… Jesus falls for the first time 4. Jesus sees his mother the Virgin Mary 5. Why are there fourteen stations of the cross? Please swipe your Drivers License Now!!!! 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. At the end of the 17th century, the erection of stations in churches became more popular. Stations of The Cross The Way of The Cross (also known as Via Dolorosa, Via Crucis, Way of suffer or way of Grief) is one of the holiest sites in Christendom. Jesus is crucified (Luke 23:33-47). This devotion has evolved over time. 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. Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of … In 1742, Pope Benedict XIV requested that every Catholic Church have the Stations of the Cross in the sanctuary. It would be wonderful if each of us would find the time to explore our church, or a classic church in town, and make the stations there, going from station to station. Jesus’ suffering, death and resurrection on a daily basisafter His ascension There are 14 stations, or stops, along the way. And return often, to be renewed in this intimate experience of Jesus' solidarity with all humanity in our way of the cross each day. In 1686, Pope Innocent XI, realizing that few people could travel to the Holy Land due to the Moslem oppression, granted the right to erect stations in all of their churches and that the same indulgences would be given to the Franciscans and those affiliated with them for practicing the devotion as if on an actual pilgrimage. The 14 Stations of the Cross 1. There is usually an opening prayer before the Stations, and a closing prayer after. To date, there are 14 traditional stations: Pilate condemns Christ to death; Jesus carries the cross; Jesus falls the first time; Jesus meets His Blessed Mother; Simon of Cyrene helps to carry the cross; Veronica wipes the face of Jesus; Jesus falls the second time; Jesus consoles the women of Jerusalem; Jesus falls the third time; Jesus is stripped of His garments; Jesus is nailed to the cross; Jesus dies on the cross; Jesus is taken down from the cross; and Jesus is laid in the tomb. … 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. In 1742, Pope Benedict XIV exhorted all priests to enrich their churches with the Stations of the Cross, which must include 14 crosses and are usually accompanied with pictures or images of each particular station. While the Passion has been depicted in artwork, movies, plays, and music, the ritual devotion of the Stations of the Cross is a significant and prayerful way to enter into the mystery. They begin with the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate reluctantly condemning Jesus to death. 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. Why Stations of the Cross Should be Part of Your Lenten Journey. 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. The gaining of the plenary indulgence is regulated by the following norms: But if the pious exercise is made publicly and if it is not possible for all taking part to go in an orderly way from station to station, it suffices if at least the one conducting the exercise goes from station to station, the others remaining in their place. Modern stations of the cross have 15 stations. The Second Station: Jesus is made to carry the cross . The stations, as we know them today, came about when it was no longer easy or even possible to visit the holy sites. 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. The simplest answer would be that for some it is believed that Mary, the Mother of Jesus started this tradition as such! It is a traditional pilgrimage route located within the old city of Jerusalem. The devotion of the Stations of the Cross can be traced to the late 4th century when pilgrims flocked to the Holy Land from all parts of the world to visit the land of Jesus. 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. What if I have never made the Stations before? In the 16th century, devotional books appeared, which had 14 stations with prayers for each one. May God bless you all for your kindness and great work. 2. 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. It takes the reflection on the passion out of my head and makes it an imaginative exercise. Introduction. The pious exercise must be made before stations of the Way of the Cross legitimately erected. ©2017 World Apostolate of Fatima U.S.A. - Our Lady's Blue Army Resources for Students, Parents, and Teachers. It is difficult, over two thousand years after the fact, to imagine … 674 Mountain View Road, Asbury, NJ 08802 - 908-689-1700, Shrine welcomes new chaplain, Father James Walling, CPM, Lent with Lucia: Fatima is an apostolate on behalf of our brothers and sisters, The Eucharist is central to the Fatima apparitions, Be still and know the Lord wants to heal us, The Pilgrim Virgin Icon of Fatima – a sign of unity for East and West Church, St. Catherine of Siena, co-patron of Europe, Feast of St. Joseph the Worker proclaimed Christian ideal of work vs. Marxist view. The popularity of the devotion was also encouraged by preachers like St. Leonard Casanova (1676-1751) of Porto Maurizio, Italy, who reportedly erected over 600 sets of stations throughout Italy. THE FOURTEEN STATIONS OF THE CROSS The Stations of the Cross depict 14 events in the Passion of Jesus Christ, beginning with Jesus being condemned to … Reflection: When Jesus fell the first time, it was sort of like building a … by Father James L. P. Miara – His Excellency Joao Pereira Venancio, who was bishop of the Diocese of Leiria-Fatima... By Michaelyn Hein – A couple years ago, my daughter fell down our basement steps and gashed her eyebrow. While watching stations from Vatican was reading this. Stations of the Cross - Introduction. So try the stations, and experience the consolation they offer. Jesus falls the first time. The object of the Stations is to help the faithful to make a spiritual pilgrimage of prayer, through meditating upon the chief scenes of Christ’s sufferings and death. A movement from one station to the next is required. 