Downloadable collatable booklet, which can be used in church.

Wes Williams, an ENAW member, wrote a brief set of animal care/environmental reflections based upon the traditional Stations of the Cross. These are posted with Wes’ permission.
(Two notes: This is more powerful if it is actually used as a Stations of the Cross in a church — and read aloud, than if it’s just read-through silently here. Also, this site was coverted last year, and there are some weird punctuations or letters, that I haven’t gotten through to clean up.)

First Station – Jesus is sentenced to death.

Death is a necessary part of life. Death has been
present on earth since the first single cell emerged.
In order for life to continue death must occur. Each
of us–every cell, bacteria, fungi, plant, animal, and
humanóis in effect sentenced to death. It is in the
conscious act of condemning innocent life to an
unnecessary and premature death that we ësiní. Our
culture is in countless ways built upon the
intentional sentencing of an untold number of
innocents to death. And because we are all so deeply
embedded in this culture of death none of us, no
matter what we may want to believe, have hands washed
clean of innocent blood. By being a part of this
culture and this world we condemn some innocent life
form to death daily. The more conscious we become of
these daily death sentences the more deeply we are
moved to empathy, compassion and mercy. The more
profoundly we sense the loss.

Reflection or Lectio Divinia: “Jesus was taken away.”
[REB]

Second Station – Jesus carries His cross

We thrust the burden of our selfishness, our
unrestrained appetites, our consumerist lifestyle, our
spiritual blindness upon God’s creation. We fail to
see the presence of Christ in all that has the breath
of life. We do not see with a loving eye. We see
with an arrogant, controlling eye. We do not see
animals as subjects, only objects to be used for our
own ends. We reject and deny the divine light that
shines through their eyes and with callousness and
wanton disregard we force them to carry a cross of
shame for us in short, horrific tortured lives in
factory farms in zoos, or as ëentertainmentí. But
unlike those who witnessed Jesus carrying His cross we
do not see their pain, we do not hear their anguished
cries. For us there is none of the sweaty, bloody
immediacy that confronted the crowd on Good Friday. We
have sanitized and marginalized the process. They
carry their cross in oblivion. No, we are not
witnesses, we dare not witness it. We are simply
silent bystanders averting our eyes from the crushing
weight of the reality. Our hearts go out to all those
creatures who carry this cross in our times: May the
Holy One lighten their burden with the knowledge that
they are not alone, that others care and hope for
their liberation.

ìJesus was led away carrying the cross by himselfî
[John 19:17]

Third Station – Jesus Falls

Downers

“Although downed animals are frequently in severe
pain, they are rarely euthanized or anesthetized, as
that would translate into a lost carcass and addtional
expenses. Often spread-eaged on the floor of the
trailers, unable to stand or walk, these hapless
animals are chained by their broken legs and dragged
from the truck onto the loading ramp to await their
turn for slaugher.” [Beyond Beef, Jeremy Rifkin]

“But he was wounded for our iniquitites, he was
bruised for our sins.”

Fourth Station – Jesus meets His mother

The nurturing love of a mother is one source, perhaps
the very fountainhead of empathic, protective
compassion in our world. Observing a mother cat with
her newborn kittens has forever imprinted itself upon
my heart. Paws outstretched lying across their tiny
bodies with such love and contentment flowing from her
eyes! Seeing a young mare with her newborn foal one
can only stand in awe at the depth of love she feels
and tenderly expresses with her nudges and whinnies.
Each creature I see calls into my heart with the love
of its mother. Yet by our actions we brutally sever
this fundamental bond, this life giving love. We
shatter it with an unimaginable insensitivity when rip
young calves from their mothers and force them into
veal cages. We sin against this love when poachers
shoot chimpanzees and leave helpless infants to die
from mourning and neglect. We cruelly deny the
comforting solace a sow willing, lovingly extends to
her piglets by forcing them to feed through the cold
bars of horrid feeding ëcratesí. Hens, who have
become egg machines, never are allowed to cluck to,
nuzzle and protect the fruit of their labor. Yet here
Jesus, for one brief precious moment, was allowed a
comfort only his mother could offer. Jesus receives
the gentle touch of mother-love amidst this tortuous
event that he knew was to be his death. But we
deprive our animal brothers and sisters of even the
smallest grace as they walk to their lonely death.
What greater sin than to deny any living thing the
compassionate touch of its mother? Jesus clearly knew
of the great love of mothers, recognized it, and
taught it when he said: ìHow often I yearned to gather
your children, as a mother bird gathers her young
under her wings, but you refused me.î Jesus had one
last moment under his motherís outstretched ëwingsí.
What of the veal calves? The chimpanzees? The piglets?
The chicks?

