Living Stations Blog

Oh, God, I'm about to go on stage. On stage, in front of You and everyone. The ultimate in self-exposure; the ultimate in risk-taking. Please Lord, hold my hand while I'm out there, on stage. Keep me breathing and my heart beating, don't let my nervousness show.

Please don't let me sneeze, sniff, cough, and don't let me get the hiccups. Don't let me faint or trip or fall into our beautiful screens. And please make sure I remember to go to the bathroom BEFORE my entrance. Help me to manage my costumes and props skillfully.

Lord, I'm an empty vessel. Open me up and let your spirit flow through me like water, and allow all that I know inside to come through me and out into the audience. I've prepared for this for weeks, months even. Help me to be what you want me to be and do what you know I can do. Open my mind to the lines I need to say; allow me to think on my feet; allow me that other-worldly experience of channeling the character I've created and need to be. Help me to remember EVERYTHING--my lines, my blocking, the words to the songs, the inflection and nuances I've rehearsed for so long.

And Lord, while I'm praying, please do this for me... let me have fun out there. Let it be a romp in the park; a mountaintop experience; allow me to know the moments of joy that I find in doing what I love to do. Help me to tune into the audience. Most of all Lord, I pray that your Spirit works through all of us to touch the hearts and minds of the audience... especially to those seeking a deeper union with you, or, those who have no union at all. Lift up the sick, weak, and sad and make everyone come to the profound realization of what you did for them; you gave your very life so that ALL may have eternal life. What a gift! And it's free. Help us to fulfill the prophecy from the bible: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations". Matt. 28:19. I pray that all who see Living Stations walk in faith... to be a beacon in the night so they too may spread your Spirit among others. 

Lord, these are my prayers. I love you with my entire body, mind and spirit.

Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed,
for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Josh 1:9

This is a good scripture reading for the cast of Living Stations, as we head into the final leg of getting prepared for opening night next weekend. There is a popular business model that says: motivation + preparation = success. When I think of this as it applies to us, I know we are all motivated... I know we are all prepared, so there is no other option, other than success.

When we carry the light of Christ within our souls, we have nothing to fear. He lights the darkness and gives us courage, wisdom and confidence to face ALL of our challenges. So, like an artist strokes a blank canvas and creates a beautiful painting... so will we do the same. Our blank canvas is the alter of the Cathedral that we will tell Christ's story on. We will splash it with the different personalities, characters and colors that each of us has. We will create a work of art... a masterpiece. And this will be done because we are motivated and prepared and we have the Spirit of God within us. Yes, we have been endowed with Him, and because of that, ALL things are possible.

Now, let us go forward and create a beautiful masterpiece!

I'm on the Our Lady of Medjugore email list which provides translated messages from The Blessed Virgin Mary who has been appearing since 1981. These emails arrive 2-3 times a month. Each seems to speak to my soul, as if her words were exactly what I needed to hear.

The current message, which I received a few days ago, really hit me hard. Here it is as posted on the www.medjugore.org website:

March 02, 2012 Message to Mirjana

"Dear children; Through the immeasurable love of God I am coming among you and I am persistently calling you into the arms of my Son. With a motherly heart I am imploring you, my children, but I am also repeatedly warning you, that concern for those who have not come to know my Son be in the first place for you. Do not permit that by looking at you and your life, they are not overcome by a desire to come to know Him. Pray to the Holy Spirit for my Son to be impressed within you. Pray that you can be apostles of the divine light in this time of darkness and hopelessness. This is a time of your trial. With a rosary in hand and love in the heart set out with me. I am leading you towards Easter in my Son. Pray for those whom my Son has chosen that they can always live through Him and in Him – the High Priest. Thank you."

I truly believe that Mary is among us. I personally have had many encounters, and I am simply amazed at her power when we open our hearts to listen to her, which in turn opens our hearts to her Son.

When I read the line "Pray that you can be apostles of the divine light in this time of darkness and hopeless" I immediately thought of Living Stations. Our world is filled with so much STUFF that alienates us from Jesus and His loving mercy. How is it that we've become so distracted, so forgetful of His love for us? We don't even deserve it half of the time.

But we can stop ignoring Jesus. We can make a conscious effort to let Him into our hearts and souls, and to let Him love us. One step toward this conversion would be attending a Living Stations peformance. Many have written telling us of their profound personal and life changing experience after attending a show.

Don't you want that? Doesn't your soul yearn for a change?

If you've attended a performance, we would love to hear your comments.

God bless!

