Stations at Home

Although our parish prays the Stations of the Cross on Friday evenings during Lent, our family hardly ever goes.  For many years we had small children and Stations was just too late and too long for them.  We sometimes make it these days, but Joe's violin lesson is now a conflict.

Our solution:  Stations at home.  We dim the lights and burn candles, one for each station.  We pray together, using large pictures and an appropriate-for-children meditation booklet.  After each event, a candle is snuffed out.  This makes a solemn contrast to the Advent wreath, which gets brighter with each passing week.

Once upon a time we used a child made (love those co-ops!) stand that held small tapers (Shabbat candles from the grocery store).  A few years ago Len made one that holds tea lights, which are easier to manage and just as lovely.

 Here's a photo taken with the flash, so you can better see the layout:

The stand sounds relatively simple to make for a handy person.  Len routed the edges of a board, then used a spade bit to cut the depressions.  Sanded, painted, done!

 

BTW, Len's handiness was a complete bonus--I was clueless about this side of him when we married.