Scripture reflection: “. . .and you to shall be
pierced to the heart.” [REB]

Fifth Station – Simon Helps Jesus Carry His Cross

Why did the soldiers select Simon of Cyrene to carry
JesusÌ cross? Was it a sympathetic look in his eye?
Did he cry out for mercy and justice? Or was he
simply an innocent bystander grabbed from amongst the
crowd of gawking onlookers. We will never know for
certain how willingly Simon accepted what was thrust
upon him by circumstance. We have a hint of how it may
have transformed him as the Christian writer Papias
(died around 130) suggests that Simon later himself
become a Christian, though this must remain
conjecture. What we know for certain is that Simon did
carry the cross of Jesus and thus was an instrument of
GodÌs grace and mercy. We pray that God may grant us
the grace to gladly bear the burdens that are daily
thrust upon animals throughout the world. We give
thanks for all those who work in shelters, rescue
groups, and animal sanctuaries. We are thankful for
the activists who take great risks to reveal to a
heartless world the horrors of factory farms. And we
are also truly thankful for those innocent bystanders
who when presented with the opportunity to show some
small kindness to a stray cat or dog do so. We are
thankful for those who have the strength and courage
to be a witness in our communities of GodÌs love for
all creation and all creatures. Let us renew our
commitment to be compassionate and merciful to all who
are suffering an injustice. To show kindness, mercy,
and love to those creatures of God we so thoughtlessly
marginalize and abuse. Let us resolve anew to carry
their cross whenever and wherever we are given the
opportunity.

“God in Heaven, Whose tender mercies are over all Your
works, send Your blessing on those who minister to
sick and suffering animals and hasten the day when the
whole of the animal creation shall be delivered from
the bondage of cruelty and fear; through Jesus Christ
our Lord.”
[F.O. Owens]

“Take my yoke upon your shoulders and learn from me,
for I am gentle and humble of heart. Your souls will
find rest, for my yoke is easy and my burden light.”
[New American Bible]

Sixth Station – Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus

A tradition of the church teaches that the shroud of
Turin is not the only relic believed to reveal the
image of Christ. Somewhat lesser known, but equally
well-guarded and revered (and disputed), is the veil
of Veronica. According to the legend a pious matron
named Veronica took pity on Jesus as he was carrying
his cross through the streets of Jerusalem on the way
to his crucifixion. She stepped forward from the
crowd and wiped the blood and sweat from his face with
her veil. Out of thanks for her act of kindness, Jesus
performed a miracle and left a painting-like imprint
of his face on the veil. The legend contends that the
veil has healing powers.

When we witness the suffering of an innocent animal
and respond with an act of comfort and mercy we retain
in our hearts an imprinted image of that suffering.
When we allow the eyes of an abused animal to
penetrate our heart and soul it is an image that will
forever remain with us. This image of suffering can
become a source of healing when we act out of love
from an awareness of the others’ painful struggle.
Healing radiates as the lingering impact of an act
that has touched the life of the victim. So here are
two distinct but connected sources of healing. The
first occurs when we reach out to the one who suffers
with a tenderhearted gesture of comfort. This image
becomes a kind of principle, which can continue to be
a source of our motivation to exercise goodness toward
every living creature. The more we attend to the
image the more we become tenderhearted and empathic.
So a single kind act becomes a perpetual source of
healing for others. Our personal healing comes from
allowing the tender mercies of God to daily fill our
hearts and to be expressed through our lives. We thus
carry within our very spirits a miraculous healing
image.

Reflect upon some moment of animal suffering that you
or someone else relieved through a comforting word,
gesture or act of mercy. Reflect upon how that image
remains within you and how you can nurture it to bring
more healing and tenderness to the world.

