From Their Perspective
In preparation for the youth group’s annual Passion Play, the group joined together in prayer at this past week’s youth gathering. They prayed the Stations of the Cross, but in a unique way – they each were assigned a station and given the task to write about that particular station from a Biblical character’s point of view. Some of the teens wrote from the perspective of the same people they will be portraying in the Passion Play on Good Friday. The teens wrote while in Adoration, then they washed each other’s feet before offering their stations to the group.
The Passion Play will be held in the Parish Hall at St. Margaret on Good Friday, April 15, at 6:00PM and 7:30PM.
The First Station: Jesus is Condemned to Death
In the perspective of a Friend of a Healed Paralytic. Written by Audrey Purvis.
“Why Him?” is the only thought rushing through my mind. The Man who has healed the sick, cured the blind, and turned water into wine will be executed in a matter of hours. He has done nothing; He is innocent. I have seen the miracles that flow from His hands. My friend whom I cared for could not move but now walks with Jesus. It is because of Him she is healed. My mind is full of distress and anger; I cannot help but cry. My friend was once paralyzed, but now I am the one who can’t move because my King has been sentenced to death.
The Second Station: Jesus Carries the Cross
In the perspective of Pontius Pilate. Written by Michael Brook.
What have I done? I, Pontius Pilate, have allowed the crucifixion of an innocent Man, Jesus Christ, whom many call “Son of God.” I have allowed His condemnation to death by crucifixion, which was given to Him by the Jewish Pharisees, who were driven by their own pride. My wife believed Him to be innocent, and I found no crime in what He had done, but nonetheless, I felt that I had to give the crowds what they wanted despite what my better judgment said. I washed my hands of His blood, but the memory of His innocent eyes, the wounds covering His body, and the disturbing looks of satisfaction on the Jewish leaders’ faces has been imprinted in my mind. I have allowed an innocent Man’s death and a monster like Barabbas’ release, but in the end, for what? And now I wonder this: how can I live with the weight of what I have allowed to proceed?
The Third Station: Jesus Falls for the First Time
In the perspective of Lazarus. Written by Paul Hanks.
When I saw Him fall, I realized who He was – the guy who raised me from the dead. Then I realized that He was going to die, and I remembered how I felt when I was about to die. I saw the soldiers strike Him and beat Him. I felt bad that He had to suffer for our sins instead of us suffering for our own sins. As I saw Him get up and the soldiers give Him the cross, I turned away, too ashamed to watch, and I felt sad.
The Fourth Station: Jesus Meets His Mother
In the perspective of Mary, Mother of God. Written by Molly McCarroll.
I see my Son struggling. Even though I trust God’s plan, my only Son facing His inevitable death is a painful experience. I know that He is innocent, but I have to trust in God. As I see His wounds, I begin to cry about His slow and painful death. I am hopeful for the future of salvation to come, but I still wish for more time with my Son. As Jesus continues down His path, He trips and falls. I run to meet Him as if I can change His fate. Guards push me out of the street as my Son continues to suffer. I know this is the end for Jesus, but I don’t want to believe it. Even so, I am hopeful for new life to come as His is coming to an end.
The Fifth Station: Simon Helps Jesus Carry His Cross
In the perspective of Simon of Cyrene. Written by Lainey Legoria.
I, Simon of Cyrene, was watching this Man who goes by the name Jesus walk this long and excruciating path with a massive cross slung across His shoulders. As I’m watching Jesus collapse on the ground with the weight of the cross crumbling on top of Him, a soldier vigorously grabs my arm. He is signaling for me to help Jesus up and to give Him support to carry His cross. Completely shocked and taken by surprise, I obeyed. The fear was rolling through my body because one wrong move and maybe I’d end up like Him. I felt obligated to help this Man, but in my brain I could feel that what I was doing was right.
The Sixth Station: Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus
In the perspective of a Baptized Woman. Written by Catalina Rojo.
