Many decades ago, a tennis champion was diagnosed with what was then an incurable disease. As he would lie in his hospital bed, the nurses would bring a heap of condolence messages, Get Well cards and letters from his fans. The player would read some of them and go back to sleep. One day a particular letter caught his attention. A distraught fan asked him. “Of the millions of people, why did God have to give you this disease? Why You?” It set him thinking and he decided to respond to this fan. His reply read: “Five lakh people play tennis in my country. Out of this number, five thousand take it up professionally. Out of the five lakh, fifty win tournaments. Out of the fifty, ten make it to Wimbledon, 4 make it to the semi finals, two make it to the final and one wins the championship. All these years, when I was on that victory stand, I never asked God: ‘Why Me?’ Why should I now?
Every Lenten Season, Do we count our blessings and recognise God’s presence in our lives or do we get easily weighed down by our problems and worries, which are not even a fraction of what Jesus endured on the Cross? Do we tend to make vows like giving up meat, to not drink or smoke or are these mere ritualistic 40 day promises, because come Easter, we are back with a vengeance, making up for what we temporarily gave up? During the Way Of The Cross, do we reach for the comfortable kneelers and move in 14 different directions according to the stations or do we actually reflect on the direction our lives are taking and whether it is in sync with the teachings of Jesus?
Let’s look at each station with a series of introspective questions, through the prism of everyday scenarios in our lives and make 14 promises to Jesus, today, here, now. Unlike the politicians we voted for, we will strive to honour these promises. Because we have a Beyond Lifetime Warranty and Guarantee of Salvation through His Blood on the Cross.
The 1st Station – Jesus is condemned to death.
Jesus stands before Pontuis Pilate who finds him “not guilty of any crime’ and wants to release him but unwilling to offend Caesar or displease the crowd, he washes his hands off this decision and lets a dreaded criminal Barabas go scot free but lets Jesus be handed over to the blood thirsty crowd.
Are we quick to judge others without hearing their side? Do we immediately jump to conclusions and believe anything negative about someone and are sceptical about anything positive we hear about our neighbours, our parishioners, our colleagues, our relatives? Are we mere whatsapp warriors – forwarding stories of persecution and injustice or do we stick our necks out as eye witnesses to crimes or to question those who demean our faith and holy occasions, be it Maundy Thursday or Good Friday or Christmas? Is there ever a wrong time to do the right thing? Everytime we sit back with complacence and shy away from standing up in a crowd, we let our saviour down, like Peter who denied Jesus thrice.
Our First Promise Today: Jesus, forgive us for what we have failed to do.
We promise to fight for right without question or pause and for a heavenly cause.
The 2nd Station – Jesus is made to carry the cross
The cross that Jesus was made to carry was not merely heavy wood close to 200 kilograms. It was topped up by the weight of our sins. Even as this inhuman torture started, Jesus submits to the Will of the Father. “Let this chalice pass away from me but Thy will be done.”
Jesus did not carry his cross. He carried our cross. Do we do the opposite – by creating crosses for others? When grooms put themselves up for sale demanding dowry, when husbands drink, beat their wives and live off their income, when bosses set daunting deadlines for their subordinates at work, when those in authority abuse their positions and misuse agencies to target opponents, they are creating crosses for others to bear.
Our Second Promise Today: Jesus, our sins were the weight on your cross.
We promise to lighten the burdens of others, not to create new crosses for them.
The 3rd Station – Jesus falls the first time
A miracle worker who could raise the dead, heal the sick, walk on water and calm the storm, Jesus could have easily wished the cross away. But in human form, he chose to endure the suffering. The weight is unbearable. Jesus falls under it. The crowd taunts and teases him and forces him to get up and move on.
When was the last time we donated blood? Visited the sick in hospital? Sponsored a poor child’s school fees? Given a glass of water or juice to the postman, gas delivery boy or a swiggy delivery agent? Or are we quick to share videos of hungry workers eating food off a customers order? Do we pay our maids or security guards a minimum living wage although some of us may blow up as much as their monthly salary on a single meal in a fancy restaurant?
Our Third Promise Today: Jesus, we promise to realise that the hands that help are as holy as the lips that pray because whatever we do to the least of our brothers, we do unto you.
