Stations of the Cross

 

 Since we just finished the Way of the Cross, I will give a brief history for the Stations of the Cross. Lent is a penitential season of preparation for Easter, 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. In the 16th century, this pathway was officially entitled the "Via Dolorosa" (Sorrowful Way) or simply Way of the Cross or Stations of the Cross.

This devotion has evolved over time. Tradition holds that our Blessed Mother visited daily the scenes of our Lord's passion. After Constantine legalized Christianity in the year 312, this pathway was marked with its important stations. St. Jerome (342-420), living in Bethlehem during the later part of his life, attested to the crowds of pilgrims from various countries who visited those holy places and followed the Way of the Cross.

In the fifth century, an interest developed in the Church to "reproduce" the holy places in other areas so pilgrims who could not actually travel to the Holy Land could do so in a devotional, spiritual way in their hearts. For instance, St. Petronius, Bishop of Bologna, constructed a group of chapels at the monastery of San Stefano, which depicted the more important shrines of the Holy Land, including several of the stations.

In 1342, the Franciscans were appointed as guardians of the shrines of the Holy Land. The faithful received indulgences for praying at the following stations: At Pilate's house, where Christ met His mother, where He spoke to the women, where He met Simon of Cyrene, where the soldiers stripped Him of His garments, where He was nailed to the cross, and at His tomb.

When the Moslem Turks blocked the access to the Holy Land, reproductions of the stations were erected at popular spiritual centers, including the Dominican Friary at Cordova and Poor Clare Convent of Messina (early 1400s); By 1587, Zuallardo reported that the Moslems forbade anyone "to make any halt, nor to pay veneration to [the stations] with uncovered head, nor to make any other demonstration," basically suppressing this devotion in the Holy Land. Nevertheless, the devotion continued to grow in popularity in Europe.

In the 1400s, the Stations of the Cross became extremely popular in Europe; however, they were usually a series of outdoor shrines. In 1686, Pope Innocent XI granted to the Franciscans the right to erect Stations of the Cross within their churches because he realized that few people could travel to the Holy Land due to the Moslem oppression.

It was only as late as 1862 that the right erect the Stations of the Cross without a Franciscan was extended to bishops throughout the Catholic Church. Today, the faithful receive a plenary indulgence (with the usual conditions) for making the Stations of the Cross.

We make the Way of the Cross out of love for all Jesus suffered for us. In a certain sense, we are there with Him as He carries His Cross to Calvary. We want to comfort Him as the Blessed Virgin comforted Her Son, or as the weeping women were there to show their love. We want to give Him consolation with Veronica who wiped the face of Jesus with her veil. And some of us are like Simon the Cyrene, who at first didn’t want to help Jesus carry His Cross, but eventually chose to help Him and had pity on Our Lord for the sufferings He was enduring.

Each of us will have our own way of the cross in our life. Each of us has our own cross to carry. And each of will end up at our own Calvary.

Every day we need a reminder that its only through the cross, by embracing it and carrying it, we will get to heaven. So I encourage you to regularly gaze upon the crucifix you have in your home or here at church to remind you how much Jesus loves you and He will give you the strength to carry your cross and know the Virgin Mary will greet you along the way and console you and will stand at the foot of your cross when you make your final sacrifice.