Purpose of this Booklet
The visit to seven Churches is an invitation for the faithful to be closer to God and to be symbolically accompanying Christ in his suffering, in his moments of deep prayer and anguish. Even his apostles where invited to be with him: ÒCould you not keep watch for one hour?Ó In effect, the Visita Iglesia can be a way for the devotee to be with Jesus, especially in his last moments. Common practice actually finds the sufferings of Christ for our salvation as points of reflection. And this could also be an opportunity for the devotees to reflect on their own sufferings as their way of participating with the suffering of Christ. Our desire in this guide for the Visita Iglesia is to encourage the faithful to have a feel of the sacrifices and the sufferings of the Lord for the sake of humanity. And by feeling the sufferings of the Lord, the devotees may realize that we are partaking of the sufferings of Christ and at the same time he is giving us the grace to endure and have the courage and strength to face our own sufferings. We offer this guide as an alternative to the Stations of the Cross or in addition to that devotion. We recommend that this guide be used in front of the Altar of Repose or a suitable place in the church where the devotee can pray with less distraction from people who are coming in and out of the church.
