Cross Visits Families Leading up to Easter
Symbolising life over death, the Easter cross is a subjective representation of the immense pain and the enormous blood that Jesus had shed to redeem humankind of their sins.
For Veremo Taukeinikoro it has been tradition for his family to receive the sector’s cross during the Lent season. Mr Taukeinikoro is a member of the St Joseph the Worker Catholic sector in Vunibau. The sector belongs to the Lomary parish. The cross was blessed by the priest the Sunday before Ash Wednesday.
On the Friday after Ash Wednesday sector members observed the Stations of the Cross in Church before the cross left the church the next day to visit families.
The Stations of the Cross are a 14-step Catholic devotion that commemorates Jesus Christ’s last day on Earth as a man.
The 14 focus on specific events of His last day, beginning with His condemnation; at each station, the individual recalls and meditates on a specific event from Christ’s last day.
The St Joseph the Worker cross spends a night each at the 34 Catholic households in Vunibau and Deuba village.
In the past three years there were also requests from non-Catholic families for a visit (pass through) where a few Stations of the Cross were observed before it is concluded at the home the cross spend the night.
“The Stations of the Cross rite is special because it allows us to contemplate and enter the mystery of Jesus’ gift of Himself to us,”
Mr Taukeinikoro said.
“It takes the reflection on the passion out of my head, and makes it an imaginative exercise. It involves my senses, my experience and my emotions,” he said while sharing his experience.
“To the extent I come to experience the love of Jesus for me, to that extent the gratitude I feel is deep.
“The cross is not only restricted to Catholic families in our sector, our cross has visited homes of other denominations also.”