The 4th Station – Jesus meets his mother.
Imagine the scene when Mary sees her son being subjected to such extreme brutality. As their eyes meet, Mary’s expression speaks a thousand words to her beloved son. Of all the thoughts that would have flashed across her mind, Mary would have recalled Jesus’ words to her at the wedding feast at Cana: “My time has not come.” But now it had come.
Isn’t it a crying shame that we need a law to take care of our parents? Aren’t there thousands of cases of parents selling their hard earned property, jewels just to cough up hefty capitation fees for their children, who then settle down abroad, leaving their elderly parents behind? How many of us view our elderly parents as a burden? Don’t we even read about sons killing their parents for property?
Our Fourth Promise Today: Jesus, We promise to be patient and kind to those who brought us into this world and to follow your commandment ‘Thou Shall Honour Your Father & Mother’.
The 5th Station – Simon of Cyrene is made to bear the cross.
As Jesus struggles with every step, the soldiers are unrelenting. Their hearts are cold and made of stone. To insult Jesus, they make Simon of Cyrene share the load, their bid to to deprive Jesus of the satisfaction of bearing the burden on his own.
Have you heard of the Crab Trickle Down Theory? A business leader once jocularly remarked that when Indian Crabs are exported, the boxes don’t have to be sealed because when one crab tries to get out of the box, the other crabs pull it down! Are we team players at work? Or do we ride piggyback on others, carry tales and plagiarise the hard work of someone else? Do we lift people up or pull them down?
Our Fifth Promise Today:
Jesus, We promise to be ambassadors of goodwill and peace and to reflect kindness and mercy in our dealings with others.
The 6th Station – Veronica wipes the face of Jesus
Not content with seeing Jesus struggling with every breath, the soldiers whip him and strike him with such force and venom that his face is dripping with blood. Veronica makes way through the crowd and reaches out to wipe the face of Jesus.
Do we wipe the misery off the faces of people we know and don’t know? Do we bargain with the roadside tender coconut seller or cobbler but leave handsome tips at 5 star hotels? Do we declare our real income to our Parish and contribute that measly 1% of our earnings to the Church promptly? Do we pay our taxes honestly or do we evade them under the pretext of tax planning? Remember what Jesus said: “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and give to God, what belongs to God.” Are we truly selfless or Selfie crazy?
Our Sixth Promise Today: Jesus, we promise to be a rainbow in someone’s dark cloud.
The 7th Station – Jesus falls the second time.
With all his energy being drained out rapidly, Jesus stumbles and falls to the ground again. Due to intense exhaustion he stares at the earth beneath him and remembers the words: “Dust thou art to dust returneth.”
How many of us have truly made peace with those against whom we hold grudges or are sworn enemies? Turning to the left and right and saying “Peace Be To You” during Mass is just symbolism. For a change, if there is someone with whom we have had some misunderstanding with or an ego clash, can we reach out to them right now and make peace? There is no better occasion than Good Friday to hold up our olive branches. Even as he was crucified and dying, Jesus forgave his tormentors saying ‘Father, forgive them for they know what what they do.”
Our Seventh Promise Today: Jesus, we promise to make peace with and forgive at least one person today, no matter what may have happened in the past.
The 8th Station – Women in Jerusalem weep for Jesus.
The unspeakable horror and cruelty meted out to Jesus moves the women of Jerusalem, who were witnesses to his teachings of love and forgiveness, against all odds. From dining with the tax collector to telling a frenzied mob about to stone an unclean woman: “he who has not sinned pick up the first stone”, they were witness to how Jesus broke barriers to reach out to the people and to serve them. Jesus tells the women to weep not for him but for themselves and for their children.
What does the word ‘Sorry’ mean to us? Is it a convenient password to parrot as we shed crocodile tears? Does it come from our lips or from our hearts? Sorry must stem from true remorse, not escapism. It must be unconditional, not laced with disclaimers and legal jargon.
Our Eighth Promise Today: Jesus, when we offend someone and decide to make amends, we promise to convert our heartbeats into words.
The 9th Station – Jesus falls the third time.
This last fall is devastating. Jesus can barely move.Mustering all this remaining strength, bolstered by His faith in the Holy Father, Jesus collapses under the weight of the cross. His executioners look down on him as a broken man and help pull him up so he can clamber up the hill of crucifixion. On the verge of death, Jesus falls a third time.