“Blessed are the merciful for they shall be shown
mercy.” [New American Bible]

Seventh Station – Jesus Falls the Second Time

In watching videos, which depict the horrifying
struggles of downers, it is never the first fall that
completely rends my heart. What moves me to anguished
tears is seeing the animal struggle to regain its feet
and continue his desperate, futile attempts at escape.
Oh, how I want to turn away from such horror. How I
want to avert my eyes and forget such cruelty exists.
For in the struggle to stand we see the desire to
live, an expression of the love of life which God has
placed in the very core of each and every living
being. We see this desire to live with such profound
clarity in these moments. “To live, to live, to
live,” it is a cry from the depths of the animalÌs
soul which reaches across the species boundary and
resonates within our own spirit. We know the self
same desire to live is in ourselves. As Buddha said:
“All beings tremble before violence. All fear death,
all love life. See yourself in others.” To see this
yearning for life so vividly expressed in the midst of
an inevitably tragic outcome is often more than we can
bear. But I find comfort in the knowledge that the
Spirit of God suffers with suffering creation. The
Spirit is present to each creature; a creature that
only exists because of God’s sustaining love. The God
of Jesus is the God of birds, elephants, chimpanzees
and yes, downers. The God revealed through Jesus
knows when every sparrow falls to the ground (Matt
6:26-29). And we can find comfort knowing the Creator
Spirit is companioning each creature with a Divine
Love that is the assurance of salvation and peace.

“The Lord upholds all who are falling, and raises up
all who are bowed down.” [Psalm 145:14 NRSV]

Eighth Station – Jesus Speaks to the Women of Jerusalem

“Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep
for yourselves and for your children.” These women of
Jerusalem are overwhelmed with grief as they watch the
tortuous path Jesus is walking. They are beating
their breasts and lamenting in a collective expression
of their deep compassion for the present suffering of
Jesus. They are like any mother who wants to see an
end to the harm and violence being perpetrated upon
their child. But Jesus points them away from his
suffering to their own future suffering and to that of
their own children. For the harm being done here is
done, but the profound consequences of this terrible
act are yet to be fully realized. Jesus knows that
even a single act of injustice upon innocence results
in a rippling effect through time and down through
generations. There is great wisdom in the expression,
“all things are connected”. There is no such thing as
an isolated incident.

Our wanton, careless destruction of sensitive
ecosystems; our unending torrent of air and water
pollution; our relentless development of rural lands
and shorelines; in short our treating God’s creation
as a commodity to be bought, sold, plundered and
exhausted is an act of theft from the people of the
future. Our perpetual state of violence, anger and
hatred only creates an unending spiral of violence,
anger and hatred. All of these acts have lasting,
perhaps even irreversible consequences for future
generations. Jesus tells the women that their
suffering may very well exceed his own. Think of how
our actions today are denying the next generation the
very creation God called “good”. Later in this
scripture Jesus will use natural imagery to further
emphasize his message of the impact of evil acts
against the good: “If they do these things in the
green wood, what will happen in the dry.” When those
in power and those who blind themselves to the abuses
of power treat peaceful innocence in this manner at
this moment, what level of violence are they capable
of in the future to the truly guilty. We must ask
ourselves what possible good can come from the
slaughter of millions upon millions of God’s creatures
who have walk the way of the cross every day of their
short, wretched lives? What possible good can come
from the ongoing destruction of natural areas? What
possible good can come from continually fouling our
water and air? Truly the children of the future may
be in such desperation over the loss and degradation
of God’s creation that they “…will begin saying
to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills,
‘Cover us.’”

Reflection: The Iroquois teach that we are to create
a good world for our children seven generations into
the future. What can each of us do this day to insure
a good world for even the very next generation?

Ninth Station – Jesus Falls the Third Time

It is not about falling a third time; it is about
rising from the fall one more time to fulfill that
which the Spirit is calling of all us to do. Whether
one is working for peace, social justice, the
environment or animal care issues it seems that daily
we are beaten down by an onslaught of depressing news
and a new round of discouragement, exhaustion and
frustration. How can we not suffer from compassion
fatigue? We struggle to carry on one more day in the
face of what seems to be a hopeless, endless task. A
task with precious little relief or comfort. We are
knocked down again and again and again. We are all so
weary with the burden we have chosen to carry. We are
bruised and we are broken. But as a Benedictine monk
once remarked, “always we begin again.” We must
somehow get back on our feet and continue moving
forward with love and mercy in our every step. We are
pulled forward by hope, by the belief that ultimately
we will not be forsaken in our work and ministries.
We take comfort in knowing that in Jesus we find the
God of love who suffers with us and every Îcriatura de
Dios (creature of God). Today is about rising one
more time to face the inevitable with a heart of
mercy. Today we begin again to fight back lethargy,
apathy and indifference. We continue to give love and
kindness to each and every creature that crosses our
path and to those unseen millions who are secretly
dependent upon our efforts towards the redemption of
all creation, towards the day the Spirit groans for
and the full realization of God’s kingdom on earth!
And “always we begin again.”