Oh, that I might have my request, that God would grant what I hope for. Job 6:8

Many times the things we hope for, become a reality. But many times, they don’t. Then what?? Have you ever been hopeful about things both great and small... only to have your hopes shattered. The feeling of loss and desperation can wash over you like a wave of darkness. The loss of hope can also lead to depression and can pull you away from God. You begin to question God's intent and lack of action.

Hope can be shattered by the death of a loved one. I lost both of my parents in 2005. They were still young (early seventies). It was the hardest thing I ever endured. At first I questioned God. How could he take them away from me? I had lost hope but began praying about it and began to realize that I cannot question God’s ultimate plan. I began to consider the fact that God allowed His only son to be brutally beaten, and die while hanging on a cross. The hope of the world was when Jesus rose to heaven. This gave all of us hope for our own salvation.

I began to view my parents death in that same light. God did not end my parents life for good. He needed both of them in heaven and I know I will see them again. My hopelessness soon became hopefulness once again. I do miss them but I am so happy that they are with our Lord in heaven. So, take a minute and think about a situation when you lost hope. Now consider that your plan is not always God’s plan. God needs all of His people to understand that His plan is truly the master plan and we must have faith. Hope and faith that one day we will understand God’s plan. Put your faith and hope in Jesus Christ.

True worship is not concerned about what others think of us. 2 Sam. 6:22

Have you ever felt like you are not good enough for the Lord? If you answer yes, then maybe it is easier to stay away from church. After all, Jesus may not want us because we are flawed or imperfect. Wrong!!! We need Jesus and we go to church BECAUSE we are imperfect. A healthy church is not filled with people who only say and do the right things. It is not filled with people who hide behind a facade of perfection in order to hide their flaws... only to appear strong.

Worship doesn’t involve behaving as if nothing is wrong; its making sure everything is right in the eyes of God, and with each other. A healthy church is one where we can let down our hair to reveal our weaknesses in order to find strength. When our greatest fear is letting down our hair, perhaps our greatest sin is keeping it up. Find the guidance you need in the vulnerabilities presented to the Lord. Let God see your true colors... he already knows what they are.

Ave Maria Radio Host Al Kresta will be speaking with Kelly Nieto today, Feb. 24th, at 4:20pm. Please tune in to 990AM or listen online!

If you're part of the Detroit media, you're invited to today's rehearsal. Please click here for more information.

Did you know that three actors with African-American heritage are performing in Living Stations?

Michael DeSouza will play the role of Jesus, Kenny Watson plays Thaddeus, an apostle, , and Linda Franklin plays a woman in the crowd.

To read the entire press release and learn about these actors, please click here.

Kelly Nieto will be speaking on Teresa Tomeo's radio program, Catholic Connection, at 8:15am on Wednesday, February 22nd. Kelly will be speaking about Ash Wednesday, Living Stations, and introducing a new song, "In the Distance (Our Father)" sung by LS cast member, Kenny Watson. Tune in at 8:15am! Click here to listen online.

The Lord is near to all who call upon Him. Psalm 145:18

Jesus felt abandoned when he was hanging on the cross. He said, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” We all know that God did not forsaken Jesus in His time of need. God knew that Jesus had to die to fulfill Jesus’ rightful place in God’s kingdom. So it is with all of God’s children. We may not always feel that God is listening, but He is. He hears our plea and He will answer our prayers... it just might not be an immediate response, or in the way you think your prayers should be answered.

God knows what is best for each of us and He is deeply concerned with what burdens our hearts. When we call out to Him, the line is never busy and God will never put you on hold. Rather than distancing Himself from us when we cry out to Him, God draws close to us in our time of need. He is never to busy for His children. He hears us when we call. We must be patient and open to Him for a response.

We’re sure this is an age-old question. In John 12:4-6, we see that Judas was probably motivated by money.

“But Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples (he who was to betray Him), said, “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor? This he said, not that he cared for the poor but because he was a thief, and as he had the money box he used to take what was put into it.”

But perhaps there is another reason. Maybe Judas expected Jesus to be a different sort of Messiah, maybe like an earthly King, who would be able to remove Israel from the bondage of the Romans. Or, on a more material level, maybe Judas thought he himself would reap earthly benefits by being associated with Jesus. Either way without Judas’ betrayal, the motions for Jesus’ death wouldn’t have been started and His sacrifice for us wouldn’t have taken place.

Leave us a comment and join in on the conversation. If you have a question, please send us an email. We'd love to hear from you.

