Station to Station - by Gary Jansen (Paperback)

About the Book

This Ignatian exploration of the Stations of the Cross examines Jesus' response to his own suffering and how his reactions can guide us in difficult times.

Book Synopsis

An imaginative way to pray the Stations of the Cross every day of the year.

"As Jansen walks with us from station to station, he points us from pain toward love and hope, toward strength and endurance, toward transformation." --Jessica Mesman Griffith, from the introduction

Throughout the centuries, Christians have asked, "Why is there suffering?" or, on a more personal level, "Why am I suffering?" Answers abound, but none are likely to suffice or satisfy. A far more helpful question might be, "How should I respond to suffering?" And the answer to that question, believes Gary Jansen, can be found by looking closely at the Passion of Jesus.
In Station to Station, Jansen uses the scriptural Way of the Cross to focus our minds and hearts on Jesus' anguish and death. Walking through each station, we see the unique ways in which Jesus responded to suffering, and we are challenged to react similarly in our own struggles. Furthermore, through various Ignatian exercises, Jansen encourages us to imaginatively pray our way through the stations and to gradually respond more as Jesus would when we are weighed down by life's burdens.
Whether you are bearing your own cross or helping someone else carry theirs, Station to Station will show you how Christ's character in the midst of suffering can, with time and prayer, become your character too.

Review Quotes

"For centuries, Christians have been nourished by praying the Stations of the Cross. In Station to Station, Gary Jansen combines Ignatian meditation with Saint John Paul II's special biblical Way of the Cross. The result is a heart-wrenching look at the mystery of the suffering we all carry and an intimate journey to Calvary with Jesus. Jansen's gem of a book is filled with fresh, practical insights into what it really means to 'take up your cross each day' and follow Jesus. If you're looking for something to read for Lent--or just something to read because you're hurting--then look no further. This book is for you." --Brant Pitre, author of Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist

"Gary Jansen mines inspiring treasures from the Stations of the Cross while demonstrating their practical application in every day life. This is not only an excellent meditation for Lent in preparation for Holy Week, but a treasure for every season of the believer's walk with Christ." --Christopher West, author of Fill These Hearts: God, Sex, & the Universal Longing

"Gary Jansen's spiritual writing is always heartfelt, accessible, and provocative. In his beautiful new book, he offers a deeply personal take on the scriptural Stations of the Cross, inviting a new generation of believers--through his stories, reflections and prayers--into this ancient devotion." --James Martin, SJ, author of My Life with the Saints and Jesus: A Pilgrimage

"Gary Jansen's Station to Station is more than a book about prayer. It is an experience of the best of it. First, Station to Station provides a model of prayer that will last long after this book itself is finished. But second, it opens up an entirely new understanding of the meaning of this ancient spiritual practice for spiritual development today. It draws the reader into the kind of prayer that makes the spiritual life both real and deep." --Sister Joan Chittister, OSB, author of Radical Spirit

About the Author

GARY JANSEN is senior editor of religion and spirituality at the Crown Publishing Group at Penguin Random House. He is the author of The Rosary: A Journey to the Beloved and the bestselling memoir, Holy Ghosts. A popular lecturer and commentator, Jansen has appeared on A&E, the Sundance Channel, the Travel Channel, Coast to Coast AM, CNN.com and NPR. His writing has been featured in the Huffington Post, Religion Dispatches, and USA Today.