Like the Stations initiated by Pope John Paul II in 1991, The Biblical Way of the Cross offers a scriptural account of the condemnation and crucifixion of Jesus. This deeper and more accurate portrayal of Jesus' final steps begins with Jesus praying in the Garden of Olives and journeys through his betrayal, condemnation, scourging, crucifixion, and burial. Haas also includes an optional fifteenth station commemorating Christ's resurrection. Haas' sensitive treatment of the Way of the Cross includes scripture readings, communal participaion, and music by the celebrated composer himself as well as his cdontemporarm, Marty Haugen.. The glorious beauty of Nicholas markell's iconic art graces the pages within and provides striking visual inspiration.

Song List:

• Take Up Your Cross
• Greeting & Sign Of The Cross/Proclaim Faith
• Opening Prayer/Invitation To The Way Of The Cross
• The First Station
• The Second Station
• The Third Station
• The Fourth Station
• The Fifth Station
• The Sixth Station
• The Seventh Station
• The Eighth Station
• The Ninth Station
• The Tenth Station
• The Eleventh Station
• The Twelfth Station
• The Thirteenth Station
• The Fourteenth Station
• The Fifteenth Station
• Final Prayer And Blessing
• Tree Of Life

Total Play Time: 1.1 Hours

(1541-1591)

John is a saint because his life was a heroic effort to live up to his name: “of the Cross.” The folly of the cross came to full realization in time. “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me” (Mark 8:34b) is the story of John’s life. The Paschal Mystery—through death to life—strongly marks John as reformer, mystic-poet and theologian-priest.

Ordained a Carmelite priest at 25 (1567), John met Teresa of Jesus (Avila) and like her vowed himself to the primitive Rule of the Carmelites. As partner with Teresa and in his own right, John engaged in the work of reform, and came to experience the price of reform: increasing opposition, misunderstanding, persecution, imprisonment. He came to know the cross acutely—to experience the dying of Jesus—as he sat month after month in his dark, damp, narrow cell with only his God!

Yet, the paradox! In this dying of imprisonment John came to life, uttering poetry. In the darkness of the dungeon, John’s spirit came into the Light. There are many mystics, many poets; John is unique as mystic-poet, expressing in his prison-cross the ecstasy of mystical union with God in the Spiritual Canticle.

But as agony leads to ecstasy, so John had his Ascent to Mt. Carmel, as he named it in his prose masterpiece. As man-Christian-Carmelite, he experienced in himself this purifying ascent; as spiritual director, he sensed it in others; as psychologist-theologian, he described and analyzed it in his prose writings. His prose works are outstanding in underscoring the cost of discipleship, the path of union with God:

rigorous discipline, abandonment, purification. Uniquely and strongly John underlines the gospel paradox: The cross leads to resurrection,

agony to ecstasy, darkness to light, abandonment to possession, denial to self to union with God. If you want to save your life, you must lose

it. John is truly “of the Cross.” He died at 49—a life short, but full.

"Quite
 honestly, this generation needs to re-learn what it means to take up their
 cross and follow Christ. We moderns comprehend the loving Father we know
 God to be, but we ever seem to forget that love requires sacrifice, that
 love without sacrifice is nothing, that in proving our love we too will
 discover a cross, a cross we too must embrace for love of God and our
 fellow man. Quite frankly, there is no love without the cross; not without
 our Lord's cross, not without ours.

from The Paladin's Message in a bottle # 5

For the first time ever, two beloved audio records have been combined onto one 2-CD set - Seven Last Words: Lenten Reflections for Today's believers and The Stations of the Cross. The first disc, The Stations of the Cross, provides thought-provoking meditations while leading listeners through each of the fourteen stations. The second disc, Seven Last Words, reflects on themes from Jesus' final sayings from the Cross.
Song List: Disc 1

• The Stations Of The Cross
  

Total Play Time: 25 Minutes