Kelly Nieto, Founder and CEO of Living Stations, will be a guest on Teresa Tomeo's radio show, Catholic Connection, Tuesday, February 14th at 8:35am - 8:56am on Ave Maria Radio, 990AM. You can also listen online. Kelly will be talking about how Living Stations is giving back to the community.

We are so excited to introduce to you our 2012 Living Stations director, Catherine Zardus. Her official bio is below.

*Catherine Zardus is the Founder and Artistic Director of Magic Carpet Theatre, a nonprofit that promotes literacy and the imagination. Magic Carpet has reached over 125,000 students in Michigan as it celebrates its twentieth season and now produces "The Parable Project", a drama ministry. Catherine has performed regionally in over fifty productions including: Emily in "Our Town" at the Boarshead Theatre, Nina in "A Day in Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine" at Playhouse on the Square in Memphis, Herod in "Jesus Christ Superstar" at The Green Mountain Guild in Vermont, and Fanny Squeers in "Nicholas Nickleby" at the Hilberry, where she earned her MFA in Acting and was nominated twice for Best Supporting Actress in Detroit by the Detroit News and Free Press. Recently you may have seen Catherine perform at the Catholic Women’s Conference in two original pieces that she wrote: "The Woman with the Hemorrhage" and "The Woman at the Well". Catherine and her husband, Craig, raised their family at Divine Child Church in Dearborn.

“It is an honor and blessing to serve God using drama to draw people closer to his passion.” ~Catherine Zardus

*denotes membership in Actors Equity

Rehearsals have started, and we're excited for you to get a behind the scenes look in our Newsletter. You'll learn more about Catherine and get a glimsp at her working with some of the cast.

Be filled with the Spirit, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. Ephesians 5:18.

The music in Living Stations is a perfect example of singing and making beautiful music for the Lord. As a cast member, I am just blown away by the musical talent of our singers. It is obvious that the Lord’s hand was at work when Kelly Nieto created this music. Not only is it wonderful music, it tells the passionate and emotional story of the pain, agony, and betrayal that our Lord endured to the very end of His mortal life here on earth. The Lord never got angry or wanted revenge on His captors, rather, He did the unthinkable... He forgave them. He said, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

As difficult as it is to watch Living Stations because of the torment that our Lord endured, it is even more joyful when Jesus conquers death. He showed us how to have Faith and stand by your convictions. He showed us how to forgive and then he showed us that he truly is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He is our salvation. If you have not seen Living Stations, I promise, it will change your life. I know it has for me and hundreds of others too. I have seen so many people in tears or just left completely speechless after each show. Yes, the singing and music is awesome, but the message is by far more compelling. It is a powerful, reverent production and it is the roots of our Faith and Christianity. Take the time to attend one of the 36 performances. Spend some time in prayer with the Lord... you won’t be sorry. 

Welcome to the Living Stations Mailbag. We’ll answer your questions about the Living Stations production and The Stations of the Cross.

Today’s question is:

In the First Station of the Cross, Jesus is praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. What does He mean when He says, “Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass away from me. Still, not my will, but yours be done.”

Answer:

When Jesus asks for the cup to pass away from him, He is referring to His crucifixion. Jesus is human, just like you and me, and is not blind to the horrific suffering He’ll have to endure when nailed to a cross—a death that even the Romans would not inflict on other Roman criminals because it was considered too barbaric. Even though He is God incarnate, Jesus the Man, just like us, doesn’t want to experience pain or death.

When Jesus says, “not my will, but yours be done”, He’s referring to the obediance that He has for His Father (God) and the fact that there is no turning back. His death is the only way to human salvation—OUR salvation. Even though he probably would rather not die, Jesus knows that He must do what God wants, and not what He wants. Sound familiar?

Leave a comment and join in on the conversation! And if you have questions you’d like answered, please send us an email. 

A Prayer For Understanding

Father in Heaven,

help me to understand the needs of those

who struggle every day to stand tall

against the world's pain.

Help me to find a way to give hope to those

who have turned to unhealthy habits for survival.

Help me to teach and be a strong morale example to children.

The lessons of life are first learned at home

and are carried with them all the days of their lives.

These lessons will help to shape their future, body, mind, and soul.

Help me find the opportunities

to feed the poor and elderly,

too proud to say that they have not eaten today.

Father, help me to love others as you have loved me, unconditionally.

Lord, help me look inside myself and see

that ALL mankind is one. And, grant me the strength

to understand that I can, and will, make a difference.

In Your holy name I pray, Amen.

