. There are some families who are aware of the issues being experienced, but choose to simply ignore them. Surely, with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, family members will become aware that there is a need to change their attitudes and be reconciled with God.

Although individual devotion to the cross is already being practiced by many, with this booklet they are encouraged to do the Way of the Cross together with their family.

May we, who walk along the way of the cross, proceed resolutely without stopping. For at the end of our journey, we will discover the joy of being one with the family of God.

Ad Majorem Gloriam Dei!

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OPENING PRAYER

LEADER: Heavenly Father, we are gathered here today as a family to contemplate the suffering, death, and resurrection of Your Son Jesus Christ. This mystery reflects the reality of Your being one God in three Divine Persons, one in essence, united by steadfast and everlasting love. Grant we beseech You, O God, that through our devotion to Your holy cross, we may be able to find the way that leads us to the charity, which every family on earth should possess. Grant us a sincere repentance for our lack of appreciation for the gift of our family and for all the times that we forget that each member is an agent of love; that each member plays a vital role for the welfare of the family; and that each one, from the youngest to the eldest, has the responsibility to make the family wholesome and functional.

We ask You, Lord, through this Way of the Cross, that we may see, as in a mirror, the reflection of where we are now as a family,

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and on seeing this reflection, we may work for the improvement of our family life. We ask You this through the same Christ, our Lord.

ALL: Amen.

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First Station1

ThE LAST SUPPER

Leader:We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You. Response:Because by Your holy cross You have redeemed the world.

… on the same night He was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread, and thanked God for it and broke it, and He said, ‘ This is my body, which is for you; do this as a memorial of me’. In the same way He took the cup after supper, and said, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Whenever you drink it, do this as a memorial of me’. (1 Cor. 11:23:26)

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Reflection:During the Last Supper, Jesus dined with

His disciples as with His own family. It was an occasion of love and forgiveness. In the same meal, Jesus instituted the Eucharist, where He could welcome people from all walks of life. At this meal, the sinners, the downtrodden and the poor feel the unconditional love of Jesus. He shares with them the goodness of the Father and leads them back to Him.

At mealtime, a family does not only partake of the food, but also of the Word of God. When we eat together as a family, we thank the Lord for the blessings received. We share our love, our struggles, and the common experiences that bind us together. This is an occasion for the family to appreciate each other’s achievements, and support and encourage one another in the face of failures. Nowadays, we seldom see families eat together. Since, we prioritize TV viewing and prefer other forms of entertainment that replace and take over

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the time for nourishing our relationship and showing how we value each member of our family, we do not realize that family bonding is further strengthened by sharing a meal together. Let us all reflect on the importance of being present at family meals.

Prayer:Lord Jesus, every time we celebrate the

Holy Eucharist, we remember how you loved us to the point of offering Your life for us. Help us to grow in our appreciation of this sacred meal as a family celebration. May this Holy Eucharist be the center of our family-relationship, the place where we grow in love, and from which we reach out to others and evangelize them.

Forgive us, O Lord, for the times that we got too engrossed with worldly matters that we failed to heed your invitation to the Eucharistic meal. Amen.

Jesus, Mary and Joseph… be the model of our family.