by Rachel Revely

“The Stations of Words” was a series of art pieces with an accompanying liturgy installed in Lincoln Cathedral during the Covid Pandemic. Pilgrims were invited to pray the liturgy whilst moving through the images. Here, Rachel Revely shares with us a part of the liturgy which pilgrims prayed, and speaks about Liturgy, Art and Theology.

---

Rachel Revely Prays the Stations of Words

---

The Liturgy

The Third Staton, the Words of Relationship

We adore you O Christ and we bless you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, ‘woman, behold, here is your son.’ Then he said to the disciple, ‘behold, here is your mother.’ And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home.

John 19.25b-27

Even while on the cross Jesus he beheld his mother,
and has entrusted her to the Church as our mother.
Show your love to those who suffer the death of a child,
and allow us to be inspired by our holy mother who cares for us still. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Fifth Station, the Words of Distress

We adore you O Christ and we bless you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

After this, when Jesus knew that all was now finished, he said (in order to fulfil the scripture), ‘I thirst.’ A jar full of sour wine was standing there. So they put a sponge full of the wine on a branch of hyssop and held it to his mouth.

John 19.28-29

Your son experienced
the fullness of human distress upon the cross.
Help us to seek out those who thirst today, spiritually and physically,
and by your grace allow their thirst to be quenched.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Ninth Station, the Words of Recognition

We adore you O Christ and we bless you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’ She said to them, ‘They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.’ When she had said this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? For whom are you looking?’ Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, ‘Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Mary!’ She turned and said to him in Hebrew, ‘Rabbouni!’ (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, ‘Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, “I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” ’ Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord’; and she told them that he had said these things to her.

John 20.11-18

Jesus calls us by name,
and send us to proclaim his resurrection
May we echo the words of Mary Magdalene,
‘I have seen the Lord’.
We ask this through the one by whom we can see all things,
Jesus Christ, our Risen Lord. Amen.

The Thirteenth Station, the Words of Receiving

We adore you O Christ and we bless you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’

John 20.19-23

From God we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
May it so empower us in our life and faith,
that we are enabled to bring the peace of God to all whom we meet. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Eighth Station, the Words of Joy

We adore you O Christ and we bless you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

Alleluia.
Praise the Lord from the heavens;
praise him in the heights.
Praise him, all you his angels;
praise him, all his host.
Praise him, sun and moon;
praise him, all you stars of light.
Praise him, heaven of heavens,
and you waters above the heavens.
Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for he commanded and they were created.
He made them fast for ever and ever;
he gave them a law which shall not pass away.

For his name only is exalted,
his splendour above earth and heaven.
He has raised up the horn of his people
and praise for all his faithful servants,
the children of Israel, a people who are near him. Alleluia.

Psalm 148.1-6, 13, 14

Creation sings of your marvellous works.
May heaven’s praise so echo in our hearts
that as we sing our alleluia of Easter Joy,
we are able to glimpse eternity,
which has been made possible,
through the resurrection of your son, our saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.

---

Interview