On the path

By walking the Stations of the Cross, Christians follow Jesus’ way to the cross

The 12th Station of the Cross at St. Bernard of Clairvaux Catholic Church in Bella Vista shows Jesus dying.
The 12th Station of the Cross at St. Bernard of Clairvaux Catholic Church in Bella Vista shows Jesus dying.

Since the earliest days of the church Christians have been walking the Stations of the Cross, following in the steps of Jesus on his path to crucifixion.

The tradition dates back to the time following Christ’s death when the faithful would follow his path to the cross, known as the Via Dolorosa (Latin for “way of sorrows”), in Jerusalem. Those unable to travel there began creating stations or scenes from Christ’s suffering, crucifixion and burial so they could also follow the devotion.

The Stations of the Cross were further popularized by Franciscan monks during the Middle Ages and became common practice within the Catholic Church. Now, churches of various denominations follow the way of Jesus during Lent, especially on Good Friday.

The number of stations varies, but the most common are the 14 established by Pope Clement XII in the 16th century. They begin with Jesus being condemned to death and end with his burial.

The stations can be depicted in many ways, including in paintings, sculptures, mosaics and other art forms. Some churches even have living Stations of the Cross featuring costumed actors re-creating the scenes on Good Friday.

Parishioners at St. Edward Catholic Church in Little Rock have both options — indoor stations are located in the sanctuary and the church also has a re-enactment in Spanish on Good Friday in MacArthur Park that has become a popular tradition, said the Rev. Jason Tyler.

Parishioners wear costumes to portray Jesus, the Roman guards, and others, including Mary. The actor portraying Jesus has his back streaked with red paint to look like blood as he is whipped by the guards. At the cross, he is laid down and grips nails already pounded into the wood as the cross is hoisted into place.

Inside the church there are seven stations on each side of the sanctuary.

“Ideally every Catholic church would have the stations depicted in one way or another,” Tyler said. “The main purpose is to meditate on the suffering and death of Jesus, to make ourselves even more ready to celebrate his resurrection.”

Tyler said the practice in most Catholic parishes is to pray the stations as a group during Lent, but he said the practice can be done anytime during the year.

“When we pray the stations what we are looking at is to enter into it in a way that’s meditative and that draws us into the moment with Jesus,” Tyler said. “It’s a mental walk, to think not just that he was tortured, but all the different phases that led up to that. Three times he fell and each one has a meditation and we can reflect on ways we fall in our lives. We fall spiritually or morally yet we see the determination in Jesus to get up and walk again and we mimic that determination so we keep moving through life.”

Tyler said there are lessons to be learned at each station.

“It’s a way to strengthen our commitment during Lent to being with Jesus, not only during good times but in difficulty and suffering,” he said.

Nancy Nolan, a parishioner at St. Stephen Catholic Church in Bentonville, said, for her, the stations are a summation of the Bible, from the parables and the prophets to the Psalms.

“Our faith is summed up in that walk he makes,” said Nolan, who meditates on the stations every Friday during Lent. “It has moved me much deeper into my faith.”

Nolan said a trip to Israel a few years ago also deepened the practice for her. She can now picture the real-life scenes of Christ’s suffering as she prays.

“I try to place myself there,” she said. “What does it mean? What did it mean to Christ and how is it pertinent to me today? It’s made me ask and seek more.”

For Tom Kirchner, a parishioner at Our Lady of the Holy Souls Catholic Church in Little Rock, the stations help him reflect on Christ’s brutal journey to the cross.

“You think about what happened, putting the cross on him, getting scourged. What does that mean to have your body ripped apart for someone you love? He did it out of love for us,” he said. “It brings you into the moment and helps you understand the depth of the love God has for us.”

That journey through pain is essential in order to truly celebrate the Resurrection for many, including Kirchner.

“When people think about Easter, they think about the Resurrection and everything is glorious. He conquered death, but do you know how he conquered death? It allows me to reflect on that journey,” Kirchner said.

During Lent, parishioners at Holy Souls have had several versions of the stations, each one offering a different perspective. The first week was from the voice of Christ, the second from the perspective of bystanders, followed by the voice of Mary. Students from the church school re-enacted the stations during the fourth week.

“You can put yourself in a different part of the story. It’s the same story but how would you feel if you were this person — if you were Peter denying Christ?” Kirchner said. “You just can’t grasp it all in one pass through.”

Kirchner said he goes every Friday during Lent.

“Every week I get a little something out of it that I didn’t get the last week or in the many weeks over my life,” he said.

At St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church in Little Rock, parishioners will gather on Good Friday for an outdoor Stations of the Cross devotion. The Rev. Mary Vano said that members of the youth group created mosaic tiles for the stations last year that were installed along a path outside the church.

Vano said the service allows worshippers to walk with Jesus through the toughest of days, all the while remembering that “God abides with us through our toughest moments.”

“It’s a somber, yet beautiful and touching journey,” she said. “It’s emotional, because we stop and contemplate these heart-wrenching moments. … It’s not Mel Gibson’s Passion of the Christ but we have enough imagination to transport ourselves to standing in the presence of the incarnate God who suffered in this way for us.”

The station ends at the church’s columbarium.

“There you are at our own burial place where our loved ones lay at rest,” Vano said. “The next night when we begin our celebration of Easter at the vigil we light the great fire in the columbarium and process it back into the church … so it’s this physical connection with death and resurrection again.”

Canvas Community, a United Methodist congregation in Little Rock, will have a modern take on the Stations of the Cross on Good Friday. The Rev. Carter Ferguson said this is the second year for the one-night stations, which feature contemporary interpretations of the scenes done by local artists.

He said he finds traditional Good Friday services to be drab.

“It’s like they are trying to depress you through dark sermons and sad music,” he said.

Having been to Israel and walked the Via Dolorosa, Ferguson said he thought a fresh take on the Stations of the Cross would be an interesting twist. The church’s art group worked over a few months for last year’s event, which featured a variety of art, including sculptures and paintings. Last year there was one piece of art for each station but this year the stations will feature more, including photography.

The stations are a do-it yourself devotion, done in silence. When visitors arrive, they will be given a handout explaining what the Stations of the Cross are and what to do. A laminated devotion is posted on the wall at each station and everyone can go through at their own pace, except for at the burial station.

“Only a group at a time is allowed in,” Ferguson said. “Last year we had [a depiction of] the body of Christ wrapped in linen and laid on stage. People were just bawling their eyes out.”

Regardless of the form, those who follow the stations say they often find the journey to Easter much richer.

For Kirchner, the stations add heft to the words of Jesus, to “take up your cross and follow me.”

“If you’ve gone through the stations you understand what that means. It’s not going to be pleasant but you feel like you are more able to do it,” he said. “If you can witness Jesus going through that every week and what happens on Easter, I’m more hopeful I can survive the crosses I will have and get through this life to the next.”

The Stations of the Cross

1 — Jesus is condemned to death

2 — Jesus takes up his cross

3 — Jesus falls the first time

4 — Jesus meets his mother

5 — Simon of Cyrene helps carry the cross

6 — Veronica wipes the face of Jesus

7 — Jesus falls a second time

8 — Jesus meets with the women of Jerusalem

9 — Jesus falls a third time

10 — Jesus is stripped of his clothes

11 — Jesus is nailed to the cross

12 — Jesus dies on the cross

13 — The body of Jesus is taken down from the cross

14 — Jesus is laid in the tomb

Religion, Pages 12 on 04/12/2014

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