The Via Lucis

The Via Lucis, or Way of Light, is a newer devotion in the Church that works like the Stations of the Cross, except that it celebrates the resurrection appearances of Jesus. It was first celebrated in Italy in 1988, and it has spread around the world since then. It has found its way onto the websites of the Archdioceses of Toronto and Detroit.

The notion of celebrating the resurrection of Christ is very appealing: it is a celebration of the gift of life, and really of the culture of life. But when I thought about the name, The Way of Light, I was taken back to my childhood home on a farm in Alberta. It didn’t take long to remember so many different experiences of light — the impossible-to-describe Northern Lights as a great metaphor for the resurrection — something else that so many people think of as impossible. It quickly went on from there: thinking about bonfires and city lights, about the sun on winter snow and the images of light coming from distant stars that space telescopes have given us. Karen Stevens, a member of our editorial team, found absolutely amazing photos to go along with these different images of light, and so we were able to make the point that the experience of the risen Christ can be as simple as lighting a candle or looking out a window.

The reflections and the prayers are attempts to pull together the understanding we have of life, of life in God, and of the light that God gives us to guide us on our way. I really like this book, and hope it helps people in their prayer.

-Glenn Byer, Associate Publisher, is author of Via Lucis: The Way of Light.