The Stations of the Cross, also known as the Way of the Cross, Via Crucis, or Via Dolorosa, refers to a series of images depicting Jesus Christ on the day of his crucifixion and accompanying prayers. The stations grew out of imitations of Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem which is believed to be the actual path Jesus walked to Mount Calvary. This practice has been encouraged by the Roman Catholic Church as a form of devotion, and the stations are commonly found in churches as a series of 14 small icons or elaborate sculptures. They can also appear in church yards arranged along paths. The stations are as follows:
- Jesus is condemned to death
- Jesus carries His cross
- Jesus falls the first time
- Jesus meets his mother
- Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry the cross
- Veronica wipes the face of Jesus
- Jesus falls the second time
- Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem
- Jesus falls the third time
- Jesus is stripped of His garments
- Jesus is nailed to the cross
- Jesus dies on the cross
- Jesus’ body is removed from the cross
- Jesus is laid in the tomb
These 14 stations take participants through the final moments of Jesus’ life from when he was condemned to death to his burial. At each station, an appropriate verse or reflection is read aloud and a prayer offered focusing on a specific aspect of Christ’s suffering.
1. Jesus is condemned to death
The first station is Jesus being condemned to death by Pontius Pilate. This station is based on the biblical accounts of Jesus’ trial before the Roman governor Pontius Pilate as described in the Gospels (Matthew 27:15-26, Mark 15:6-15, Luke 23:13-25, John 18:39-19:16). After being questioned, Pilate declared that he found no basis to charge Jesus but gave in to the demands of the crowd and handed Jesus over to be crucified. This station reminds us of the injustice Jesus faced and how he submitted humbly, setting an example for us in the face of unfair treatment.
2. Jesus carries His cross
The second station depicts Jesus carrying the cross on which He will be crucified through the streets of Jerusalem toward Golgotha. This event is recounted in John 19:16-17 which describes Jesus bearing his own cross to the place of crucifixion. The heavy wooden cross would have weighed over 100 pounds and after being beaten and flogged, it would have been an excruciating burden for Jesus to carry. This station calls us to reflect on the sacrifices God was willing to make for us out of love and to consider how we take up our own crosses in life to follow Him.
3. Jesus falls the first time
There is no direct biblical reference to Jesus falling under the weight of the cross, but this station is inferred from the accounts showing Jesus was physically weak and exhausted from the beatings he endured before being forced to carry the cross (Isaiah 53:3-5). The third station reminds us that Jesus fully experienced human weakness and fatigue, yet continued to press on towards fulfilling God’s will. Though he fell, he persevered through inner strength. This station calls us to rely on God when we fall or fail rather than giving up.
4. Jesus meets His mother
The fourth station commemorates Jesus seeing his mother Mary along the way to Calvary. The Gospel of John describes the mother of Jesus being present at the crucifixion (John 19:25-27), so it is likely they met as he carried the cross. This station imagines the anguish Mary felt watching her son brutally suffer and die. It reminds us of the heartache both faced, as well as Jesus’ concern for His mother in his final moments. Their meeting invites us to reflect on the suffering of others and offer compassion.
5. Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry the cross
This station depicts Simon of Cyrene being compelled by the Roman soldiers to carry the cross for the weakened Jesus, as described in Matthew 27:32, Mark 15:21, and Luke 23:26. Simon was a passerby, but was seized out of the crowd to bear the cross. This station reminds us that sometimes God calls us to step in and take action, serving others in need even when it’s inconvenient or we feel unprepared. Jesus allowed someone to help him, showing we need not shoulder our burdens alone.
6. Veronica wipes the face of Jesus
The sixth station commemorates Veronica compassionately wiping the blood and sweat from Jesus’ face with her veil as He walked to Calvary. This encounter does not appear in Scripture but is part of Catholic tradition and imagination. Her kind gesture gave comfort and the image of his face miraculously remained on her cloth. This station represents the importance of small acts of kindness, compassion, and seeing Christ in others – especially those who suffer. It calls us to show love through service in simple ways.
7. Jesus falls the second time
Again not mentioned in the Bible, the tradition developed that under the weight of the cross Jesus fell a second time in his journey to Golgotha. This station parallels the third station of his first fall. It further emphasizes the extreme physical toll of Christ carrying the cross on his torn body and reminds us that even the Son of God fell repeatedly on this journey. Though already bloody and beaten down, he persevered in accomplishing God’s will. This station calls us to persist even when we stumble and falter repeatedly.
8. Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem
The eighth station refers to Jesus’ encounter with a crowd of weeping women along the way to Calvary as described in Luke 23:27-31. The women mourned his unjust death, but Jesus replied by asking them not to weep for him but for themselves, foreseeing the coming destruction of Jerusalem. This station calls us to weep for our sins and grieve how they grieved the heart of God. It reminds us of Jesus’ constant concern for others despite his suffering.
9. Jesus falls the third time
The ninth station captures Jesus falling under the cross for a third time, though not recorded in the Gospels. On the threshold of Calvary after falling twice before, Jesus again falls in exhaustion. Yet resolved in accomplishing God’s plan, he rises and continues on. Though pushed to the furthest limits of human endurance, Jesus persevered out of obedience to the Father. This station calls us to rise and continue following Christ even when overcome by life’s trials again and again.
10. Jesus is stripped of His garments
The tenth station represents Jesus being stripped of his clothing before crucifixion, fulfilling Psalm 22:18. This is described in the Gospel accounts: “And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots” (Matthew 27:35; also Mark 15:24, John 19:23-24). Being stripped naked was an ultimate humiliation Jesus endured silently. This station calls us to meditate on Christ suffering the most shameful exposure to redeem us from sin.
11. Jesus is nailed to the cross
The eleventh station depicts Jesus being nailed to the cross as Roman soldiers drove large spikes through his wrists and feet to fix him to the cross, as referenced in Colossians 2:14. The pain would have been excruciating. Jesus freely allowed his hands and feet to be pierced out of love and obedience to the Father so that we might be forgiven. This station reminds us of the high cost of our salvation that Jesus paid with his own body on our behalf.
12. Jesus dies on the cross
In the twelfth station, after hanging on the cross for hours in agony, Jesus voluntarily gave up his spirit and died. The Gospel accounts affirm this: “And Jesus uttered a loud cry, and breathed his last” (Mark 15:37). Just before dying, Jesus spoke words of forgiveness and promised paradise to the criminal crucified beside him. This station reminds us of God’s mercy, that salvation was accomplished through Christ’s sacrificial death, and calls us to entrust our spirits to the loving hands of God when we die.
13. Jesus’ body is removed from the cross (Deposition)
The thirteenth station represents Jesus being removed from the cross after his death, as described in Mark 15:42-43. Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Sanhedrin but secretly a follower of Jesus, requested the body from Pilate and with the help of Nicodemus took Jesus down from the cross, wrapped him in a linen shroud, and laid him in a tomb. This station reminds us that Jesus truly experienced human death and invites us to mourn the indignity he endured for us.
14. Jesus is laid in the tomb
The final station depicts Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus burying Jesus after wrapping his body in linen cloths with spices, as told in John 19:38-42. His body was laid in a new tomb hewn out of rock, before the Sabbath began at sundown. A stone was rolled in front of the entrance. Jesus would not remain buried for long, however, as he rose victorious on the third day. This station points towards the miracle of the resurrection soon to come.
Reflections
Walking the Stations of the Cross can unite our suffering to Jesus redemptive suffering. As we move through the final events of Christ’s life, we are led to contemplate God’s love, Jesus’ sacrifice for us, and our response to such love. Reflecting on his falling three times under the cross reminds us that even the sinless Son of God fell, but rose again and continued his task. We persevere in following God’s will despite failures and trials, relying on God’s grace.
We are called to show compassion to those who suffer as Jesus did – pausing to wipe a weary stranger’s face or help carry a heavy burden. Though Christ was condemned unjustly, he submitted to the authority placed over him and trusted in God’s ultimate justice. When Jesus met his grieving mother on the road to Calvary, he showed concern for her suffering even amidst his own. The stations invite us to weep for what grieves the heart of God – the ravages of sin.
Jesus’ crucifixion reminds us that God was willing to come to earth and suffer the most horrific, humiliating death in order to redeem us. Christ accepted nails piercing his hands and feet out of love for us and to make eternal life with God possible through his sacrifice. But death did not defeat Jesus – he rose victorious over the grave, and his willing sacrifice gives us access to salvation. As we walk the stations of the cross this Lent, may Christ’s love and sacrifice transform our lives anew with devotion and purpose.