Versailles News
By Kathy Monnin
Sunday is referred to as Palm Sunday and marks the beginning of Holy Week which takes us to Easter Sunday. Palm Sunday, sometimes called Passion Sunday, gets its name from the palm fronds people laid down at the feet of Jesus, honoring him as King and Messiah as Jesus processed triumphantly into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey.
Some Christians have taken on the devotional practice of praying the Stations of the Cross during lent or will pray them during the Lenten service on Good Friday. The Stations, also known as the Via Dolorosa, which means “the sorrowful way” commemorates the final hours in the life of Jesus leading to his death upon the cross.
There are 14 stations which have been handed down by word of mouth throughout the generations, but over time biblical variations have been accepted. The Stations began as a pilgrimage in Jerusalem as pilgrims retraced the steps, journey, and agony of Christ. Today churches have stations either inside or outside for those who wish to participate in the pilgrimage without travelling to Jerusalem. The Stations allow one to walk the road with Jesus, to be a personal witness to the events of Jesus, to meditate and enter in the reality of the faith.
The traditional form of the Stations of the Cross is as follows: 1. Jesus is condemned to death. 2. Jesus is given His cross. 3. Jesus falls for the first time. 4. Jesus meets His mother, Mary. 5. Simon of Cyrene is forced to carry the cross. 6. Veronica wipes blood off the face of Jesus. 7. Jesus falls for the second time. 8. Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem. 9. Jesus falls for the third time. 10. Jesus is stripped of His clothing. 11. Jesus is nailed to the cross. 12. Jesus dies on the cross. 13. Jesus’ body is taken down from the cross. 14. Jesus’ body is placed in the tomb.
Why do people pray the stations? Again, it’s a pilgrimage and walk with Jesus. So often we fool ourselves by thinking we would never have denied Christ like Peter, or we would never have disobeyed God like Adam and Eve, but the truth is we all are subject to human weakness. Would we have been like Veronica fearlessly wiping the face of our Lord despite all the armed guards? Or would we fear for our own safety like all the apostles except John?
By praying the stations, we learn to have more compassion for those who suffer. It draws us out of our selfishness and teaches us to sacrifice for others. We can unite our struggles with Christ Crucified. We can grow in hope, patience, humility, courage, and strength in times of difficulty by putting our trust in Him.
Each station speaks to us in a different voice depending on what we need. Often, I focus on the fact that Jesus fell three times, but he continued for our salvation. I see the depth of us love for us, I realize that weakness is no excuse for all things are possible with God. I also remind myself that Jesus showed humility when Simon of Cyrene helped him carry his cross and again when he was stripped naked. I remind myself that I must surrender my pride and lay bare my weaknesses to accept assistance from those who are more capable than I.
“The cross is not a mere event in history; it’s a way of life!” ~John Piper
“There is no way of salvation except through the cross of Christ.” ~Billy Graham
“Before we can begin to see the cross as something done for us, we have to see it as something done by us.” ~John R.W. Stott
UPCOMING EVENTS
Friday, April 8, “Beauty and the Beast” will be performed in the Versailles Performing Arts Center beginning at 7:30 p.m. Additional performances on Saturday, April 9, at 3 and 7:30 p.m.
Friday, April 8:
· Fish Fry at Ansonia American Legion from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Dine in, Curb, or Carryout
· Fish Fry at Greenville K of C from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Dine in or Carryout.
· Fish Fry at Osgood Legion from 5 to 7 p.m. Dine in or Carryout.
Saturday April 9, Spaghetti Dinner at Russia St. Remy Hall from 5 p.m. until sold out. Carry-out only. Proceeds benefit the archdiocesan seminarians
Saturday, April 9, Singles Dance with music by Hearts on Fire, at the Greenville VFW at 219 N. Ohio Street, from 8 to 11 p.m. Cover Charge is $7.
Sunday, April 10, Palm Sunday Breakfast in the Frenchtown Hall from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Free will offering with proceeds donated to Fr. Jim Simon who is retiring this July. There is also a bake sale upstairs.
Monday, April 11, Memory Lane Dance held at the Greenville VFW from 1 to 3:30 p.m. Open to the public, with music by Tom Everhart. Admission is $5 at the door.
Tuesday and Wednesday, April 12 and 13, Pickleball at Versailles Ward Park from 5:30 to 8 p.m.
Wednesday, April 13, Wings and Things at the Ansonia American Legion from 5 to 8 p.m. Dine in or carryout offered. Open to the Public.
Thursday, April 14, a Soup and Sandwich Supper at the Versailles Trinity Lutheran Church from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in the church basement. Eat in our carry out, homemade soup, sandwiches, and desserts.
Thursday, April 14, Euchre Night downstairs in the Versailles Vets Club Bunker beginning at 7 p.m. Open to the Public.
Friday, April 15, Jen’s Burritos at the Ansonia American Legion from 5 to 7 p.m. Dine in or carry out. Open to the Public.
Saturday, April 16, Pickleball at Versailles Ward Park from 9 to 11 a.m.
Happy birthday wishes to Nichole Baltes, Jeremy Riley, Laura Bohman, Rick Cordonnier, Mary Lou Topp, Kay Holfinger, Greg Zechar, Carolyn Klopfenstein, Julie Deeter, Richard Voisard, Renee Barga, Deb Kauffman, Kenneth Brown, Kendall Glass, Jim Didier, Dave Mestemaker, Margaret Perkins (94), Chris Glass, Ted Blakeley, and any whom I missed as their birthday approaches, as well as anniversary wishes to Janet and Fred Banks (57).
Please extend your sympathy to the family and friends of Jim Rahm (72), Madonna Cohee (82), Paul Short (84), Robert Grillot (85), Shirley Derr (87), and all those who have passed as well as those we hold within our hearts as the anniversary of their passing nears. Please give your prayers of comfort and healing for the sick, those who struggle, the suffering, the caregivers and those who mourn the loss of their loved ones.
As an act of kindness, we must be the change we wish to see within the world. Therefore, let us say the prayer from Psalms 139:23-24: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you and lead me along the path of everlasting life.”
Kathy Monnin is a volunteer citizen columnist. She can be reached at [email protected] or at 423-0914. Feel free to contact her with Versailles news and tidbits. Viewpoints expressed in the article are the work of the author. The Daily Advocate does not endorse these viewpoints or the independent activities of the author.