“Tell them: Thus says the Lord: When someone falls,
does he not rise again? If he goes astray does he not
turn back?” [Jeremiah 8:4]

“For the just man falls seven times and rises again,
but the wicked stumble to ruin.” [Proverbs 24:16]

Tenth Station – Jesus is Stripped of His Garments

We strip animals of their inherent, God given dignity
when we use them for sport and entertainment. We
strip zoo animals of their dignity when we put them in
prison cages to gawk, stare and laugh at them. We rob
greyhounds and horses of their dignity when we breed
them exclusively for races and then causally, without
mercy, cast them aside when they no longer serve our
perverse purposes. We strip wild animals of their
dignity when we violate their privacy with zoom lens
photography which reveals even the most their most
intimate of moments. We call this science to justify
our arrogant, demeaning gaze. We strip any vestige of
dignity from hens when we force them to live out
horrid lives in tiny cages covered in the filth of
their sisters, diseased and enslaved. And when we use
fox, mink, rabbit and chinchillas for fashion this is
perhaps the most hideous and brutal of all for we
strip them of their very skins.

We now understand nature as a seamless garment, yet
like the soldiers casting lots for Jesus’ tunic
without a seam, we treat it as if it were a commodity
to be possessed. We strip all creation of the dignity
it has before God. We do not act like stewards; we
act like the soldiers dividing up the garments of
nature for our own selfish, personal gain. We are
blind to that which stands naked before us.

Reflection: How can I work today to restore the
dignity of some animal that has had it stripped away
by human perversity?

Reflect upon how the following scripture as it
applies to the plight of animals.

To subvert my paths they rise up:
They build their approaches for my ruin.
To destroy me, they attack with none to stay them:
As through a wide breach they advance.
Amid the uproar they come on in waves:
Over me rolls the terror.
My dignity is borne off on the wind,
And my welfare vanishes like a cloud.
One with great power lays hold of my clothing:
By the collar of my tunic he seizes me:
He has cast me into the mire:
I am leveled with the dust and ashes.
[Job 30:12-19]

Eleventh Station – Jesus is Nailed to the Cross

There are numerous movies that graphically depict the
nailing of Jesus to the crossbeam. For many of us
this is the most deeply disturbing of scenes and in
this moment we feel an overwhelming surge of
compassionate empathy for Jesus. The violent finality
of the act is so poignant and the sudden realization
of the unimaginable pain is often vividly portrayed.
There is an intensity in this image of pounding nails
through human flesh and bone that sends shockwaves
through the heart. In Jesusí time this was an act of
Roman terrorism. It was not an act of sadistic
torture meant for the victim alone but was also done
for the lasting impact it had upon those who were
watching. Today we are standing by and watching the
crucifixion of Godís creation.

It is estimated that by the year 2050 the human
population will stand at over ten billion. In 15
years the demand for meat will double. According to
some experts 95 percent of the worldís rainforests
will be depleted or destroyed. 137 species will go
extinct today and by the end of the year that number
will be 50,000. When will we hammer the final nail of
crucifixion into Godís Creation? When will our acts
of violence against the natural world immobilize it to
the point where its ability to recover will be forever
shattered? Can we bear to ponder for one moment the
immensity of the pain we inflict every second of every
minute of every hour upon God’s creatures?