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 Good News is that Jesus entered into our life's experience completely - even suffering and death - and that he fell into the hands of a Loving God, who raised him from death to life. Many Popes have encouraged the faithful to pray the Stations 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. On the web, it's easy. When pilgrims came to see Jerusalem, they were anxious to see the sites where Jesus was. One of our common religious struggles is to realize that we are not alone. 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. A plenary indulgence is granted to the faithful, who make the pious exercise of the Way of the Cross (Stations of the Cross). 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. First, just a note about the history of the stations: From the earliest of days, followers of Jesus told the story of his passion, death and resurrection. And, along the way, we are not alone. Then they forced a certain passer-by, Simon of Cyrene, coming in from the country, to take up His cross. I can do one a day, for two weeks. William Wey’s account has 14 stations, but only five correspond to the ones we have today. In the 1500's, villages all over Europe started creating "replicas" of the way of the cross, with small shrines commemorating the places along the route in Jerusalem. John 19:16-17: The soldiers took charge of Jesus. Five years later, Pope Clement XII permitted stations to be created in all churches and fixed the number at 14. The earliest use of the word “stations”, as applied to the accustomed halting-places in the Via Sacra (Holy Way) at Jerusalem, occurs in the narrative of an English pilgrim, William Wey, who visited the Holy Land in the mid-15th century, and described pilgrims following the footsteps of Christ to the cross. After Constantine legalized Christianity in the year 312, this pathway was marked with its important stations. 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. At each station, an important event in Christ's sorrowful journey is described aloud, and prayers are said aloud, usually of a penitential nature. In 1584 a book written by Adrichomius entitled: Jerusalem “sicut Christi Tempore floruit”, gives 12 stations which match those in our present version. One seemingly small yet powerful way we commemorate this is by making the Stations of the Cross. To the extent I come to experience the love of Jesus for me, to that extent the gratitude I feel will be deep. Go to the page on "How to do the Stations" and see how simple it is. Reflection: And when they had mocked Jesus, they took the purple cloak off and put His own clothes on Him and they led Him out to be crucified. It takes the reflection on the passion out of my head, and makes it an imaginative exercise. “The Cross of Christ contains all the love of God; there we … The objective of the stations is to help the Christian faithful to make a spiritual pilgrimage through contemplation of the Passion of Christ. 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. We will all share eternal life with him, if we can fall into the hands of the same Loving God. This book was translated into several languages and circulated widely. What are the Stations of the Cross and why are they important? The memory of Christ’s passion, death, and resurrection had always been central to the Christian message. In 1521 a book entitled “Geystlich Strass” was printed with illustrations of the stations in the Holy Land. I can do all 14 at a time, and return to them in my prayer and imagination as I do them. Before becoming visible and tangible, the Way of the Cross was a spiritual pilgrimage based on the writings of theologians, mystics, and missionaries. 1 Why are the stations so important that many Popes throughout the ages encourage us to pray them? Jesus carries the cross 3. At this time, the number of the stations varied. https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/stations-prn.html Deep gratitude leads to real generosity and a desire to love as I have been loved. We can have complete hope that suffering and death have no complete hold on us. “It... by Mark Moran – The importance of Fatima to both the West and the East can never be underemphasized. However, it is much easier to imagine almost anyone with a computer going through these stations, any time, day or night. That can be deeply consoling. The stations grew out of imitations of Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem which is believed to be the actual path Jesus walked to Mount Calvary. According to the Catholic Online Encyclopedia, “The object of the Stations is It involves my senses, my experience and my emotions. We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you, because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world. Each of the 14 Stations of the Cross is visited in turn. Before reading on, discuss this question as a family. The most important thing to remember is that this can be as personal as I'd like it to be. Jesus is with as one who knows our suffering, and the death we face. The actual number of stations seems to be of no historical value or meaning. Jesus Trial – condemned to death 2. Have you ever wondered what the Stations of the Cross are? It involves my senses, my experience and my emotions. 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. 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. The pious exercise must be made before stations of the Way of the Cross legitimately erected. The Fifth Station: Simon of Cyrene Helps Jesus to Carry His Cross If you will reign with Me, will you bear the cross with Me? Why pray the Stations of the Cross? Prof. Michael Ogunu is the coordinator for the World Apostolate of Fatima in Africa. After Constantine legalized Christianity in the year 312, this pathway was marked with its important stations. But they are so much more than that. The gaining of the plenary indulgence is regulated by the following norms: 1. Consider how Pilate condemned the innocent Jesus to death, and how my Redeemer submitted to this sentence, to free me… But why this late development in settling the Stations of the Sorrowful Way? 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