Book Review: Meditations on the Way of the Cross by Mary Pezzulo
We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you, because by Your Holy Cross you have redeemed the world.
Adapted from the prayer of St. Francis
In this Lenten season, Christians prepare for the holy day of Easter by contemplating the ministry of Jesus Christ, with a special focus on his suffering, crucifixion and resurrection. In the Catholic Church, a devotional ritual called the Stations of the Cross, or the Way of the Cross, commemorate Jesus’ last day on Earth as a man, taking fourteen moments from that day from His condemnation to being laid in the tomb to meditate upon.
As this is such an important tradition, there have been numerous books on the subject, many with the same name. This most recent chapbook is by Mary Pezzulo, author of the blog Steel Magnificat. Her aim, as explained in the introduction, is to present the meditations in language that is less “stuffy” than other versions, and designed to reach those who are suffering, as Christ suffered with them.
I am not myself Catholic, so may have missed some subtle points of doctrine. However, I found these essays easy to understand, affecting, and sometimes powerful. Through Christ’s suffering and death, God gains the perspective of His creation; helplessness and sorrow. And He gives the greatest gift so that we might be redeemed.
Ms. Pezzulo speaks from the perspective of suffering, having endured much in her own life, including crippling fibromyalgia. This gives her words authenticity, while her religious studies provide understanding of the Scriptures.
There are portions that seem a bit repetitive; after all, Jesus falls three times on the road. As such, it took me a moment to realize an entire paragraph had accidentally been repeated. If there is a second edition, that’s easily fixed.
Non-Christians are likely to find little of use in this book. It’s written from the perspective of a believer for the sake of other believers who perhaps are having difficulty on their own Via Dolorosa. But Christians, and especially Catholics, should find this slim volume worthwhile.
There is a fifteenth essay on the book, on the Resurrection and the hope it brings.
If you have a Catholic relative or friend, this would make a good gift for Eastertide.
And here’s Sandi Patty singing Via Dolorosa in English and Spanish:
