The Stations of the Cross are a uniquely Catholic devotion focusing on the Passion and death of Jesus Christ. Most Christians, including Catholics, prefer to center their attentions on the Resurrection of Jesus in which death and sin are overcome. Yet it was in his torments and crucifixion that Jesus most intimately embraced his humanity--and ours. None of us directly observes resurrection in this world, yet we all must endure and find meaning in the inescapable realities of human suffering and death.
John McDonough's "Sonnets of the Cross: The Via Dolorosa" is an extraordinary reflection on Jesus' final hours which is organized around the traditional Stations of the Cross, yet is expressed in a literary form which is rare and complex. While most people have some familiarity with sonnets, particularly as utilized by Shakespeare, Mr. McDonough chose to use the "Heroic Crown of Sonnets" as the vehicle for his work. The Heroic Crown of Sonnets is composed of 15 sonnets, each of which follows the specific format and rhythm of that form of poetry, but which are also interconnected in a particular manner. Each sonnet opens with the final line from the preceding sonnet and the final sonnet is a synthesis of each of those lines. On top of the exceedingly difficult task of combining these elements, the author also wove an acrostic into the final sonnet--reading down the first letter of each line, one finds the theme of the work--"The Via Dolorosa."
Yet as well as Mr. McDonough mastered the technical aspects of his work, it is the imagery evoked through his language which is most compelling. Who among us cannot relate to the agony of a mother who watches helplessly as her son is led to a brutal death which he in no way deserves? Do we all not falter and fall at times in life under the burdens of sorrows and miseries which threaten to overwhelm us? In our darkest hours, we also find ourselves with the words of Jesus on our lips: "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?"
The work ends not with the triumph of the Resurrection, but with the hope for it--and even the uncertainty and doubt that assailed Jesus' closest followers:
As heaven holds your breath
we breathless wait.
The Catholic tradition not only proclaims the joy and triumph of the Resurrection, it also embraces and reflects on everyday human experience, including the sorrows that are woven into the very fabric of our lives--and a God who loves those He created to such an extent that he entered into human history to draw us to Himself. Read this work--then come back to it and read it again, for you will discover something new each time.
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Sonnets of the Cross: The Via Dolorosa: A Heroic Crown of Sonnets on the Stations of the Cross Kindle Edition
by
John McDonough
(Author),
David McDonough
(Illustrator)
Format: Kindle Edition
John McDonough
(Author)
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LanguageEnglish
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Publication dateDecember 11, 2013
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File size1646 KB
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"John McDonough's sonnets employ a rare and difficult verse form, the crown of sonnets, to offer a moving, contemporary perspective on the traditional Catholic devotion of the Way of the Cross. The rich language and evocative drawings invite us to reflect on the Passion of Christ, and on the constant presence of sin and grace in our lives. "
--Father Michael G. Ryan,
St. James Cathedral, Seattle.
"Through his poetry and words, John McDonough has the unique gift of reconciling the redemptive gifts of God with the trials associated with the human condition. His words are transforming and powerful beyond measure."
--Bob Ladouceur,
Religious Studies Instructor, Football Coach,
De La Salle High School, Concord, CA.
". . . Read this work--then come back to it and read it again, for you will discover something new each time."
--Joseph T. Carrieres,
Author and Philosopher.
--Father Michael G. Ryan,
St. James Cathedral, Seattle.
"Through his poetry and words, John McDonough has the unique gift of reconciling the redemptive gifts of God with the trials associated with the human condition. His words are transforming and powerful beyond measure."
--Bob Ladouceur,
Religious Studies Instructor, Football Coach,
De La Salle High School, Concord, CA.
". . . Read this work--then come back to it and read it again, for you will discover something new each time."
--Joseph T. Carrieres,
Author and Philosopher.
From the Back Cover
" . . a moving, contemporary perspective on the traditional Catholic devotion of the Way of the Cross"
--Father Michael G. Ryan, St. James Cathedral, Seattle
" . . transforming and powerful beyond measure. "
--Bob Ladouceur, Religious Studies Instructor, Football Coach. De La Salle High School, Concord, CA.
" . . . a rare accomplishment. You will read it over and over, getting new insights each time."
Sonnets of the Cross was created in a rare and challenging poetic form known as a Heroic Crown of Sonnets. A Heroic Crown of Sonnets is a series of fifteen interlinked sonnets. The last line of each sonnet is the first line of the next sonnet. The fifteenth sonnet consists of the first line of each of the preceding fourteen.