How did Jesus respond to those responsible for his
torture and agony? “Father, forgive them, for they
know not what they are doing.” Are we truly ignorant
of what we are doing? Have you ever seen Jesus’ prayer
speak through the eyes of an animal? Have you ever
heard this prayer in the silent, stunned gaze of a cow
about to be slaughtered? Or heard it whispered from
the heart of an abandoned family pet about to be
euthanized? If you have heard this prayer then your
heart has broken and the Spirit of God has rushed in
to give comfort and consolation. And if you have
heard the prayer for forgiveness you are called to
shine the gospel light so brightly that the world does
KNOW what is being done. For perhaps in this
knowledge will come a turning away from these acts of
cruelty. If you have not yet heard this cry for
forgiveness coming from the depths of Creation, please
listen, you will hear it and you will be forgiven.
Once you hear the Spirits plea for ëforgivenessí
certainly you will turn away and hasten to “do good,
to love mercy and to walk humbly with God.”

Reflection: How might I shine the gospel light upon
some act of ignorant cruelty and through the shining
of that light bring someone to hear the prayer for
forgiveness?

“The compassion of human beings is for their neighbors,
but the compassion of the Lord is for every living thing.”
[Book of Sirach 18:13 - NRSV]

Twelfth Station – Jesus Dies on the Cross

Altruism can be defined as a behavior which benefits
another but reduces the altruist’s ability to survive.
There are numerous accounts of animals risking their
lives and comfort not only for their own species but
also across species boundaries. Who has not heard
stories of dogs taking some heroic action that saved
the life of a guardian, or of some total stranger, or
even another animal? Such actions may be more common
throughout the animal kingdom than we realize as
university trained scientists often don’t see them
because they don’t believe it’s possible.

So how are we to understand such selfless actions if
they are not discounted as aberrations. Some will
contend they are merely a kind of reciprocal altruism
in that an apparently selfless act somehow serves to
insure the genetic survival of the individual. This
is known as the ëselfish geneí theory. This theory
does nothing to explain the many stories told of
animals attempting to save the life of a non-related
animal. Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson describes such an
event which took place in Kenya where a group of
elephants attempted to save a baby rhino who had
become hopelessly stuck in deep mud. Their rescue
efforts continued unabated despite repeated attacks
from the infantís mother. The selfish gene theory does
not do justice to the spiritual depths from which
these kind of selfless actions spring. For these
deeds of selflessness come from the very soul and the
very heart of the animal. They are truly inspired by
the Spirit of God and are proof of just how
fundamental Love is to the underlying structure of the
universe.

Love is part of the very fabric of Godís creation. It
is not just about the ësurvival of the fittestí but
also about providing mutual aid within a community
even when individuals do so at great risk to
themselves. This need to assist the ëotherí must
surely be from the Spirit as it runs counter to the
instinct of self-preservation. Did Jesus want to die
as a result of his mission and ministry? The Biblical
evidence suggest otherwise. For in the garden he
cries out for God to take away the cup he was about to
drink. Yet He was ultimately moved by the Spirit to
put aside self-interest. On the night of his betrayal
Jesus taught how fundamental such sacrifice was to a
life lived in communion with God when he said, ìThis
is my commandment: love one another as I love you. No
one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life
for one’s friends.î [John 15:12-13]

Altruism in animals is a reflection of the spark of
divinity within all life. It is a movement of Godís
grace. For God desires that ìnone should perish but
that all should be savedî and that desire may be
expressed through any of His creatures. One need not
literally die oneself in this act, but one must
certainly die to the lesser self which is concerned
solely with its own survival. This is how the Kingdom
of God dawns upon earth.

Reflection: Call to mind any stories you are aware of
in which an animal has risked their life to save
another. Reflect upon the source of that action.

ìI put no value on my life if only I can finish my
race and complete the service to which I have been
assigned by the Lord Jesus, bearing witness to the
gospel of Godís grace.î
[Acts 20:24, NAB]

Thirteenth Station ñ Jesus is taken down from the Cross

ìThen having brought a linen shroud, Joseph took him
down, wrapped him in the linen. . .í (Mark 15:46).
Joseph of Arimathea is portrayed as a wealthy,
distinguished member of the Sanhedrin as well a
somewhat marginal disciple of Jesus. Marginal because
while he was one who ìlooked forward to the reign of
Godî he was not able to speak out publicly on behalf
of Jesus at his trial. Despite his lack of courage at
Jesusí trial the image of Joseph himself physically
taking Jesus down from the cross and lovingly wrapping
the body in linen is deeply moving. Even more so when
we understand how such an act of compassion and mercy
would be seen by the Jewish authorities. In addition
to the negative social consequences the act of
touching a dead body would have also made him
ëuncleaní for Passover.