So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you;
seek, and you will find;
Knock, and it will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks receives,
And he who seeks finds,
And to him who knocks it will be opened. Luke 11:9-10

Have you heard the expression, “Be careful for what you ask for, you just might get it”? This is what our scripture reading is about... answering our prayers. As Christians we are called to model our lives after Jesus... to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and love unconditionally. Because of this, our prayers should not only include our personal wants and needs, they should also include the things that will help to grow Christ’s church here on earth. Also, it is important to note that God does not always answer our prayers on our time table. He knows how and when to answer our prayers.

 Find 15 minutes each day to sit quietly in a room so you can talk to the Lord. Tell him how you are doing and ask for the things you need. He is there and He listens to all of His children. Many times He whispers to us and if we are constantly moving and in the midst of our daily “noise” we may miss His message. As our scripture says... seek and you will find. So, find some time to “seek,” and ask for the things you need from God. Cast your burdens on Him and then be patient and wait for the wonderful fulfillment of His promise.

Today’s blog is about being good examples of Christ.

I have come as a light into the world. John 12:46

As believers we have purpose and direction. We know who we are, we know where we are going, and we know how to get there. This gives us confidence as we go about fulfilling God’s call in our lives. When this kind of confidence is evident to others, the lost will look to us for direction.

God has always maintained a presence on earth, a light so to speak, so that people could find him, even in their darkest hour. As such, we as God’s children, are responsible to show people the way to be reconciled to God. Let us all be great examples of patience, kindness, and unconditional love. Yes, He counts on us to carry His light for all the world to see. Take a minute to consider all the ways that Christ’s Light shines within you and know He holds you in good favor. Now consider the possibility of making your light shine even brighter by doing more of the things that are pleasing to God.

Like a beacon in the night, let your light shine brightly today.

During this past Sunday's homily, our priest spoke about how several times in the last few months his trek across town had been interuppted by car accidents. He joked that there were several different ways for him to get from point A to point B, but that each time the road he chose brought him to a halt. He also joked that through his annoyance he saw that God had brought him this particular way so that he (the priest) could pray for those accident victims and also to help grow his own compassion and patience.

This story struck me as very thought-provoking. Does God really pay attention to me that much that the path I take is sometimes crossed by others who can help me grow in whatever I'm lacking? Was the person who cut me off really directed by God to help me learn patience, instead of help me vent my frustration through some very choice words?

I never thought about God watching me every minute of my life. How can He do that? Who has the time for that? And, it's not like I'm the only person here - there are billions of people on this planet! Is God really watching all of us?

I don't have an answer for that. But what I can say is this: I have come to realize that the paths I've taken in my life were all meant to be taken. I may not have liked them, or really understood them, but they all led me to where I am today. People who came, and who continue to arrive, into my life, came for a reason that helped push or place me here and now.

Did all of this just happen? Is it all coincidence? I don't think so.

As difficult as it is to understand with my very small human brain, I believe that God sent every one of those people into my life because He loves me and wants me to do His will.

He loves you, too. Have you said "Yes!" to him? Are you doing His will? Ash Wednesday is just a little over a month away. Will this Lent be when you decide to say "Yes!" and do His will? You have time to think about it.

Today’s inspiration is about finding joy in your life.

My days are swifter than a runner;

they fly away without a glimpse of joy. 

Job 9:25

Have you ever heard the expression, “You need to stop and smell the roses”? If you think about it...this really has to do with finding the joy in your life. Today’s scripture reading is about the days melting away without ever finding joy. How sad. So often we get caught up in the everyday tasks of life, but do we ever ask ourselves, why? Why do we push so hard...where or what is your joy? When you approach life from this “joyous” perspective, the tasks of life may have different priorities for you.

My father-in-law, Ed, use to tell me to stop and smell the roses. My wife and I were so busy with our careers, school and home improvement projects that there was very little time for fun things. And it was Ed that really made me start to look at life from this new perspective. When I started to analyze what drove me so hard, I began to realize the reason was to make a better life for my family. My family was my joy and my family was my driving force, yet, was I really enjoying my family? No, I wasn’t. I was physically absent because I was so busy. I was determined to make a change. I began to pray about it. I began to work less hours and backed off on the home improvement projects. My wife and I started to reconnect with old friends. I found the balance for my life and rediscovered the joy that I had been missing.

Jesus tells us that loving one another as he loves us is the greatest commandment of all. So, don’t let your days fly away without finding joy in your life. What drives you? What is your joy? How can you find more joy in your life? Ask the Lord for his guidance and help.

Have a joyous day.