About the Author
John Patrick McDonough teaches Religious Studies at De La Salle High School, a Catholic High School run in Northern California. This school is featured in "When the Game Stands Tall." McDonough holds a Masters of Divinity and a Master of Arts in Theology from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, CA. Born in Longview Washington, McDonough has visited the Holy Land and walked the Via Dolorosa. He has conducted readings of the Sonnets for Stations of the Cross for Lenten services and school events. John starred in multiple productions of a one-man play about Thomas Merton. John is a playwright-- in the 1980's, John co-authored A Voice Crying in the Desert, with Michael Rolland. This was a three-act-play based on the life of Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas, who fought against the enslavement of the native people during the era of Christopher Columbus. The play has been translated into five different languages and performed in various parts of the globe. Currently working on a textbook for Senior Synthesis, a unique religion class at De La Salle which challenges the students to directly apply Catholic teachings to their own lives in creative and meaningful ways, John resides in the Bay Area, California, with his wife and family, which includes Aquinas the dog, and Merton the cat. The artist, David McDonough, is a Vietnam Veteran who creates award-winning art in Longview, Washington. The authors also collaborated on Sonnets of the Paschal Mystery, available February 2018.
--This text refers to the paperback edition.
Product details
- ASIN : B00BGL68CG
- Publisher : Virtual-Paper.com; 2nd edition (December 11, 2013)
- Publication date : December 11, 2013
- Language : English
- File size : 1646 KB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Not Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Print length : 44 pages
- Page numbers source ISBN : 1482602407
- Lending : Enabled
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Best Sellers Rank:
#1,954,284 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #1,344 in Religious & Inspirational Poetry
- #6,413 in Inspirational & Religious Poetry (Books)
- #6,429 in 90-Minute Religion & Spirituality Short Reads
- Customer Reviews:
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Reviewed in the United States on February 23, 2013
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4 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2014
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A friend recommended this beautiful book to me. Coming from a secular background, I knew little about the Stations of the Cross. I was not prepared for this level of poetic artistry. As I read it, I was startled to discover that the entire story is told in sonnet form, and that each line is thoughtfully crafted in iambic pentameter.
I was also not prepared for the author’s ability to tell this story so beautifully. McDonough depicts compelling and vivid scenes of each station, and illustrates the conflicts and emotions of this journey. In doing so, he brings the story to life. And all the more amazing that it is done within the confines of a strict sonnet form.
Those who love the English language will be astonished by the author’s use of poetic form. Those who love a story beautifully told will find this version of the Stations of the Cross portrayed evocatively, and with great compassion.
I was also not prepared for the author’s ability to tell this story so beautifully. McDonough depicts compelling and vivid scenes of each station, and illustrates the conflicts and emotions of this journey. In doing so, he brings the story to life. And all the more amazing that it is done within the confines of a strict sonnet form.
Those who love the English language will be astonished by the author’s use of poetic form. Those who love a story beautifully told will find this version of the Stations of the Cross portrayed evocatively, and with great compassion.
3 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on November 16, 2017
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A beautiful and well crafted little gem.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2017
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What a beautiful, multi-layered, contemporary reflection on the Stations of the Cross. Every time I read it, I find new insights and wisdom. My favorite Holy Week prayer
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Reviewed in the United States on February 20, 2013
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I grew up Catholic and remember doing the Stations of the Cross as a grade schooler. I haven't actually done them since. But in reading John McDonough's sonnets they became very real to me. If you want to go deeper into the Stations of the Cross that lead into Easter, I highly recommend this book. You might just end up with a deeper perspective than when you started.
4 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2014
John McDonough's "Sonnets of the Cross" is not for the faint of heart. I said a sincere prayer for courage as I embarked on my own Via Dolorosa journey via this magnificent poetic experience. I have had the joy of knowing the author and benefiting from his contemplative spirituality infused with wisdom and compassion. In these sonnets, he strips away all that is unnecessary and lays open our bare humanity. "A Heroic Crown of Sonnets on The Stations of the Cross" is not simply a Lenten meditation for Christians; it is an invitation to resurrection for all.
Toni Doyle
San Rafael, CA
Toni Doyle
San Rafael, CA
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Reviewed in the United States on November 26, 2015
This is a one -of-a-kind meditation about Easter suffering that made me look at the Stations of the Cross from the perspective of the women in Jesus' life, those around him, and even ourselves. McDonough poetry brings the passion of Christ to life in a new way, and the drawings, by Vietnam Vet David McDonough, evoke the universal nature of suffering.
The Sonnets are beautiful and a creative masterpiece. The Heroic Crown of Sonnets is a difficult form to master. It's worth reading just for the poetic value alone.
The Sonnets are beautiful and a creative masterpiece. The Heroic Crown of Sonnets is a difficult form to master. It's worth reading just for the poetic value alone.
One person found this helpful
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