For centuries, Christians have followed the Way of the Cross, reflecting on the final hours of Jesus’ earthly life. But what was it really like to be there? How would it look, sound, and feel if you were part of the crowd along that narrow, walled-in pathway in first-century Jerusalem? And what if, for a moment, Jesus looked up from his cross and gazed directly at you?

In fourteen penetrating narratives, Marci Alborghetti imagines the stories behind the people who witnessed Jesus’ Way of the Cross. Some are historical, scriptural, or traditional figures, such as Pilate, Nicodemus, Veronica, and Dismas. Others are unnamed and anonymous, but equally compelling—a soldier casting lots, a child lost in the crowd, and a slave who carries a fateful hammer. Each individual encounters Jesus in a unique way. And each is profoundly changed by the experience.

Through their stories—and through the prayers, action suggestions, and reflection questions—we too have a powerful opportunity to enter into our Lord’s Passion, to connect our lives to his, and to experience for ourselves his loving, transformative gaze.