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12 FEBRUARY 2022 | DENVER CATHOLIC P O CK E T G U I D E TO S TATI O N S O F T H E CR O S S This article is based on Dr. Sri's newest book, Pocket Guide to Stations of the Cross, out now via Ascension Press. When we imitate Christ and give ourselves away completely in love to God and others, we don't lose anything. We actually gain so much more." T H E P OW E R O F S TATI O N S O F T H E CR O S S This is why we need to keep the story of Jesus' passion constantly on our minds and the minds of our children. We want to lift high the Cross in our hearts, families and communities, lest we be dis- tracted and seduced by this present age and forget the true standard for our lives. Remember, we live in a world that wants to run away from the Cross, a world that even despises and mocks it — and constantly entices us Christians to seek what is interesting, comfortable, plea- surable and profitable for ourselves. Consider the following: † We fallen human beings often want to be in control, to be the masters of our own lives and cling to our own dreams and plans, whatever the cost. As Christians, however, we hold up Jesus, who abandoned everything, denied himself, and surrendered all to the Father's will. We hold up the Cross. † The world tempts us to seek our iden- tity, self-worth and security by grasp- ing after worldly success, achieve- ments, wealth, the latest fashions, the latest technological gadgets. As true Christian disciples, however, we hold up Jesus on Good Friday — poor, naked, stripped of everything he had. We hold up the Cross. † The world seduces us with comforts, sensual pleasure, constant distractions and incessant pointless amusements on our devices. As Christians, we instead hold up Jesus, beaten, scourged and crucified. We hold up the Cross. † The world wants us to seek the praise of men. It gets us to focus on appear- ances and to find our identity in a virtual world, anxiously projecting an image, wanting a platform, longing to be seen, and striving to get more "fol- lowers" and "comments" than every- one else. True Christian disciples, however, realize the vanity of all this and instead hold up Jesus — unnoticed by most people in his day, mocked by his enemies, rejected by those he came to save, forgotten by the crowds who had previously praised him, and even abandoned by his closest friends. In an age that seeks the empty praise of men, we hold up the Cross.