The Church at Horseshoe Bay is again recreating The Stations of the Cross in the beautiful Remembrance Garden overlooking Lake LBJ. This self-guided experience for individuals, couples, or small groups begins on Saturday, March 28, continuing each day of Passion Week through Easter Sunday, April 5. The images at each Station, the scriptures read, and the prayers offered invite each pilgrim to vicariously experience the journey of Jesus to Calvary's cross.
The memory and message of Christ's passion death, and resurrection is central to the Christian faith. Over time, a visual reenactment of Holy Week led to the creation of Stations of the Cross as a spiritual pilgrimage. While the exact origin of the Stations is not entirely clear, it is ancient and associated with pilgrimages to Jerusalem in the early Christian centuries. Those who were able to walk the actual path Jesus walked to his crucifixion were deeply moved by the experience.
Christians throughout the ages made pilgrimages to walk the Via Dolorosa - the actual route believed to have been taken by Jesus through Jerusalem to Calvary. Pilgrims paused at various stations to remember and reflect on what happened to Jesus. Pilgrims who walked the path Jesus walked to his crucifixion were deeply moved by the experience. For over 2000 years pilgrims still seek the experience of following in the steps of Jesus. In December 2014, the vision was cast that Horseshoe Bay could host a regionwide experience of the Via Dolorosa. With creativity and inspiration, the project took off. Attractive Devotional Guides are available at the entrance to the Remembrance Garden to give guidance to pilgrims who walk through the Stations. In its eleventh year, The Stations of the Cross has become a tradition for Holy Week in the Highland Lakes. The Garden is beautifully lighted in the evening, but a flashlight is necessary to read.
