Stations of the Cross for the Elderly

A Capuchin Franciscan priest formerly stationed in St. Louis has written a Stations of the Cross meditation for the aged that the young can benefit from, too. "Stations of the Cross for the Elderly" by Father Christopher Rengers, OFM Cap, first appeared around Lent last year in the Catholic national weekly, Our Sunday Visitor.
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Father Rengers was assigned for many years as associate pastor at the old St. Charles Borromeo Parish, 2900 Locust St. The parish was once one of three with Italian-language liturgies in the archdiocese. The Capuchin served there under pastor Father Joseph Adams, OFM Cap, from 1959 to 1975.
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Said the priest, "I think that a big part of Christian living is to use the pain that comes into our lives and unite it with the pain of Jesus for redemption. As he said, ‘I am the vine, you are the branches’ and other indications he gave us of our closeness to him. We are called to imitate him and to join him in helping others to get to heaven. Otherwise pain may be wasted, but pain joined with the sufferings of Jesus — it is something that takes on a great value."

He continued, "Just as Jesus had accomplished his greatest work, not in preaching and working miracles, but really in his suffering and death, I think sometimes the greatest thing that we can do is to unite our suffering with his, and that may be the greatest work we do, toward the end of our lives or whatever time suffering comes into our lives."
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To order "Stations of the Cross for the Elderly," call Our Sunday Visitor at (800) 348-2440 or access the Web at osvbooks@osv.com.

Perhaps, visiting those in nursing homes and such to pray with them or to read the Stations to or with them might be a good Lenten exercise in charity...

The complete article is at the St. Louis Review