Stations Of The Cross

March 18, 2022

Author: Hannah DeVivo

The greatest act of love the world has ever known took place one Friday over 2,000 years ago.

You see, God created us because He wanted to love us and to give us the opportunity to love Him in return. He granted us freedom, and from our first parents on, we have largely ignored His invitation and chosen to act apart from His will.

Since He couldn't bear to see us separated from Him for all eternity, God sent His Son, Jesus, to search for us. Out of obedient love, Jesus suffered and died to win us back to the Father. Saint Paul writes, "Christ, while we were still helpless, yet died at the appointed time for the ungodly" (Romans 5:6).

That day, Jesus suffered and died to take away our sins. The Stations of the Cross help us remember the journey Jesus took to Calvary for our sake.

The Father now invites us to return to Him through Jesus and His Church.

"I will give you a new heart and place a new spirit within you, taking from your bodies your stony hearts and giving you natural hearts" (Ezekiel 36:26).

On Fridays during Lent, most churches offer a communal praying of the Stations of the Cross. This is a beautiful time to walk through the Passion of Jesus and connect with fellow Catholics.

What are Stations of the Cross?

The Stations of the Cross (also referred to as The Way of the Cross) are 14 stops (Stations) along the way that Jesus carried His cross. They are pictures of the events that occurred in the Passion of Jesus, beginning with His condemnation by Pontius Pilate and culminating with His burial in the tomb.

To help us reflect on what Jesus went through, we typically pray a special prayer at each station. We pause as we listen to the words and look upon the depiction of what Christ went through. It is helpful to imagine yourself in the scene with Him. You can ask yourself questions such as: What does He look like? What is He wearing? What is the temperature around you? What are the sounds and smells? Where are you in relation to Jesus? What are you feeling?

After meditating upon each Station, you move on to the next one and do the same thing. This act of walking and pausing along the way of Christ's suffering helps to create a spiritual pilgrimage.

The 14 Stations of the Cross

1. Jesus is condemned to death.
2. Jesus carries His cross.
3. Jesus falls for the first time.
4. Jesus meets His mother.
5. Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry His cross.
6. Veronica wipes the face of Jesus.
7. Jesus falls a second time.
8. Jesus speaks to the women.
9. Jesus falls a third time.
10. Jesus is stripped of His garments.
11. Jesus is nailed to the cross.
12. Jesus dies.
13. Jesus is taken down from the cross.
14. Jesus is placed in the tomb.
15. The Resurrection of Jesus.

When did this tradition start?

The history of this practice can be traced back to The Holy Land. It is believed that Mary, the mother of Jesus, used to visit the scenes of Christ's Passion daily. As early as the fifth century, the monastery of San Stefano in Bologna constructed groups of connected chapels intended to represent shrines from Jerusalem. These were not the Way of the Cross as we know it today. A more concrete and similar pattern did not begin until the fifteenth century.

An English pilgrim by the name of William Wey visited the Holy Land in 1458 and 1462. He was the first to use the word "Stations" when referring to the Via Sacra in Jerusalem. He described how the custom was to follow Christ's footsteps and pause in the accustomed places to reflect on His journey and sorrowful Passion. Up until this time, it was the typical practice to begin the journey at Mount Calvary and proceed backwards to Pilate's house. By the beginning of the sixteenth century, it became more reasonable and accepted to begin at the house of Pilate and proceed onwards to Mount Calvary. This exercise became a special and widely practiced devotion.

Shortly after, different parts of Europe began to replicate and reproduce the holy places of the events that took place between Christ's Passion and death. When Blessed Alvarez returned from the Holy Land, he had a series of little chapels built at the Dominican friary of Cordova. In these chapels, they painted each separate Station with scenes from the Passion.

How can you implement this in your home?

You don't have to leave your home to enter into this meditation. Pictures of each Station can be purchased and hung throughout your home. It's a wonderful opportunity to walk around the house with your family and meditate on each event. Your children may even want to color their own posters, in which case, we have some here!!

We have many books and products to help you observe Stations of the Cross in your own home or church. Here is an excerpt from "The way of the cross-pocket prayer book" that I would like to leave you with:

"As you finish your meditation on these fourteen Stations of the Cross and the Resurrection, consider one final thought: this Way of the Cross is not only the path that Jesus followed during His Passion; it is also the path that we must take to follow Jesus. The Way of the Cross is the way of the Christian. Jesus tells us that, if we love Him, we must pick up our cross, deny ourselves, and follow Him. You have just seen that Jesus did not run from suffering. Rather, He embraced it. Are you willing to do the same? Don't drag your cross! Carry it as Jesus carried His and come to share in His glory. Amen!"

Before You Go

Did you grow up attending Stations of the Cross?
Is this a practice that you would like to implement in your home?
Have you learned anything new in this article?

I would LOVE to hear from you. Send me an email to catholic-living@autom.com.
I wish you all a beautiful and penitential Lent! May you feel God's presence more intimately than ever before and follow Him more trustingly. Be sure to follow and subscribe to the links below for more tips and information.