There are many individuals who feel deeply for the
plight of animals but are unable to publicly proclaim
such counter cultural views because of the family,
social and professional risks involved. Like Joseph
they find themselves in silent opposition to a culture
that blindly accepts such cruelty but find it
difficult to articulate that opposition. Some would
prefer being vegetarian but because of family habits
and pressure are unable to do so. Some feel deeply
about animal rights and environmental issues but are
inhibited from speaking out in the work place for fear
of ridicule or isolation. Sadly many have spiritual
concerns about hunting, exploitation of animals in
entertainment and factory farming but dare not say so
to fellow church members. These individuals need our
prayers that God strengthen them in their convictions.
We need to seek them out and give them our
friendship, love, patience and support. A day may
dawn in which they do in fact answer their own call to
mercy. A day may come when they find they the courage
of Joseph of Arimathea and exceed our own often
over-rated, self-righteousness. Then we will stand
humbled by the good they have done. Ask yourself
where were Peter, John, James or any of the other
disciples when it came time to take Jesus off the
cross? And take a moment to consider how people
unknown to us may already be showing deep tenderness
for some innocent victim.

Reflection ñ Am I sometimes smugly self-righteous
about my public stand on animal/environmental issues?
Might some people who are more restrained in their
support be doing as much or more than I?

ìStrengthen the hands that are feeble,
make firm the knees that are weak,
Say to those whose hearts are frightened:
Be strong, fear not!
Here is your God,
He gives strength to the fainting;
for the weak he makes vigor abound.î [Isaiah 35:3-4]

ìThough young men faint and grow weary,
and youths stagger and fall,
They that hope in the LORD will renew their strength,
they will soar as with eagles’ wings;
They will run and not grow weary,
walk and not grow faint.î [Isaiah 40: 29-31]

ìWe urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, cheer the
fainthearted, support the weak, be patient with all.î
[1 Thessalonians 5:14]

Fourteenth Station – Jesus is Laid in the Tomb

“…in the garden was a tomb…there they laid
Jesus.” (John 19:40-42) Our journey began when we
faced the truth that all that have the breath of life
are condemned to death. Now we have come to the tomb
to confront the crushing reality of that truth. We
are exhausted with the realization and contemplation
of the suffering that has accompanied us on this walk.
We are almost relieved the end has finally come. We
mourn, certainly, but it is now a reflective mourning.

How can we not grow weary from the seemingly endless
vision of death that is before us daily? How can we
not weep at knowing how many innocent creatures who
have been deprived of any dignity for their entire
lives each day are mercilessly, wantonly slaughtered?
How can we not grieve for the magnitude of violence
and destruction that is occurring throughout the
world? How can we not be overwhelmed at the vast
reaches of this culture of death? Where do we find
hope? Where do we find grace? Where do we find the
strength to wipe away the tears and face the future?
How can we not weep when we look upon this garden God
has given humankind knowing how poorly we have cared
for it and all the creatures in it.

But in the garden is our hope. It is fitting that the
body of Jesus was laid in a garden tomb. For in the
garden is the hope of spring. In the garden life
faithfully reemerges every season. No matter how
bitterly cold, or how harsh the winter the garden will
come back to life. And with it the little things of
the garden that Jesus cherished so much in his short
life, the sparrows, the wildflowers, the dove, the
fruits of the trees, and at seasons end the tiny
seeds. In the garden we learn how lavishly nature
will respond when cared for with loving attention.
From the garden comes beauty and renewed life.

Now the season is upon us when new life cannot be
resisted. The yearly resurrection of once dormant
life now greets our eyes and cheers our hearts. What
seemed dead throughout winters frozen reign now warms,
rises, grows and bears fruit. Life emerges from
dormancy, potential becomes actuality. Keep watch in
the garden and you will see the greening power of God
as the face of the earth is renewed and restored. In
the garden we find hope, we take solace, and we are
comforted as we begin anew the work God set for us in
Eden. For we are placed here to cultivate and care
for the garden and all that lives in the garden.

Reflection: Take a moment and hold in your thoughts
one for whom you had a deep bond who has died. Lay
them in the garden tomb with Jesus. On Easter Sunday
reflect upon how they too have ërisení.

“Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be
comforted.”
[Matthew 5:4]