The Stations of the Cross
"It was now about noon and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon because of an eclipse of the sun. Then the veil of the temple was torn down the middle. Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit”; and when he had said this he breathed his last” (Luke 23:44-46).
The Stations of the Cross are a devotion and are often found depicted in artwork in Catholic Churches. As devotions, they are not required, but they are perhaps one of the most common devotions done during Lent. Each Station is a moment Jesus experienced in His Passion and Death. They may be depicted by small crosses or larger size artwork.
The Stations of the Cross are an important reminder of the suffering Jesus endured to save us from our sins. The Stations tell us how Jesus lived his words, “This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13).
As we pray the Stations of the Cross, we might pray with the mindset given to us in Lamentations 1:12, “Come, all who pass by the way, pay attention and see: Is there any pain like my pain, which has been ruthlessly inflicted upon me.”
His suffering was so great that He cried out from the Cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me” (Matthew 27:46). We live in a world that rejects suffering and seeks to end all suffering. Jesus did not end suffering. He redeemed it. It is from this that, as Catholics, we have a “theology of suffering.” To learn more about this suffering, please see Pope St. John Paul II’s Apostolic Letter, Salvific Doloris (1984, cf. my article – “Finding Value in Suffering”).
The Stations of the Cross have their beginning in the very early days of the Catholic Church. In fact, in Apostolic Times there was a tradition that Mary, the mother of Jesus, would walk the streets of Jerusalem meditating upon Jesus’ Passion. This remains the purpose of the Stations of the Cross today. We pray the Stations of the Cross to help us meditate on the sufferings of the Christ on Good Friday.
The writings of St. Jerome from the Fifth Century, speak of pilgrims who came from various lands to walk the same path that Jesus walked from his arrest to the moment He was laid in the tomb. Pilgrimages to the Holy Land were a common penance.
In the Thirteenth Century, the Franciscans became the custodians of the Holy Land. They actively promoted the Stations of the Cross for pilgrims. Then, the Franciscans began to erect the Stations of the Cross outside the Holy Land.
In 1686, Pope Innocent XI granted the Franciscans permission to erect the Stations in all their churches with the same spiritual benefit as for those making the pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Then, in 1726, Pope Benedict XIII extended the spiritual benefits to all.
Originally the number of stations varied but in 1731 the number of Stations was fixed at fourteen. Fourteen is the number of generations in the genealogy of Jesus from Abraham to David, David to the Exile, and from the Exile to Jesus as told in Matthew 1:1-17.
Finally, in 1862, all bishops were given the right to erect Stations of the Cross in all their churches.
Several, but not all, of the traditional fourteen stations are based on Scripture passages. The other stations come from the Tradition of our Catholic faith.
In 1991, Pope St. John Paul II developed a new form where all fourteen stations are found in the gospels.
The following shows both the traditional stations and the fourteen scriptural stations developed by Pope St. John Paul II.
Two Forms of Stations of the Cross
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The traditional stations are rooted
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In 1991, Pope St. John Paul II developed a list of 14 Stations
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From these two forms of the Stations of the Cross, there are a number of booklets available with various reflections to use in praying the Stations of the Cross. For instance, it has been a custom in recent years for the pope to choose a person to write a new set of meditations to be used for Stations of the Cross on Good Friday in Rome. (Here is a link to those meditations.).
One can also pray the Stations of the Cross simply by reflecting on what each Station, using of the two forms above, means to you. Praying the Stations not just in words but with our hearts can help us grow in our personal relationship with Jesus.
It is in praying the Stations of the Cross to meditate upon the suffering of Jesus for our salvation that we can find value in our own suffering. In Colossians 1:24, we read, “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church.” We offer our small afflictions up and ask God to unite them with the suffering of Jesus. We offer our sufferings for the salvation of all.
Reflection Material for Mediation on the Stations of the Cross
Have you ever felt like no one ever notices the (small) sacrifices you make for others? Do you feel like your children do not realize or appreciate the sacrifices you made for them? What about your spouse or other family members? What about coworkers? When you feel like others do not notice the sacrifices you have made for them or that they take what you do for granted, think of how Jesus feels when you take his suffering for granted.
How? First, you can thank Jesus for the sacrifice He offers for you. You can make sure you attend Mass every Sunday to celebrate his Sacrifice and to give him praise and worship for His Sacrifice. You can spend time with him daily in prayer, perhaps even spending time with him in Adoration if your parish offers Eucharistic Adoration (cf. “The Sacred Heart of Jesus”).
- Jesus suffered greatly for us. His suffering was foretold in Old Testament prophecies like those found in the four Suffering Servants found in the Book of Isaiah (42:1-4, 49:1–7; 50:4–11; 52:13–53:12). One could use any of the these for meditation on what Jesus does for us. With the Stations of the Cross, I recommend the fourth one, Isaiah 52:13–53:12. (It is the first reading on Good Friday.)
For example, one might use one of these verses when beginning the Stations of the Cross.
- “Yet it was our pain that he bore, our sufferings he endured” (Isaiah 53:4a).
- “But he was pierced for our sins, crushed for our iniquity” (Isaiah 53:5a).
- “We had all gone astray like sheep, all following our own way. But the Lord laid upon him the guilt of us all. Though harshly treated, he submitted and did not open his mouth; Like a lamb led to slaughter or a sheep silent before shearers, he did not open his mouth” (Isaiah 53:6-7).
Jesus willingly suffered greatly for us. Are you ready to follow him? He tells us what is required of his disciples, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me” (Matthew 16:24).
Jesus died so that we might have life. Are you willing to die to sinful ways to receive new life?
We end with these words of Jesus, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit” (John 12:24).
Bibliography For Stations of the Cross
Cyprian, Alson.“The Way of the Cross” The Catholic Encyclopedia. Available online at http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15569a.htm.
Ann Ball, A Handbook of Catholic Sacramentals. Our Sunday Visitor. Huntington, IN. 1991, 44-47.
Rev. Jovian P. Long, OFM. Dictionary of the Liturgy. Catholic Book Publishing. New York. 1989.
Other forms of liturgy, devotion, and prayer include:
- Liturgy of the Hours
- Eucharistic Adoration
- Stations of the Cross
- The Divine Mercy
- The Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Contemplative & Centering Prayer
- Lectio Divina
- The Rosary
Here are some video presentations by Fr. Jeff on prayer:
- We Profess, We Believe - A series of five presentations on the Creed
- Talking to God: A Conversation about Prayer (2014)
- Giving Our Hearts to God: What It Means to Pray (2021) - a three-part series
Revised: 3/3/26