The third setback is always serious. In Cardiology, it’s fatal. In business, it’s a shutdown. In law, it’s final conviction. Our only remedy lies in God’s Word. But do we treat the Bible like we use our mobile phones? What if we carry it everywhere in our bags or pockets and turn back to pick it up if we forget it? What if we flip through it several times a day? What if we use it to receive messages from God? What if we dial in for emergencies – like John 14 when we are sad, Psalm 27 when People Misjudge us, Psalm 51 when we are angry, Mathew 6 when we are worried, Psalm 91 when we are in danger. The Bible does not lose signal, it comes with unlimited credit, no dropped calls and the battery lasts forever
Our Ninth Promise Today: Jesus, we promise to turn to your word and to cast our burdens and worries unto you.
The 10th Station – Jesus is stripped off his garments
Part of the indignity reserved for dreaded criminals is to be crucified naked. Jesus is completely stripped to the bone, the wounds on his back are ripped open again. He experiences the ultimate vulnerability of the defenseless. No shield or security protects him. As the soldiers stare menacingly at him, his eyes turn to heaven.
Do we reveal our true selves to others? Or do we wear masks? Do we say what we mean or are we hypocrites? Do we practice what we preach?
Our Tenth Promise Today: Jesus, we promise to clothe ourselves with honesty even when the truth hurts.
The 11th Station – Jesus is nailed to the cross.
In the worst form of human torture, huge nails are hammered through Jesus’ hands and feet to fix him on the cross. As he bleeds profusely, the cross is lifted up. Every laboured breath exacerbates his excruciating pain.
Anger is counter productive. It’s Satan speaking. And we know it. Everytime we lose our temper and react in anger, we drive a nail into Jesus. Do we display road rage at traffic signals? Do we show our impatience when faced with long queues? Do we crib about not getting increments when there are those who haven’t been paid salaries for months?
Our Eleventh Promise Today: Jesus, we promise to respond and not react, however grave the provocation may be.
The 12th Station – Jesus dies on the cross
Flanked by two hardened criminals, a title above his head that mocks his majesty, with only Mary and John and Mary Magdalene by his side, Jesus takes his last breath: “Into your hands I commend my spirit.” The soldiers pierce his side with a spear to make sure he is dead and out flows blood and water.
‘What’s in it for me?’ That’s a common thought today. Even to do our duty like voting, we expect freebies, for the smallest deed, we expect rewards, titles and recognition. Jesus endured unimaginable pain and suffering and gave up his life for us. Are we conscious of this supreme sacrifice and his amazing grace everyday? Or is it a fleeting memory and a mere annual feature in the Lenten Season or worse, an extended weekend?
Our Twelfth Promise Today: Jesus, we promise to acknowledge that every new day is your gift to us and an opportunity to show others the power of love and mercy.
The 13th Station – Jesus is taken down from the cross
The lifeless body of Jesus is tenderly placed in the arms of Mary, his mother.
Jesus fulfilled God’s plan. His word is a bond written with His blood. Do we keep our commitments or go back on them? How many engagements are broken before marriage? When we borrow money from banks, do we repay it on time or do we contribute to the country’s mounting Non Performing Assets?
Our Thirteenth Promise Today: Jesus, we promise to run our race as Catholics, no matter what obstacles are placed in our path.
The 14th Station – Jesus is placed in the tomb.
The disciples take the body of Jesus and place it in the tomb. The stone over the tomb symbolised the permanence of death, a final act of surrender.
Do we behave like our tenure in this world is temporary? Or are we engrossed in the rat race for mundane pleasures? How seriously do we take our Heavenly Father’s ultimate promise: “God so loved the world that he gave his only son. Whoever believes in him shall have everlasting life.”
Our Fourteenth Promise Today: Jesus, we promise to always cast our permanent vote for you – Our Everlasting Leader, Saviour & Redeemer.
May the Cross be the indelible sign on our hearts. For our saviour does not rule for just 5 years but forever.
(Sanjay Pinto is an Advocate at the Madras High Court, a Columnist, Author, TV Political Analyst, Public Speaking Mentor & Former Resident Editor – NDTV 24×7)