As Jesus wearily stumbled through the filthy street, I saw a woman bravely step out of the crowds. She lovingly gazed at His face, then lifted her veil to Him. She wiped the sweat and blood off of His face. When she removed her veil the image of our Lord’s face was on it! I could not believe my eyes! Jesus blessed this courageous woman with His Sacred Image on her veil! I could see her amazement and wonder and then sorrow filled her eyes as the soldiers shoved Jesus back on His way to Calvary.
The Seventh Station: Jesus Falls a Second Time
In the perspective of a Soldier. Written by Justin Hanks.
I’ve been walking for more than half a mile down the road of Jerusalem, but I am not just walking. I am laughing, joking, and mistreating a Man. I am a Roman soldier. I’ve crucified many people before, but not like this Man. Supposedly He was accused of blasphemy for claiming He was the Son of God, but that doesn’t bother me. I am just doing my job. I push the Man Who is carrying the heavy cross too hard and He falls. I start to laugh but something stops me. I see the other soldiers still trying to pick up the Man, telling me to help. I look at the Man’s wounds. He was severely beaten by whips. I see blood spilling from Him. I almost gag at the sight, then a question comes to my mind: “Why am I doing this?” I could stop this, but I would face punishment. I help Him up, the innocence plain in His eyes, and we keep moving as my mind keeps repeating that question: “Why?”
The Eighth Station: Jesus Meets the Women of Jerusalem
In the perspective of a Baptized Woman. Written by Anna Hanks.
I have followed Jesus for some time now. I watched Him get baptized by the same man who baptized me – a man named John. I watch Him now as He makes His way to Golgotha for His certain death. He suddenly stops. There are some women weeping for Him. He comforts them and says, “Do not weep for me, but for your children.” How could He muster the strength to say that? He has been beaten, mocked, and carries a heavy wooden cross. Yet He still does not think of Himself, only others.
The Ninth Station: Jesus Falls a Third Time
In the perspective of Mary of Bethany. Written by Claire O’Neil.
I am Mary of Bethany, one of many Mary’s here today. My task is to sit and pray. I am not called to a loud existence. As I sat in silence, He told me that I had chosen well. On this horrible day, I look back to that other day with Jesus. On that day, I ached. I am sick. I didn’t know it then. All I knew what that my body, my heart, and my very soul ached with exhaustion. I could no longer ignore my weakness. I fell to the ground and did the only thing that was left for me to do. I prayed, not moving, not helping my poor sister. At the time, I was reassured by Jesus’s words, but as the days wore on, one after another of frailty, I could never feel right sitting still like that. The guilt ate into me. Now, on this Day of Days, my friend, in my mind, the epitome of strength, has fallen not once, but twice under His burden. I watch as the suddenly small-looking figure stumbles in some imperceptible unevenness on His path, and again collapses on the ground, the crushing weight of the cross landing squarely on top of Him. I see His eyes flick towards me, and with every ounce of weight of the cross pressing down on Him corresponds an ounce of weight lifted from my chest. He is there with me, broken and frail in the dirt as I carry the weight of my pain, and I can finally rest.
The Tenth Station: Jesus is Stripped of His Garments
In the perspective of Peter. Written by Jon Duhe.
Watching it was miserable. My Savior being tortured and humiliated in the public eye. My mind was empty as I watched in despair. My God‘s Almighty Son taking all this pain for people who don’t deserve it. I prayed Jesus forgive these people, for they do not know what they have done. Please grant them forgiveness for their sins. They will see in time what they have done is forbidden and bad. This treatment You’ve received isn’t what You deserve. I ask You again to forgive these people for their sins.
The Eleventh Station: Jesus is Nailed to the Cross
In the perspective of a Healed Leper. Written by Beth Aegerter.
I cannot imagine the pain that Jesus was in. It is so amazing that Jesus would do all that for us. Every time I think of Jesus being crucified I think of the pain He went through, and I can’t imagine all the pain Mary was in while losing her Son. That must be horrible. All the blood that was shed, all the tears, all the things Jesus has done for us is awesome. As I watched Jesus being crucified and nailed to the cross, I watched His mother start praying for Him. As I saw the blood being shed from Jesus, all I could think of is the things He has done for us. All the things He’s done for me. He has healed me; He has saved me from my sin.
