Some versions included the house of Dives (the rich man in the Lazarus story), the city gate through which Christ passed, and the houses of Herod and Simon the Pharisee. Thank you so much for this. When you pray Stations of the Cross you are tracing the footsteps of Christ, in his journey from being condemned to death to his resurrection. The most commonly used in the United States are the so-called “traditional” stations (dating to 17th century Spain) and the biblical, or Scriptural, stations. On the cross, Christ did not only conquer sin and death, but he conquered the spiritual forces of darkness. The most important place they visited was the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, which the Emperor Constantine built in 335 AD atop Calvary and the tomb of Jesus. This devotion has evolved over time. As a person makes his way past each […] Pope Benedict XIII extended these indulgences to all of the faithful in 1726. Ponder in your heart the journey of our Lord from his agony in the garden to Calvary as we pray together the Stations of the Cross. One seemingly small yet powerful way we commemorate this is by making the Stations of the Cross. Five years later, Pope Clement XII permitted stations to be created in all churches and fixed the number at 14. It has become one of the most popular devotions for Roman Catholics, and is often performed in a spirit of reparation for the sufferings and insults that Jesus endured during His Passion. These are some of my favorite stations. Christ is condemned to death. 4. Those who are “impeded” can gain the same indulgence, if they spend at least one half an hour in pious reading and meditation on the Passion and Death of our Lord Jesus Christ. In 1584 a book written by Adrichomius entitled: Jerusalem “sicut Christi Tempore floruit”, gives 12 stations which match those in our present version. Veronica wipes Christ’s face. Even before that other traditions say that Mary followed Jesus along His bitter Way of the Cross that led to Calvary and Scripture at the very least testifies that Mary was there at the foot of the Cross. It has bec The Stations of the Cross or the Way of the Cross, also known as the Way of Sorrows or the Via Crucis, refers to a series of images depicting Jesus Christ on the day of his crucifixion and accompanying prayers. Understanding the cross and resurrection as a single event is important here, for it is through the death and resurrection of Christ that death is swallowed up in victory (1 Cor. Why pray the Stations of the Cross The most important reason for reviving the practice of making the Stations of the Cross is that it is a powerful way to contemplate, and enter into, the mystery of Jesus' gift of himself to us. The stations grew out of imitations of Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem which is believed to be the actual path Jesus walked to Mount Calvary. You may also do them at home or in the adoration chapel at church. The goal of the Stations of the Cross is to help focus an individual in prayer and is quite popular among those in the Roman Catholic context. 15:54–55). 3. 2. Though the stations of the cross and the number of stations has varied throughout history and between Catholic and Protestant practice, the typical version consists of 14 stations. The Stations of the Cross helps Christians to discover and appreciate more and more the meaning of the suffering and death of Jesus Christ, and to unite their own earthly suffering with His; like St Paul puts it, “I want to know Christ--yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death” (Phil. So Mary was the first to accompany Jesus in His sufferings and she kept all of th… The Stations of the Cross, or the Way of the Cross, is a local representation of a pilgrimage to Jerusalem to retrace the steps of Christ as he carried the cross to Calvary. Cloudflare Ray ID: 63a6dce71fe4dbef The Stations of the Cross, also known as the Way of the Cross, Via Crucis, and Via Dolorosa (Latin for Way of Sorrows), is a devotion that reflects on Jesus’ final days on Earth—from being condemned to death to dying on the cross and being placed in the tomb. A plenary indulgence is granted to the faithful, who make the pious exercise of the Way of the Cross (Stations of the Cross). And praying together the Stations of the Cross can enhance this. 6. The Stations of the Cross is a series of fifteen, or fourteen (optional), events that lead up to the Resurrection of the God-Man believed by the Catholics to be Jesus Christ. According to the more common practice, the pious exercise consists of fourteen pious readings, to which some vocal prayers are added. It involves my senses, my experience and my emotions. The best way to pray these is to do them at your church meditating on each of the stations. The Stations of the Cross which follow the path of Christ from Pontius Pilate’s praetorium to Christ’s tomb have been a popular devotion in parishes, especially during Lent and the preparation for Easter. It is a traditional pilgrimage route located within the old city of Jerusalem. Tradition holds that our Blessed Mother visited daily the scenes of our Lord’s passion. The Stations of the Cross is not a biblical form of worship. Simon of Cyrene is made to bear the cross. Those stations are as follows: 1. This book was translated into several languages and circulated widely. Some Protestants have rejected the practice of the Stations of the Cross as a Catholic tradition, rejected it due to extra-biblical elements, or … There are 14 stations, each one standing for an event that occurred prior to Jesus’ death. Jesus is completely stripped of any … The Stations of the Cross are often held on Fridays of Lent in parishes–we make them together in the monastery on Good Friday–but on other days each Sister sets aside some time to join Our Lord on His sorrowful journey to Calvary. Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of … John 19:16-17: The soldiers took charge of Jesus. Jesus is crucified (Luke 23:33-47). While watching stations from Vatican was reading this. Stations of the Cross, also called Way of the Cross, a series of 14 pictures or carvings portraying events in the Passion of Christ, from his condemnation by Pontius Pilate to his entombment. Stations of the Cross – When, Where & Why Lent is a time for reflections, renewal of covenant, and revival of spirit (When & Where) This year we will have the opportunity to publically profess our faith by walking and praying the Stations of the Cross near the beginning of Lent. However, nothing more is required than a pious meditation on the Passion and Death of the Lord, which need not be a particular consideration of the individual mysteries of the stations. In 1521 a book entitled “Geystlich Strass” was printed with illustrations of the stations in the Holy Land. An ancient tradition has it that Mary visited the sites of Jesus’ suffering, death and resurrection on a daily basisafter His ascension into Heaven. Why does Paul refer to the cross as foolishness and a stumbling-block? For the erection of the Stations of the Cross fourteen crosses are required, to which it is customary to add fourteen pictures or images, which represent the stations of Jerusalem. 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