Shall We Ever Rise? a holy walk
The Rev. Ann Helmke, animating director of the San Antonio peaceCENTER and Rosalyn Collier, a Catholic laywoman and one of the founders of the peaceCENTER, created this series of 12 collages as a Lenten offering in 1998. They were exhibited at Studio Gallo in the Blue Star Art Complex and have been used several times as stations of the cross as part of the Archdiocese of San Antonio’s annual Lenten pilgrimage for Justice.
In 2006, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) had them made into vinyl banners for use at their triennial youth gathering, where they were seen by almost 40,000 youth. ELCA donated the banners to the peaceCENTER at the conclusion of the gathering.
The collages, with captions in English and Spanish, are available as a color book from peaceCENTERbooks. The banner are available as a loan from the peaceCENTER: download the brochure here.
To see the images below in full size as a slide show, click on any of the pictures.
Empty & Humbled
IN YOUR MINDS YOU MUST BE THE SAME AS CHRIST JESUS HIS STATE WAS DIVINE, YET HE DID NOT CLING TO HIS EQUALITY WITH GOD BUT EMPTIED HIMSELF TO ASSUME THE CONDITIONS OF A SLAVE AND BEING, AS ALL MEN ARE, HE WAS HUMBLER YET, EVEN TO ACCEPTING DEATH, DEATH ON A CROSS PHILIPPIANS 2: 5-8
Distress
WHILE THEY WERE AT THE TABLE EATING, JESUS SAID, “I TELL YOU SOLEMNLY, ONE OF YOU IS ABOUT TO BETRAY ME, ONE OF YOU EATING WITH ME.” THEY WERE DISTRESSED, AND ASKED HIM, ONE AFTER ANOTHER, ”NOT I, SURELY?” HE SAID TO THEM, “IT IS ONE OF THE TWELVE, ONE WHO IS DIPPING INTO THE SAME DISH WITH ME. . . . ALAS FOR THAT MAN BY WHOM THE SON OF THE MASTER IS BETRAYED! BETTER FOR THAT MAN IF HE HAD NEVER BEEN BORN!” MARK 14: 18-21
Agony
THEN HE WITHDREW FROM THEM ABOUT A STONE’S THROW AWAY AND KNELT DOWN AND PRAYED: FATHER, IF YOU ARE WILLING, TAKE THIS CUP AWAY FROM ME NEVERTHELESS, LET YOUR WILL BE DONE, NOT MINE.” . . . IN HIS ANGUISH HE PRAYED EVEN MORE EARNESTLY AND HIS SWEAT FELL TO THE GROUND LIKE GREAT DROPS OF BLOOD. LUKE 22:41-42, 44
Betrayed
NOW THE TRAITOR HAD ARRANGED A SIGN WITH THEM: “THE ONE I KISS, HE IS THE MAN. TAKE HIM IN CHARGE.” SO HE WENT STRAIGHT UP TO JESUS AND SAID, “GREETINGS, RABBI,” AND KISSED HIM. JESUS SAID TO HIM, “MY FRIEND, DO WHAT YOU ARE HERE FOR.” MATTHEW 26: 48-50
Falsely Accused
THE CHIEF PRIESTS AND THE WHOLE SANHEDRIN WERE LOOKING FOR EVIDENCE AGAINST JESUS, HOWEVER FALSE, ON WHICH THEY MIGHT PASS THE DEATH SENTENCE. MATTHEW 26: 59
Desertion
“AM I A BRIGAND, THAT YOU HAD TO SET OUT TO CAPTURE ME WITH SWORDS AND CLUBS? I SAT IN THE TEMPLE DAY AFTER DAY AND YOU NEVER LAID HANDS ON ME.” NOW ALL THIS HAPPENED TO FULFILL THE PROPHECIES IN SCRIPTURE. THEN ALL THE DISCIPLES DESERTED HIM AND RAN AWAY. … “BEFORE THE COCK CROWS YOU WILL HAVE DISOWNED ME THREE TIMES.” MATTHEW 26: 55-56, 75
Injustice
YOU BROUGHT THIS MAN BEFORE ME AS A POLITICAL AGITATOR. NOW I HAVE GONE INTO THE MATTER MYSELF IN YOUR PRESENCE AND FOUND NO CASE AGAINST HIM. NOR HAS HEROD EITHER, AS HE HAS SENT HIM BACK TO US. AS YOU CAN SEE THE MAN HAS DONE NOTHING THAT DESERVES DEATH, SO I SHALL HAVE HIM FLOGGED AND THEN LET HIM GO. LUKE 22: 14-15
No Reply
“DO YOU NOT HEAR HOW MANY CHARGES THEY HAVE BROUGHT AGAINST YOU?” BUT TO THE GOVERNOR’S COMPLETE AMAZEMENT, JESUS OFFERED NO REPLY TO ANY OF THE CHARGES. MATTHEW 27: 13-14
Condemned
“WHAT AM I TO DO WITH JESUS WHO IS CALLED CHRIST?” THEY ALL SAID, “LET HIM BE CRUCIFIED.” ”WHY, WHAT HARM HAS HE DONE?” BUT THEY SHOUTED ALL THE LOUDER,”LET HIM BE CRUCIFIED.” THEN PILATE TOOK SOME WATER WASHED HIS HANDS IN FRONT OF THE CROWD AND SAID, ”I AM INNOCENT OF THIS MAN’S BLOOD, IT IS YOUR CONCERN.” MATTHEW 27: 22-25
Mockery
THE GOVERNOR’S SOLDIERS TOOK JESUS WITH THEM INTO THE PRAETORIUM AND COLLECTED THE WHOLE COHORT AROUND HIM, THEN THEY STRIPPED HIM AND MADE HIM WEAR A SCARLET CLOAK. AND HAVING TWISTED SOME THORNS INTO A CROWN THEY PUT THIS ON HIS HEAD AND PLACED A REED IN HIS RIGHT HAND. TO MAKE FUN OF HIM THEY KNELT TO HIM SAYING, ”HAIL, KING OF THE JEWS!” THEY SPAT ON HIM AND TOOK THE REED AND STRUCK HIM WITH IT. MATTHEW 27: 27-30
Reconciled
THE PEOPLE STAYED THERE WATCHING HIM. AS FOR THE LEADERS, THEY JEERED AT HIM. ”HE SAVED OTHERS, LET HIM SAVE HIMSELF IF HE IS THE CHRIST OF GOD, THE CHOSEN ONE.” . . . “JESUS, REMEMBER ME WHEN YOU COME INTO YOUR KINGDOM.” JESUS REPLIED, ”INDEED, I PROMISE YOU, TODAY YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADIS
Witness
“ELI, ELI, SABACHTHANI?” THAT IS, ”MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU DESERTED ME?” . . . JESUS, AGAIN CRYING OUT IN A LOUD VOICE, YIELDED UP HIS SPIRIT. AT THAT, THE VEIL OF THE TEMPLE WAS TORN IN TWO THE EARTH QUAKED . . .TOMBS OPENED . . . BODIES OF THE JUST ROSE FROM THE DEAD. MATTHEW 27: 46, 50-52
