Not long ago, I was informed by long distance telephone that a very dear friend of mine had just dropped dead. I was left numb with grief. Looking back on that experience, I find myself wishing that I could have read Mary Jo Tully’s new book before that tragic event. It would have been a tremendous source of strength for me during those dark hours.

Would you turn to the Stations of the Cross for consolation and counsel if you suddenly lost a dear one? Months back it would never have occurred to me. Today, that is just what I would do. To understand why, read this slim publication attentively and prayerfully and you will discover the reason It is not hard to do, since the author is an accomplished writer with a  very attractive writing style.

My childhood experience of “enduring” the stations did not endear this private devotion to me. The sometimes outlandish art, garish colors, distorted personages of some sets of stations further alienated me from this devotion. I still had recourse to the stations on occasion, but they were mostly relegated to the Lenten Season. They were not a regular part of my daily prayer life.

That has certainly changed, thanks to Mary Jo. She develops, among others, a theme that has become central for me since the Second Vatican Council. For her, the stations illustrate the deeper and broader meaning of the Incarnation. Too frequently, church teaching has been presented with a rather narrow focus on the sufferings, passion and death of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Rarely are we reminded that his Incarnation, Christ’s total life with all its experiences, is part of the divine plan of salvation. As the Vatican Council declares in the "The Church Today," article #22, Jesus Christ is the Model of the New Human, in whose mystery the mystery of the human person is fully enlightened.  

The practical implications of this are breathtaking. Mary Jo has many of these implications interwoven with the stations, which now take on an entirely new dimension. A devotion which to many people is more of a remembrance than a reality takes on a richer meaning as we learn to live these stations every day, in the footsteps of Jesus.

This inexpensive booklet is a double bargain. It contains a magnificent set of illustrations, a veritable work of art in itself. The renowned artist, Brother Martin Erspamer, is a Benedictine monk whose own rich spirituality inspires his illustrations. He invites the reader into contemplation while the author guides us from one Station to another.

The “Thoughts for Reflection” included after each of the Fourteen Stations add some suggestions that involve the whole person in this devotion. The book is complete: it nourishes the heart while satisfying the intellect and involving the body of those who wish to express themselves physically as well when they pray. Add to this that you have your own portable set of stations in your hands.

Mary Jo tells us that the deepest meaning of the stations is ingrained in our daily lives. Ultimately, we learn to appreciate better how the path Jesus walked first is the path where the Spirit of Love sustains us. Walking in faith, sustained by hope, empowered by loving, just and compassionate relationships with all those we meet on our pilgrim journey towards the Reign of God, reading the signs of the times like Jesus did, we will attain our goal. Heaven begins here on earth.

This inexpensive book is published by the Pastoral Press, Portland Ore. I highly recommend that you obtain your personal copy to enrich your library. Parish discussion and/or prayer groups will also find here a precious resource for their adult faith development groups. Familiar as I am with Mary Jo Tully’s extended pastoral experience I do not doubt that "The Path toward Resurrection," was also written with these people in mind.

The reviewer is a retired bishop of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.