The Twelfth Station: Jesus Dies on the Cross
In the perspective of Mary Magdalene. Written by Mary Hanks.
My name is Mary Magdalene. I am known as the woman who committed adultery, the woman whom Jesus saved from death and forgave her grievous sin. I am now kneeling at the foot of the cross. I cannot help but wonder how it came to this. The Man who forgave my unforgivable sin is now dying on the cross for sins He never committed. Jesus has already been tortured, carried the cross for miles, stripped of His dignity, and nailed to the Cross. Now He is hanging on a cross, dying for my sins, for the sins of those around me. Here it comes, His last breath. I almost feel like I am breathing my last as well. His lifeless body is hanging on the cross in front of me. I keep asking myself how I can make it up to Him? How can I tell Him how much His sacrifice means to me? His death has saved me.
The Thirteenth Station: Jesus’ Body is Removed from the Cross
In the perspective of Thomas. Written by Mateo Rojo.
The other apostles and I stare up at our dead teacher on the cross and are filled with grief. Beside us, Jesus’s beloved mother Mary kneels weeping, exhausted from watching her Son tortured and suffering on the cross. The Roman soldiers’ armor clink as they slowly walk to the foot of the cross. They remove the horrible nails, the nails that numbed Jesus with excruciating pain until the moment of His death, from His shrunken limbs. Heartbroken, we carry a ladder to the cross. I decide to go up it and fetch my Master’s body. We lower His weightless, bloody, and naked body and gently lay it in His mother’s lap. We respectfully give Mary time to mourn her Son. She strokes His hair with her delicate fingers, her eyes stream with tears as she stares at her Son’s empty eyes. After a few minutes, she motions to us and we lift Jesus’s lifeless body and solemnly begin the procession to His tomb.
The Fourteenth Station: Jesus is Laid in the Tomb
In the perspective of John the Apostle. Written by Ian Hoover.
My Savior is dead… my God, my best friend, is dead… I didn’t know what to think exactly. I felt pain, anger, sadness, but most of all worry. I didn’t worry for my life. No, for God was my life, and now God is dead… so now I’m dead. The person I was worried for was the Mother of my Savior, Mary of Nazareth, who was entrusted to me. She will be hunted, hurt with a reputation ruined by radical heretics. I am scared that I will not be a good enough son and protector to her. I am scared of her disappointment. I wish I was like Peter, so strong, so brave, he would defend Christ till the end. Or like Matthew, who always had a plan. Maybe if I was more like them I could’ve saved Jesus. But it is too late. My love, the Messiah, the God of Israel, the King of kings, the Lord of lords, my friend Jesus, is dead.
What does it mean to play Jesus?
Written by Josh Thiel.
What Jesus is once elevated on the Altar is what He is crucified on the Cross, and that is what I represent. It is an honor unlike any other, unparalleled in conformity to Him as I literally do the things He did through His Paschal Mystery. Personally, it has been one of the greatest prayers I have prayed, for I can sacrifice my own life, will, desires, securities, emotions, confusion, heartbreak, revelation, jubilation, and make of myself a perfect offering when I mount that Cross. Despite it not holding Jesus, it is and has become a holy instrument for my own prayers as I have given everything up for conversion of sinners, clarity in vocation, inner peace, and for the greater glory of my God. It is truly miraculous, it is the perfect way to show the world Jesus, and showing the world my Jesus, the One who heals me, understands me, genuinely loves me, fills me with a joy deeper than possibly obtainable. Through this, I have learned the highest form of love, sacrificial love, and have been given the grace to express it for all those that have been there for me. I learned to unite my heart and my sufferings to God no matter how difficult, unbearable, or strenuous they might be. So many graces have been given for placing myself in the midst of Jesus; I could never have been reformed or saved as I am with Him. Truly, I am not worthy to have received this mantle, this gauntlet, but I am beyond honored and treasure it with my life, for the experience I’ve had from it has been life-changing. It has stayed with me and will for the rest of my life. I hope Christ reveals Himself strongly to you, is in your presence through me, and that he impacts you too for life.
