Stations of the Cross Deep Dive

• Date:  Fridays in Lent- Feb. 19, 26, Mar. 5, 12, 19, 26 
• Time: 7:00pm
• Location: St. Mary's's and LIVESTREAM 
• RSVP Needed?: No.
• Guide and Reflection Needed: See below for guide and reflection.
• Description: In this traditional Lenten traditional practice we reflect on our Lord's Passion. See guide below.

What are the Stations of the Cross?

The Stations of the Cross began with pilgrims to Jerusalem who would retrace the steps of Jesus the day before His death. As they followed this path there were many places where it was customary to stop in order to reflect and pray about a particular moment in Jesus’ final hours. These stops became known as Stations. In the 15 century, Franciscan friars, who had been granted guardianship of the Holy Land, began working on ways that those who unable to travel to the Holy Land could observe this devotion more locally. These began as a series outdoor shrines of an indeterminate number but by the 19th century had evolved to the 14 icons found in most Catholic churches today. While the Stations can be prayed through at any time, communal observance of the practice is common during Lent, particularly on Fridays.

How are the Stations of the Cross Prayed?

There are many different options for praying the Stations of the Cross but all involve moving from depiction to deception, stopping at each to pray and reflect on that moment in Christ’s Passion.

The Traditional Stations of the Cross are as follows:

1. Jesus is condemned to death
2. Jesus carries His cross
3. Jesus falls for the first time
4. Jesus meets His mother, Mary
5. Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry 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 clothes
11. Jesus is nailed to the cross
12. Jesus dies on the cross
13. Jesus is taken down from the cross
14. Jesus is placed in the tomb

In 2007, Pope Benedict also approved at Scriptural Way of the Cross:

1. Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane
2. Jesus is betrayed by Judas and arrested
3. Jesus is condemned by the Sanhedrin
4. Jesus is denied by Peter
5. Jesus is judged by Pilate
6. Jesus is scourged and crowned with thorns
7. Jesus takes up his cross
8. Jesus is helped by Simon of Cyrene to carry his cross
9. Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem
10. Jesus is crucified
11. Jesus promises his kingdom to the repentant thief
12. Jesus entrusts Mary and John to each other
13. Jesus dies on the cross
14. Jesus is laid in the tomb.

Why Should we
Participate in the Stations of the Cross?

Praying the Stations of the Cross is a powerful way to remember just how great a gift Jesus has given us. By reflecting on key moments of suffering from Christ’s Passion we are better able to appreciate just how much He loves us and what He was willing to undergo for our sakes. Taking time to recount Jesus’ sacrifice by praying the Stations of the Cross is both a way of showing our gratitude to God for that sacrifice and a way of opening ourselves up to how He may be calling us to respond to that sacrifice.