Stations of the Cross

St. Francis Catholic Church in Waco, TX

Tradition
It has been a long tradition for Catholics to gather together, normally at 3:00PM, to pray and reflect on the Stations of the Cross on Good Friday. Many practice this devotion on Fridays throughout the year. The Stations of the Cross originated in the 14th Century, but the images of the Stations could be found in many churches before this time. The devotion has its roots in the Way of the Cross or Via Dolorosa. Shortly after the death of Christ, people began making pilgrimages to Jerusalem and tracing Christ's path to His crucifixion.  Pious tradition holds that the Blessed Mother would daily visit the site of Christ's passion.

Reflections
One thing that is fairly well established is that there are a total of fourteen stations. While this may be generally the case, the way one prays or reflects on the Stations can vary greatly. There are a number of different reflections available to pray along with the stations. If you are not able to attend the Stations at Church, you can use one of these:

• Biblical Stations of the Cross, Bl. John Paul II
• Mary's Way of the Cross, Fr. Richard G. Furey, CsCR (Online Version)
• The Way of the Cross, St. Josemaria Escriva

Virtual Stations and Apps
In the modern age we live in, there are other technological options to aid in praying the Stations. There a few very good iOS and Android apps (see list below). EWTN has its reflections available as an mP3 and Busted Halo has created a YouTube video of Stations. Here are some of those options:

• Video: Mary's Way of the Cross narrated by Angelina, (Part 1 of 3)
• Busted Halo's Virtual Stations of the Cross
• EWTN's Audio Stations of the Cross
• Via Crucis (Way of the Cross) app by EBSolutions

Prayer
We adore you, O Christ and we praise you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.