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How to Pray the Stations of
the Cross
Mar 23, 2017 By Gretchen Filz | 32 Comments
The Stations of the Cross, also known as the Way of the Cross, or Via
Dolorosa (Sorrowful Way), is a popular Lenten devotion. Many parishes join
as a group and pray the Stations of the Cross on the Fridays of Lent to call to
mind the Passion of Christ, that is, the journey Jesus took from his
condemnation to his death.
THE HISTORY OF THE STATIONS OF
THE CROSS
The Way of the Cross has its origins with the Blessed Mother. It is said that
she, who pondered all the mysteries of Christ in her heart, retraced the steps
of her Son's Passion and the significant events that happened along the way,
keeping in her memory, and for the memory of the Church, the sacred path on
which the Son of God trod to accomplish our redemption.
Later in her life, when she was no longer living near Jerusalem, it is said that
Mary continued this devotional practice by creating a similar outdoor path near
her home with stone markers, along which she would walk, pray, and meditate
on those things that happened to her Son on his Sorrowful Way.
Stations of the Cross Rosary - Brown Wood
Read next How the Virgin Mary Began the Way of the Cross After Jesus’
Ascension
For centuries, pilgrims to the Holy Land have walked the steps of Our Lord's
Passion in Jerusalem, with "stops" along to way to pray and venerate near
the places where a significant event is believed to have occurred (such as the
place where Jesus met his Mother, where Jesus fell, and where Veronica
handed Jesus her veil, etc.).
This devotional walk, known as the Stations of the Cross, became one of the
most popular and useful ways for the devout to meditate on Christ's Passion.
The Franciscans, a religious order with special custody of the sacred places in
the Holy Land since the Middle Ages, brought this tradition to their churches
in Europe in much the same way that the Blessed Virgin erected an imitation
of the Sorrowful Way near her home.
Pilgrims who could not travel to Jerusalem could experience in a virtual way
the Stations of the Cross by following a signposted path around the inside
and/or outside of the church. Here the faithful would walk and pray and
meditate on the sufferings of Jesus as if they were walking the real places in
Jerusalem. Special indulgences were granted to those who made this virtual
pilgrimage.
From the 18th century, by Papal decree, all Catholic churches were permitted
to erect the Stations of the Cross in the sanctuary, with the number of Stations
fixed to fourteen. A specific way of praying the Stations also developed, two of
the most popular being the method of St. Francis of Assisi and the method of
St. Alphonsus Liguori.
THE FOURTEEN STATIONS OF THE
CROSS
1. Jesus is condemned to death
2. Jesus takes up his Cross
3. Jesus falls for the first time
4. The Virgin Mary meets Jesus
5. Simon of Cyrene is made to help Jesus bear the
Cross
6. Veronica wipes the face of Jesus
7. Jesus falls for the second time
8. Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem
9. Jesus falls for the third time
10. Jesus is stripped of his garments
11. Jesus is crucified
12. Jesus dies on the Cross
13. Jesus is taken down from the Cross and laid in the
arms of Mary
14. Jesus is laid in the tomb
HOW TO PRAY THE STATIONS OF THE
CROSS
Although most popular during Lent, this season is not the only good time to
pray the Stations of the Cross. It is always recommended to the faithful to
meditate on Christ's Passion frequently, especially on Fridays as a perpetual
day of penance, to obtain graces and grow in holiness.
“But especially I commend earnest mental prayer to you, more particularly
such as bears upon the Life and Passion of our Lord. If you contemplate Him
frequently in meditation, your whole soul will be filled with Him, you will grow
in His Likeness, and your actions will be moulded on His. He is the Light of
the world; therefore in Him, by Him, and for Him we shall be enlightened and
illuminated.” -St. Francis de Sales
There are many ways to pray the Way of the Cross, especially by making use
of the Stations of the Cross devotional tools mentioned below.
1. Attend a guided Stations of the Cross with your parish on the Fridays of
Lent.
2. Using the Stations of the Cross inside your parish, spend a few minutes
prayerfully meditating on each station (usually there will be an image depicting
each station to help guide your time of mental prayer - so you don't
necessarily need to carry a book with you).
3. Use a traditional prayer format (with a Catholic prayer book which includes
the Stations, or with a separate Stations of the Cross booklet) to pray the
Stations at home.
4. Pray the Stations with a Stations of the Cross rosary (see image below).
5. Pray the Stations virtually with the Via Dolorosa Experience DVD (video of
the guided Stations tour in Jerusalem with the Franciscan Friars).
6. Pray the Stations with an audio CD at home or while commuting.
7. Pray with your children using children's Way of the Cross multi-media tools.
8. Design and erect your own Stations of the Cross for your home or garden.
Get creative!
There were many saints who were devoted to Christ's Passion, for example
St. Catherine of Siena, St. Paul of the Cross, St. John of the Cross, St. Bridget
of Sweden, St. Gemma Galgani, and St. Padre Pio, to name a few. Meditating
on Christ's Passion is a sure way to become a saint like them!
"There is no practice more profitable for the entire sanctification of the soul
than the frequent meditation of the sufferings of Jesus Christ."
—St. Alphonsus de Liguori
What is your favorite way to pray the Stations of the Cross? Please leave your
comment below!
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Comments
Khristian Calderon says
Feb 11 2019 12:00AM
I love the stations of the cross with meditations by Archbishop Fulton Sheen
↵
Kathy Donohue says
Dec 2 2018 8:21PM
What prayers are said during a Stations of the Cross Rosary?
↵
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Commentary by
Gretchen Filz
Gretchen is a Lay Dominican with a passion for fostering an increase in Catholic faith
and devotion. After receiving her M.A. in Christian Apologetics, she converted to the
Catholic Faith in 2011. She lives and works in the Diocese of Charlotte.
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