A Via Dolorosa, early on the morning of Friday, March 24, that was colored red. It is the color of the scarf, depicting the Christ vandalized in February at the Church of the Flagellation, that Jerusalem's 500 Catholic school students wore as they retraced the Way of the Cross. An initiative organized by the Custody of the Holy Land that has been repeated for many years, but this year it took on special significance: in recent months, in fact, the Christian community has suffered some acts of violence and religious fanaticism. "On this scarf we carry the image of Jesus suffering for us, with an inscription that is his prayer from the Cross: 'Father forgive them for they know not what they do,'" Brother Francesco Patton, Custos of the Holy Land, said at the beginning of the Way of the Cross. This is our way as Christians to respond to violence. Jesus taught us to pray for those who cause us to suffer, and to plead for forgiveness. Young people and children but also professors, teachers retraced the path that led Jesus to Calvary. Welcoming them at the seventh station was H.B. Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Patriarch of Jerusalem of the Latins, who walked together in procession to St. Savior's Church, where the last stations ended. "We must be proud of the Cross, which is a sacred symbol, a symbol of Jesus' love: You are not only Christians, but Christians in Jerusalem: this is an important responsibility," the Patriarch told the young people before the blessing. They call us "the people of the Cross". We are not afraid! Jesus is alive and is with us: Jesus is Risen. Br IBRAHIM FALTAS, ofm Vicar Custody of the Holy Land We live a very difficult time. Today we did the way of the cross, our whole life is a way of the cross. Especially in the days we are living we wanted to pray, to do this way of the cross in the street with the students to prepare them well for Holy Week and Easter. So if we die with Christ we will rise with Christ. Our message to our students today is: never respond to violence with violence but with love, forgiveness and peace!