Brother Francis – Stations of the Cross
Theresa Reviews a FORMED.org
Stations of the Cross for Children and Families!
Intro:
On Fridays during Lent, HNOJ typically hosts Stations of the Cross. Since we are at home during this Holy Week, we wanted to send out a kid-friendly version of Stations of the Cross that you can pray through together as a family on Good Friday.
FORMED.org explains that this episode of the Brother Francis series follows our Lord on his way to the Cross. This episode includes: a short introduction to the traditional Stations of the Cross, and how meditating upon them brings us closer to our Savior; fourteen beautifully illustrated traditional stations along with fourteen thought-provoking meditations composed especially for children; and a moving song titled, “What More Can He Give,” that ends the video reminding us of Jesus’ love for us all throughout this time on Earth.
Title:
Brother Francis: The Stations of the Cross – Accompanying Jesus on His Way to Calvary
https://watch.formed.org/holy-week-triduum/videos/brother-francis-the-stations-of-the-cross
Presenter:
Brother Francis (as voiced by Aaron Landon through Herald Kids) brings us through the Stations of the Cross by reading the stations as well as giving us meditations and prayers to follow along with on screen and pray together. His dynamic speaking expresses the importance of each station as well as each prayer said while praying together as a family through the Stations of the Cross.
Length:
41 minutes
Style of Content:
- Audio & Visual
- This version of Stations of the Cross is truly beautiful to watch. It is not simply words thrown up on the screen with a picture. It includes movement of each animated art piece of each station as well as the full computerized drawing and coloring process of each station while the Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be are prayed. It is not simply a stark image that you stare at while someone prays, but it is a moving piece to follow along with while we pray!
Content:
Although the intro and outro are very reminiscent of a “Veggie Tales” style, the content is great for all ages – children and adults! Brother Francis walks through each station along with meditations for us to go through together as a family to truly think about the cost of our Salvation that Jesus was willing to pay. The stations go through Jesus’ way to the Cross and how he was willing to give his own life to save us all.
Ratings:
I will rate this video similarly to how Chris rates in his FORMED.org reviews:
Transformative: (1-5 Hearts)
💜💜💜💜💜 
Engaging-ative: (1-5 Wows)
😮😮😮😮😮
The readings, artwork, animation and prayers are absolutely wonderful to do together as a family.
I believe that it truly is a beautiful rendition of the Stations of the Cross created for children and families. Note that the Herald Kids – who make and produce the Brother Francis Series on FORMED.org - accurately portray each station and Jesus’ suffering on his way to Calvery. This depiction of the Stations of the Cross truly help us to understand the difficulty of Jesus’ journey to the Cross and how much he loves us to be willing to give his life to save ours.
Why you should watch this video:
These final days of Lent are referred to as the Triduum. Each of these days have a very special meaning as we wait for Easter and Jesus’ Resurrection. Good Friday is when Jesus was crucified and died for us on the Cross. This is a beautiful way to honor that special day – to pray together through the Stations of the Cross while we remember the wonderful and difficult sacrifice Jesus made to save us all.
Why skip it:
If your family already has a tradition of reading through the stations together, you would not need to also then watch this video.