A quick word about the Stations of the Cross, March 08, 2021

What an incredible honor it was to paint the Stations of the Cross for my home parish, St. Andrew’s By the Sea Catholic Church. Thank you to our pastor, Fr. Hanh Pham.

The biggest challenge I faced was that all the paintings had to be done as fast as humanly possible. Fr. Hanh needed them to be on the walls by Ash Wednesday or the latest on that Friday when the stations of the cross would be prayed for the 1st time for Lent. Normally it takes me at least 3 months to complete one painting but with the Holy Spirit, these 14 paintings were all done in less than 5 months. Since I had very limited time, I decided to focus on the expressive quality of the paintings instead of a technically polished way of painting. Frankly, it would take me at least 2 years to achieve what I had in my mind – why so long? I needed to use a glazing technique which involves the oil paint to fully cure in between glazing layers – this process takes a long time without a drying medium but it would result to a painting akin to the Renaissance masters with lovely porcelain skin tones and fully developed details. As Leonardo Da Vinci said, “A painting is never finished, only abandoned” but in my case, I simply ran out of time. With that said, my hope was that these paintings would bring into life the emotional narrative that I feel when I pray the Stations of the Cross. It is more important that the viewer feels what is happening in the painting, step inside it and become a part of it rather than just looking at it from the outside in. It is an invitation to take any figure in the painting and accompany them in their journey.

Prayers were answered and made it with an hour to spare. Here they are – the completed 14 Paintings of the Stations of the Cross with prayers.

From ETWN

Opening Prayer

Mary, my Mother, you were the first to live the Way of the Cross. You felt every pain and every humiliation. You were unafraid of the ridicule heaped upon you by the crowds. Your eyes were ever on Jesus and His Pain. Is that the secret of your miraculous strength? How did your loving heart bear such a burden and such a weight? As you watched Him stumble and fall, were you tortured by the memory of all the yesterdays- His birth, His hidden life and His ministry?

You were so desirous of everyone loving Him. What a heartache it was to see so many hate Him – hate with a diabolical fury. Take my hand as I make this Way of the Cross. Inspire me with those thoughts that will make me realize how much He loves me. Give me light to apply each station to my daily life and to remember my neighbor’s needs in this Way of the Pain.

Obtain for me the grace to understand the mystery, the wisdom and the Divine love as I go from scene to scene. Grant that my heart, like yours, may be pierced through by the sight of His sorrow and the misery and that I may determine never to offend Him again. What a price He paid to cover my sins, to open the gates of heaven for me and to fill my soul with His own Spirit . Sweet Mother, let us travel this way together and grant that the love in my poor heart may give you some slight consolation.

Amen

NOTE: The prayers for the individual stations were as composed by Saint Alphonsus Liguori.