Would You Crawl Up These Stairs On Your Knees

[Birgitta Noel]

While I don't reject this idea in any way I have to say that the picture of all of those people doing this at once does not make it something that I would do. For me with that many people I would not be able to focus on what I was doing.

I have the same problem in adoration. Too many people = distraction and inability to have quiet time.

Edit to add: I do go to adoration, I just prefer to go somewhere where it's a big church and I can sit alone.

Edited June 17, 2007 by The Little Way

[Sojourner]

[quote name='VaticanIILiturgist' post='1297026' date='Jun 16 2007, 08:44 PM']Unpleasant doesn't necessarily mean bad. The Paschal road journeyed by Christ was not pleasant, I'm sure, but it was still journeyed. Making a confession during the sacrament of penance is not always pleasant, but good is gained from it. I agree, ascending steps on your knees in unpleasant, but still potentially beneficial.[/quote]
Was this directed at me?

[jiyoung]

I have, and it was beautiful. It was a wonderful meditation.

[bonoducchi]

[quote name='Terra Firma' post='1297129' date='Jun 17 2007, 12:28 AM']Was this directed at me?[/quote]
Not at you....just at the notion of unpleasantness.

[KnightofChrist]

Yes I would crawl up the stairs which Christ crawled also!

[gurlie4godsd]

[quote name='Didymus' post='1296658' date='Jun 16 2007, 10:40 AM']i did do it. and it was awesome. It's kinda a good retreat in Rome just to go there and slowly meditate on the Passion of Our Lord.[/quote]


I did it to...it was amazing and very powerful...I did it with my family and we stopped and prayed a hail mary for each step...it was beautiful.

[Budge]

I think this whole crawling up the stairs thing to "be" more holy comes out of human pride. You want to DO something that you believe will make you more pleasing to God and HOLY.

THe sad thing is all it really is show that shows lack of trust and relationship with God. I ask myself what kind of God would desire you bust your knees out for no good purpose? Lets say you had to kneel to do CPR and you had two bad knees and blew one out, at least that would have been good for a purpose.

I'm sorry but this display is not about true holiness but people who still think they must *appease* God via their own *suffering*.
[quote]
Budge, these devotions are not done to earn salvation; they are done to share in [b]Our Lord's work of justification by looking for opportunities to suffer what He suffered, [/b]realizing that we deserve no better, and accepting what we deserve with humility so that we will be that much more open to falling before Him in praise for the gift of His salvation.[/quote]

So Michah, does that mean that those men in the Phillipines who get themselves crucified are right?

Its based in pride, seeking to *appease* God and force His hand and not in truth. Many of you are young, [u]life WILL bring you suffering, count on it! You do not have to go looking for it.[/u] If this Catholic stuff was true, JOb would have knocked down his own house and took medicine to give HIMSELF boils.

[quote]Been there done that, what is your point????

Anybody can say a few words and think they are saved Budge, actions speak louder than words.[/quote]

I am supposing that many of you are of upper socioeconomic means, most normal working class Americans can not afford the plane ticket to Rome, to crawl up the stairs at the Vatican. Now how much good was served others, by you spending money to crawl up some stairs, rather then serve others?

This is where some of the pretense of *holiness* comes in. Expensive World travel coupled with prideful religious activities.

Charles Dickens, wrote about the poor quite often, Ive read most of his books, and have loved them. I suppose he too saw the pretense in this religious ritual given that he had a heart for the poor.

[Norseman82]

Well, if someone wants to do it as a private devotion, that is their business. This is not something [i]required[/i] to increase holiness; there are other ways of doing it, and no one should be made to feel guilty for not doing this private devotion.

[quote name='Budge' post='1297392' date='Jun 17 2007, 05:12 PM']Many of you are young, [u]life WILL bring you suffering, count on it! You do not have to go looking for it.[/u][/quote]

I don't agree with Budge much, but this point this is one of those twice a day moments where the stopped clock is right.

Edited June 17, 2007 by Norseman82

[Budge]

[quote]Many of you are young, life WILL bring you suffering, count on it! You do not have to go looking for it.


I don't agree with Budge much, but this point this is one of those twice a day moments where the stopped clock is right.[/quote]

Wow you agree...

[Norseman82]

[quote name='Budge' post='1297413' date='Jun 17 2007, 05:35 PM']Wow you agree...

[/quote]

Don't get your hopes up too much....there are those other 1338 minutes of the day we need you to work on! :

[cmotherofpirl]

Again you got it exactly wrong.

Doing something a bit uncomfortable to remind yourself of the sufferings of Christ who suffered for you is a humbling action.
You might try it sometime before you spout such an opinion.

[Era Might]

[quote]And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was at table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.

...

Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house, you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment.

Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little." And he said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, "Who is this, who even forgives sins?" And he said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."

--Luke 7:37-50[/quote]The woman's faith was not only in her heart. Our Lord upbraided the others for not expressing their faith in acts of devotion. She was willing to get on her knees and wash his feet with her hair, and kiss them and anoint them with oil.

[quote]At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort, a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms liberally to the people, and prayed constantly to God. About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, "Cornelius." And he stared at him in terror, and said, "What is it, Lord?" And he said to him, "Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God."

--Acts 10:1-4[/quote]
This man was also commended for his "prayers and alms." He showed his love for God in a concrete way. St. John the Baptist wore camel's hair and ate locusts, even though he was the greatest born among women. St. Paul said, "I pommel my body and subdue it, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified" (1Corinthians 9:27). We get on our knees and do penance to show our love for God in practice and not in words, because no words can fully express the love we have for the Incarnate Word, before whom every knee will bend.

[quote]For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine; and you say, "He has a demon." The Son of man has come eating and drinking; and you say, "Behold, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!" Yet wisdom is justified by all her children.

--Luke 7:33-35[/quote]

[Ash Wednesday]

Jesus also defended the woman's actions when the disciples argued that her ointment was an expensive waste of money better spent on the poor.

I also find it baffling that anyone would assume that just because someone has financed a trip to Rome, it means they are wealthy prideful people who have no regard for their fellow man. I've known people who were anything but wealthy and had traveled continents on a shoestring.

Edited June 17, 2007 by Ash Wednesday

[Starets]

I think I would too, if I was ever in Rome. I am not a big fan of travelling anywhere for anything, myself.

There is another reason why I think I would do something like this that hasn't been mentioned by others. Its because Christianity is not just a philosophical system. It cannot be reduced to a series of theoretical arguments, whether it be four "laws" or five "points". The Incarnation makes Christianity a living, breathing, palpable reality. The Blood of Christ is not a philosophical concept. It is something that is red, wet, and sticky. Worshipping God with our bodies, whether it be in this example or in a myriad of others, is entirely appropriate.

[Mercy me]

Budge your bitterness is showing again.

Every response to this thread said that they did it to meditate on the passion of our Lord. If one does not pray then how does one come to know Him more deeply. To travel to pray has been a part of the Christian tradition since the very beginning. It is called a pilgrimage, Budge.

People of all "denominations" do it. Because you choose not to does not make it right for you to pass judgement on those that have. Those that have done this simply made this a priority and saved the pennies to make it happen.

There is something incredible to go were Jesus Himself has been, particularly to the steps that He had to climb while He sacrificed Himself for me. It is all very humbling.