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The Way of the Cross is a powerful prayer. Just as with the Rosary, it provides an opportunity to meditate deeply upon the life of Christ. The Way of the Cross is broken up into fourteen Stations, each representing a different part of Jesus' final hours - from His condemnation by Pilate, through the entire walk to Golgotha, and ending with the disciples placing His Body in the sepulcher. At each Station, a few set prayers are recited, and the meditation for that Station is read. The particulars will be explained in detail. There are many different meditations used to make the Way of the Cross, and if you want to, you can even meditate on the Stations without the help of any prepared texts. The meditations I'm providing are those written by Saint Alphonsus Liguori. The performance of the Way of the Cross is usually done in a church that has visual representations of the the fourteen Stations on its walls. Almost every Catholic church has some representation of the Stations for people to follow. If you are unable to go to a church, you can still make the Way of the Cross in a quiet place by meditating on each Station. Certain indulgences may be gained by making the Stations of the Cross; a plenary indulgence may be gained if all of the necessary conditions are met, and a partial indulgence may be gained if you are unable to meet all of the conditions for a plenary indulgence. |
