What are the Stations of the
Cross? Not all the Stations are expressly
biblical. Although, Jesus' standing before Pilate, His crucifixion,
death, and entombment are clearly referenced in the Evangiles. Others
such as Jesus falling find no biblical statement and perhaps came about
as human inference both on Our Lord's suffering and our daily struggles
and failures. Still other Stations such as Simon of Cyrene carrying
the cross and Jesus speaking to the women are found in some gospel accounts and not others. Jesus
being stripped from his garments is an example of a station arising from deduction because the Evangiles
mention Jesus' clothes being divided among the soldiers who crucified him but do not specifically mention how they got those
clothes.
Called also the Via Crucis, Via Dolorosa or the Way
of the Cross, the Stations of the Cross are an old devotion that have been
used to instill contemplation of the Passion of Jesus Christ. The
Franciscans of St. Francis of Assisi have been credited with bringing the
Stations to popularity. To find out more of the Stations you can
visit New Advent's page on the subject from the Catholic
Encyclopedia.
Does this lack of strict biblical reference weaken the devotion?
To me, no, since this devotion achieves many
great benefits by encouraging the contemplation of the mysteries of Christ's
suffering and death; two mysteries that make possible redemption and ultimate
unity with God. The devotion also reflects the power and sanctity of tradition. Even though tradition
may be a point of contention with many, it should be noted that the chapter and verse demarkations of the Bible are themselves evidence of universally accepted tradition. To find
out how the chapters and verses in the Bible came about check out this page Chapters and Versus -- Late Comers.
Although for reference purposes chapters and verses are noted in Catholic Bibles, the scripture readings in the Mass are of
a whole section much as is done in synagogues today and as Jesus would have read when he was at worship. The Bible was not written
chapter and verse. Scripture itself is a whole. To weigh one verse without meditating on the context and its relationship to the whole of
revelation is, in short, factious to the meaning of scripture and possibly so to the unity of the faithful.
Finally, the Stations of the Cross are an exercise that will with practice and a reverent heart lead one to a deeper appreciation
of that special day lived so long ago (but yet ever present) when God gave all so that we might know His love.
Besides, anytime spent in contemplation of, meditation
on, and praying to Our Lord is time well spent. I hope, if you share your
time and read some of the meditations, that these works may bring
you to more deeply appreciate He who is Love.
If you would like to visit St. Francis of Assisi's Stations of the Cross which include traditional prayers and reflections, go
HERE
