How to Pray the Stations of the Cross

The Way of the Cross, also known as the Stations of

the Cross, are a way to pray and meditate on Christ's
sacrifice for us.
 It is divided into fourteen stations from the time He
was condemned to his burial.
 This devotion has been long encouraged by the
church, and is especially useful during Lent and Good
Friday.
The Stations of the Cross, also known as the Way of
the Cross and the Way of Sorrow (Via Crucis in
Latin), detail fourteen different moments on the day
Jesus died.
 This prayer pilgrimage is a powerful way to grow
closer to Jesus at any time of the year, though it is
most popular during the Lenten season
The cross of Christ, embraced with love,
never brings sadness with it, but joy, the
joy of being saved and doing a little of
what he did on the day of his death.
 (Pope Francis )
What are the Stations of the
Cross?
Brief Origin
Tradition holds that after Christ’s death and
resurrection, the Blessed Mother retraced
Jesus’ last day every day.
 Over the centuries following Christ’s
Resurrection, this practice transformed into
what we know as the Stations of the Cross
today.
 Original and Scriptural Stations
 The original Stations of the Cross were passed down through
tradition, following the footsteps of Christ’s last day on earth, as
we read the Gospels.
 On Good Friday in 1991, St. John Paul II (who was the Pope at the
time) celebrated the Stations of the Cross with an alternative to the
original Stations of the Cross. These alternative Stations of the
Cross lead us back to the Scriptural moments leading up to Christ’s
passion. Because of this, we call them the “Scriptural Stations of
the Cross.”
In 1991 Pope John Paul II instituted a
new series of fourteen Stations of Cross,
each of which was based on Scripture
alone.
The traditional Catholic Stations
included a number of episodes that were
passed on in early Christian tradition but
not found in the biblical gospels.
14 Stations 0f the Cross
The first station
Original: Jesus is
condemned to death.
Scriptural: Jesus in the
Garden of Gethsemane
(Matt. 26: 36-41)
 The Sanhedrin, an exclusive council of elders, had Jesus
arrested during Passover due to the fact that they felt
threatened by his religious teachings.
 Theyput Jesus in front of Pontius Pilate to be tried for
blasphemy. After Jesus was beaten and tortured, Pilate
ordered him to punishment by death by crucifixion.
 REFLECTION:
 When he could not reason with the “Crucify him, crucify him,” chants
of the frenzied crowd, Pilate condemned Jesus to death. Jesus, even
though you had always known how your life on earth would end, the
finality of those words, CONDEMNED TO DEATH, must have filled you
with human fear and dread. How it must have shattered the heart of
Mary as she realized the finality of Pilate’s order.
 MEDITATION:
 How many times have I condemned someone for deeds or beliefs that
did not fall in with my ideas or beliefs? How many times have I joined
a crowd in looking down upon or ridiculing a person who was
“different” (whatever that means)?
 The second station
 Original: Jesus is given His cross.
 Scriptural: Jesus is betrayed by Judas and arrested (Mk. 14: 43-
46).

 Jesus accepts his fate and is given a large

wooden cross; he’s ordered to carry it to the
location where he will be nailed to it and left
to die. While the cross is heavy and difficult to
move, Jesus never complains and begins his
journey to Golgotha.
 REFLECTION:
 Jesus,it’s hard to believe that you, the perfect son of God,
had to carry the cross of a criminal. I cannot imagine the
agony you must have been in and how exhausted you felt
on that ugly day.
 After being falsely tried all night, betrayed by one of your
disciples, denied by another, scourged, mocked and spat
upon, you now had to carry your own cross. When I have a
tough day or struggle with an obstacle in my life, I must take
a step back and remember the cross you carried for me.
 MEDITATION:
 What is the cross you are carrying in your life? Is it a physical cross?
Maybe it’s an emotional cross that no one sees. Do you have a
friendship that is broken, or do you have a besetting sin that you
can’t overcome? Is your cross heavy, seems unfair, makes you
resentful, unhappy, sorrowful?
 Give it to Jesus. There is no cross we bear that Christ can’t handle.
His words in the gospel of Matthew say, “Come to me, all you who
labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.” God wants you to
have the peace, joy and rest of Christ even in the midst of the
crosses we bear.
 The third station
 Original: Jesus falls down for the first
time.
 Scriptural: Jesus is condemned by the
Sanhedrin (Lk. 22: 66-71).

