Good Friday + Stations of the Cross

The Way of the Cross (also called the Stations of the Cross) is a traditional liturgical devotion commemorating the last day of Jesus' life before his resurrection. The devotion originated with pilgrims in Jerusalem retracing the traditional steps Jesus is believed to have followed on Good Friday. Since not all Christians could make pilgrimages to Jerusalem, however, the custom arose of replicating the devotion in congregational and individual settings, often with images or carvings on the walls of a church or installed in a garden to commemorate each of the 14 stations (or stops) on the Way of the Cross.

The Church through the centuries has used many forms of praying the Way of the Cross. The form here is modeled on the form used by Pope John Paul II on Good Friday in 1991 which follows Jesus on this most sorrowful of days from his prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane to his death and the tomb. This form is sometimes called the Scriptural Way of the Cross and differs from the traditional version you might be familiar with.

As you walk the Way of the Cross, we invite you to allow yourself to become silent and reflective. Imagine yourself as a witness to these events. Contemplate our Lord's love on display in each station. As the world continues around you even as you are walking the Way of the Cross, understand that most people witnessing these events that day were going about their lives totally unaware of the importance of what was unfolding. As you walk the Way of the Cross today, ask God to increase your awareness with each step, so that you may faithfully follow our Lord Jesus in the Way that leads to everlasting life.