Copies of "The Spiritual Journey of the Stations of the Cross" can be obtained by contacting Sullivan at ciaf97@gmail.com.

A truly inspirational walk with our Savior in the last hours of his earthly life.
This book containing both Traditional and Scriptural Stations, is not only a wonderful addition to your home library for home instruction, but also suitable for the religious classroom.
It is an individual teaching guide for students of all ages, who are interested in learning more about the Stations of the Cross.
The easy to read text includes quotes along with questions to encourage the reader become more personally involved in this epic journey as well as providing space for the reader's own thoughts.
Stained glass like illustrations are included to allow the reader to individually experience each Station along the Way. These illustrations may be colored.


From the Beacon,
New workbook helps faithful personalize their journeys with Christ during his Passion through art, reflection
By MICHAEL WOJCIK
News Editor

DENVILLE - Imagine sliding into the aching sandals of Jesus, as he trudges up to Calvary toward his crucifixion. Picture suffering the pain that Christ endured that day - the sinking weight of the cross, the sting of the Crown of Thorns and, later, the unbearable agony as nails are hammered into his wrists and feet.

Now spiritually, you can slip into the blood-stained skin of Jesus at his Passion and death, as retold in a new workbook that helps take readers on a journey through the Stations of the Cross. This new 67-page soft-cover workbook, "The Spiritual Journey of the Stations of the Cross," not only gives readers a front-row seat to the Passion, but also allows them to personalize Jesus' suffering. They are invited to imagine feeling his pain by helping to create their own stations and write down personal reflections.

Christians can travel with Jesus on his road to Calvary through the workbook - guided by the subtitle, "An Everyday Devotional of the Journey of Jesus Christ, Including Both the Traditional and Scriptural Stations" - by reading the suggested Scripture passages or a description of each station, followed by a reflection. The readers can color in line drawings of each station, as illustrated by Arlene RB Sullivan, an art teacher at Morris Catholic High School here.

"The book helps put readers right there with Jesus," said Daniel L. Grant, who researched history, theology and spirituality of the Stations of the Cross and, in plain language, wrote the meditations on each station and reflection questions, followed by spaces in the workbook for readers to write down their own insights. "The Stations of the Cross asks people to think, 'How would I feel [enduring the Passion].' It also helps put our own suffering in perspective. Jesus persevered, because he had the ultimate goal to accomplish - salvation for those who believe," he said.

"The Spiritual Journey of the Stations of the Cross" also allows readers, junior high and older, to walk with Jesus by enabling them to either pray before the images that they color - or not - in the book or to display them individually in their homes or classrooms. "With this workbook, Daniel and I wanted to help make the Stations of the Cross understandable to everyone," Sullivan said.

The workbook teaches readers about the Stations of the Cross, which Grant writes were started by Franciscan Monks in the 1400s "to help believers make a spiritual journey and meditate as they make this most inspiring pilgrimage." Then the booklet explores each station, illuminated by text that sits on pages on the left and is illustrated by the black-and-white line drawings on pages on the right.

With a forward by Father Carmen Buono, Morris Catholic's chaplain, this publication presents both "versions" of Stations of the Cross. First the workbook explores the traditional version, which chronicles a few events not found in Scripture, such as "Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus," but have been handed down through Christian tradition. It also presents the modern version, which Pope John Paul II introduced in 1991. The new set introduces five stations based in Scripture, such as "Jesus Is Betrayed by Judas and Arrested," and introduces a 15th station - the Resurrection.

"We can suffer this betrayal of Our Lord because we too have felt betrayed at times," Grant writes in the meditation on "Jesus Is Betrayed by Judas and Arrested," after his suggestions to read Matt 26: 47-48 and John 18:2. "[But] Jesus has no anger in his heart for Judas...Jesus has only forgiveness for Judas...Let his example of forgiveness be in our hearts as well."

"The Spiritual Journey of the Stations of the Cross" started with Sullivan's Changing Images Art Foundation. The organization seeks to brighten the lives patients and staff in hospitals, nursing homes and other institutions through interactive activities that decorate antiseptic spaces with colorful art. She envisioned a set of Stations of the Cross that could transported from room to room. Sullivan enlisted help from Morris Catholic students who painted images of the stations, which Sullivan had drawn, inspired by carvings of the stations at her parish, St. Pius X, Montville.

"The students felt ownership of the project," said Sullivan, who asked Grant, president of Changing Images, to write insightful text about each station, propelled by research that revealed a lack of a "definitive text" on the Stations of the Cross. "The painting led the students into deep discussions about the images - how Jesus felt. It moved them."

The large Stations of the Cross images that the Morris Catholic students painted were displayed in the school's lobby during this past Lent but also inspired Sullivan to expand Grant's and her yearlong exploration of faith, artistry and research into a workbook. She soon asked Father Buono to write the forward, where he writes in his brief text "the medium of art and the written word [in the book] permits us to relive the drama of the timeless events of the Passion of Christ, Our Lord." To the reader, the priest prayed, "May you be inspired by this journey with Christ to live your faith with your brothers and sisters in Christ."

"Prayer lifts our hearts and minds to God," said Father Buono, who called "The Spiritual Journey of the Stations of the Cross" "a beautiful and contemplative book of prayer - a journey of faith in the final days of Christ."