 it was at this point that Jesus fell for the first

time under the weight of the wooden cross.
 While there are no definitive dimensions or
specs recorded of the cross,
Catholic tradition says that Jesus fell three
times under its weight
 REFLECTION:
 Jesus,you fell and got right back up, even under
the weight of the cross. You were tired and
bleeding, but you still got back up because you
had faith in God Your Father, and you trusted
Him. You were walking to your own death, yet
you kept going. It must have been very painful to
see people who loved you turn on you and hate
you.
 MEDITATION:
 Finda calm spot and take a moment to breathe.
Think about the following questions: Have I ever
seen someone who’s hurt and not stopped?
Have I benefited from someone else’s loss? Have
I done what is right for me but not for others?
Have I given up when times get difficult? Take a
moment to realize how obedient Jesus was
knowing He was going to die the most painful
death. Everyone who Jesus loved had betrayed
him. Think about how that must have felt.
 The fourth station
 Original: Jesus meets His mother
Mary.
 Scriptural:Jesus is denied by
Peter (Matt. 26: 69-75)

 While carrying the cross, Jesus reunites

with his mother, Mary. They look into
each others eyes, both understanding
the pain and heartache each are
experiencing.
After the brief encounter, Jesus continues
carrying the cross to Mount Calvary.
 The fifth station
 Original: Simon of Cyrene helps
carry the cross.
 Scriptural: Jesus is judged by
Pontius Pilate (Mk. 15: 1-5, 15).

 According to all three Synoptic Gospels,

Simon initially just intended to observe
Jesus carrying the cross to his crucifixion.
 Instead, Simon temporarily carried the
cross after the Romans ordered him to help
Jesus.
 The sixth station
 Original: Veronica wipes Jesus’ face.
 Scriptural: Jesus is scourged at the pillar
and crowned with thorns. (Jn. 19: 1-3)
 Veronica, a woman from Jerusalem and a
disciple of Jesus, saw Jesus struggling while
carrying his cross.
 Moved by his pain and sympathy, Veronica
gave Jesus her veil in order to wipe away
his perspiration and onlookers’ spit off his
face.
 Jesus took the cloth, held it up to his face,
and then returned to her.
When Veronica looked at the fabric, an
image of his face appeared upon it.
This cloth is now known as the Veil of
Veronica.
 The seventh station
 Original: Jesus falls down for the second
time.
 Scriptural: Jesus bears the cross (Jn. 19: 6,
15-7)

 Although he had help from Simon and

Veronica, Jesus continued to struggle
carrying the cross to Golgotha, and fell
again due to his wounds, abuse, and fatigue.
 Without saying anything, Jesus regained his
footing and continued walking.
 The eighth station
 Original:Jesus meets the women of
Jerusalem.
 Scriptural:Jesus is helped by Simon the
Cyrenian to carry the cross (Mk. 15: 21).

While many fought against him, Jesus

had disciples who believed and trusted
him. Some of those people were the
women of Jerusalem who came to
comfort and thank him during his trek
to Mount Calvary.
During this encounter, Jesus told
them not to weep for him, but for
the future of themselves and their
children.
 The ninth station
 Original: Jesus falls down for the third
time.
 Scriptural:Jesus meets the women of
Jerusalem (Lk. 23: 27-31).

 Not long after Jesus met the women of

Jerusalem, he fell under the weight of his
cross; this last fall was the worst. As Jesus
struggled underneath the massive cross,
his executioners demanded that he get up
and continue. Roman soldiers eventually
got him back up on his feet and forced to
continue walking towards his imminent
death.
 The tenth station
 Original: Jesus is stripped of His
clothing.
 Scriptural: Jesus is crucified (Lk. 23:
33-34).

 Upon reaching Mount Calvary, soldiers

removed Jesus’ clothes, leaving him
naked, vulnerable, and humiliated.
At this time, Jesus was beaten again,
reopening old wounds on his back. At a
certain point, onlookers stare at Jesus, as
his eyes turn towards heaven.
 The eleventh station
 Original: Jesus is nailed to the cross.
 Scriptural: Jesus promises his
Kingdom to the repentant thief (Lk.
23: 39-43).

 Jesus was nailed to his cross and placed

between two thieves who were
nailed to their own crosses for their crimes.
 Scholars argue whether three or four nails
were used to fasten Jesus to his cross, but as
it was lifted up, the weight of his body hung
on those nails, increasing pain and blood
loss.
 The twelfth station
 Original: Jesus dies on the cross. (Optional
but appropriate to remain kneeling for this
station)
 Scriptural: Jesus speaks to his mother and the
Beloved Disciple (Jn. 19: 25-27).

