About The Author:
Ron Abarbanel has been a chaplain since 1992. Having grown up in a Jewish home, he inherited the notion that one had to live up to God’s standards or else. Through a series of life events, the death of Christ became deeply meaningful to him because it communicated God’s profound love and grace. He was introduced to the Stations of the Cross while working alongside a Catholic priest. While he got a lot out of it, he also felt that it did not easily highlight the degree to which Jesus suffered emotionally. He slowly began developing his own stations as a means to remind himself of the emotional trauma Jesus endured so that he would become less resistant to the same kinds of things in his life. Eventually, he started sharing it with others.
Ways to enjoy this reflection
On Your Own
This reflection was primarily designed to be done on your own. While there is a lot to benefit from hearing from others, the main purpose is to connect with Christ in the privacy of your own relationship with him.
Self Guided in a group
This reflection is deep and even dark at times. It gets you to look at many of the hardest things in your life through the lens of suffering with Christ. While it is primarily designed to provoke interaction between you and Christ, doing it in a group or with a few close friends can be encouraging. Hearing how others struggle can often put words to what you feel and experience but have trouble articulating.
With a Spiritual Director
You can opt to do this series of reflections with a Spiritual Director. The benefit is that you get one on one time to debrief some of the hard things these reflections may trigger. Our skilled directors will listen, ask questions, and help you grow deeper in your understanding and relationship with Christ.
If you would like this option, register below:
Resource Content
Resource Includes
- 13 Chapters