Via Dolorosa 

   Via Dolorosa is Latin for “sorrowful way” or “way of suffering”  It refers to the path Christ walked through Jerusalem to His crucifixion on Calvary.  Especially during Lent it is good to contemplate this journey our Lord took to offer Himself as the spotless lamb for the redemption of our sins.

   As Isaiah prophesied hundreds of years before the birth of Christ, “Like a lamb led to the slaughter and like a sheep that keeps silent before its shearers, he did not open his mouth.” (Isaiah 53:7).  Through all His suffering He never protested, never resisted.  Instead, He willingly and loving walked the Via Dolorosa to offer you and me salvation.

   In the Catholic Church there is a devotion to this final journey of Christ referred to as the “Way of the Cross.”  It consists of fourteen significant “stations” or events along the way.  As we walk with Jesus to Calvary, we relive those events, recognizing, honoring, and giving thanks for the suffering He willingly endured for our salvation.

   For the next fourteen days I will walk that journey in this blog.  I invite you to accompany me and walk with our Lord to His crucifixion and death on the cross at Calvary.  Contemplate His suffering, agonize with Him, and offer Him your thanks for the opportunity of salvation purchased by His life, death, and resurrection.