 After dying on the cross, according to the

Gospel of John, a soldier stabbed Jesus in the
rib cage with a spear to ensure that he was
dead; blood and water gushed from the
wound. Later, these soldiers divided his
garments amongst themselves, including his
seamless robe, also known as the Holy Tunic,
the Honorable Robe, and Chiton of the Lord.
 The thirteenth station
 Original: Jesus’ body is removed from the
cross.
 Scriptural:Jesus dies on the cross (Lk.
23: 44-46). (Optional but appropriate to
remain kneeling for this station)
 The fourteenth station
 Original: Jesus’ body is placed
in the tomb.
 Scriptural: Jesus is placed in the
tomb (Matt. 27: 57-60).
Why do we pray the Stations of
the Cross?
 The Way of the Cross is…a school for the
examination of conscience, for conversion,
for inner transformation and compassion
— not as sentimentality, as a mere feeling,
but as a disturbing experience that knocks
on the door of my heart, that obliges me to
know myself and to become a better
person.
(Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI )
 Following Jesus as he makes the way to his death is disturbing;
this is not a comfortable prayer.
 But by remembering the Stations of the Cross, walking with
Jesus, and taking up our own crosses as Jesus calls us to do, we are
pulled out of our selfishness.
 We become more willing to be patient, love, and sacrifice.
 We become more like the people God created us to be when we
remember Christ’s sacrifice.
When do we pray the Stations of the
Cross?
The Stations of the Cross are commonly
prayed during the Lenten season.
Tradition holds that Christ died on a Friday
at 3 p.m. Because of this, many parishes
offer Stations of the Cross services at this
time on Fridays during Lent.
However, you can pray the Stations of the
Cross at any time of the day, and you’re not
limited to Lent when it comes to this
devotion to Christ.
How to pray: Stations of the
Cross
The most common way of praying the
Stations of the Cross is in a church or at
an outdoor shrine, letting the images of
each station in the sanctuary guide you.
but you can also pray with the stations at
home! For example, you might look up
images of stations, sit before a crucifix, or
close your eyes and imagine yourself in
each moment.
 Prepare for the first station.
 Before you begin, choose which set of stations you plan to pray
with, the original or Scriptural.
 Then, as you prepare yourself for prayer, ask yourself how to make
this time in meditation peaceful.
 Forexample, you might want to close your eyes or take a few deep
breaths before you begin.
 Next,
make the Sign of the Cross and walk to, look at, or lead your
thoughts to the scene of the first station.
Name the station.
Kneel or genuflect before the station. Then, take a
moment to quiet your heart and mind to be present
with Christ at this moment.
If you’re praying with the original stations, Christ has
just been condemned to death by Pontius Pilate. If
you’re praying with the Scriptural stations, Christ is
praying with his disciples in the Garden of
Gethsemane.
Pray.

We adore you, O Christ, and praise you.

V. Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the
world.
Meditate.
Spend some time contemplating this
station.
 You may kneel, look at an image of the
station, close your eyes and imagine being
in the moment with Christ.
 When you’re ready, you might read the
verse associated.
 Pray.
 Closeyour time before each station with a
prayer, such as the Lord’s Prayer.
 Thensay the Our Father, the Hail Mary, and the
Glory be to the Father.
 Focus on speaking honestly with God.
 Repeat.
 Repeat this pattern for all 14 stations.
 During Lent or Holy Week

 The Fourteen Stations

 First Station - Jesus is condemned to Death
Second Station - Jesus is made to bear His Cross
Third Station - Jesus falls the first time under His
Cross
Fourth Station - Jesus meets His Mother
Fifth Station - Simon the Cyrene helps Jesus carry
His Cross
Sixth Station - Veronica wipes the face of Jesus
Seventh Station - Jesus falls the second time
 SeventhStation - Jesus falls the second time
Eighth Station - Jesus speaks to the daughters of Jerusalem
Ninth Station - Jesus falls the third time
Tenth Station - Jesus is stripped of His garments
Eleventh Station - Jesus is nailed to the Cross
Twelfth Station - Jesus dies on the Cross
Thirteenth Station - Jesus is taken down from the Cross
Fourteenth Station - Jesus is buried in the tomb
 After announcing each station, genuflect and say:
 Guide: Weadore you O Christ and we praise you,
All: Because by you holy Cross you have redeemed the world.
 Thensay the Our Father, the Hail Mary, and the Glory be to the
Father.
 After
the final station, this prayer, adapted from one composed
by Saint Alphonsus, might be said:
O Jesus Christ, my Lord, with what great love you
traveled the painful road which led to your death -- and
how often have I abandoned you. But now I love you
with my whole soul, and because I love you, I am
sincerely sorry for having offended you. My Jesus,
pardon me, and permit me to accompany you on this
journey. You died for love of me, and it is my wish, O
my dearest Redeemer, to be willing to die for love of
you. O my beloved Jesus, in your love I wish to live,
and in your love I wish to die. Amen."
CLE 9 ACTIVITY - MARCH 29, 2024
For your Asynchronous task :
 Read this PPT about the station of the cross.
 On a one whole sheet of paper write your reflection:
 Reflect on the stations 1-3.
 There are guided questions in stations 1-3 in meditation.
 choose only 1 station which best reflect your journey as a
Christian, as a son/daughter and as a student.
 then write a short prayer .

 Thank you and God bless!