Each Friday during Lent we are invited as a faith community to pray the Stations of the Cross, which are a 14-step Catholic devotion that commemorates Jesus Christ’s last day on Earth as a man.

Pope Francis has encouraged us to pray the Stations of the Cross and stressed their importance. He reminded the faithful that the Cross of Christ bears the suffering and sins of mankind and that Christ bears our crosses on His shoulders.

Pope Francis has noted the following eight reasons why we should pray the Stations of the Cross:

They allow us to place our trust in God.

They put us into history.

They remind us that Jesus suffers with us.

They compel us to action.

They help us make a decision for or against Christ.

They reveal God’s response to evil in the world.

They give us the certainty of God’s love for us.

They guide us from the cross to the Resurrection.

As we reflect on these reasons, we may more clearly understand why praying the Stations of the Cross can provide us with an opportunity to avail ourselves of abundant spiritual graces. They also assist us in our efforts to enter more fully into the Lenten spirit of sacrifice, renewal, and repentance.

So, let us consider making the “Stations” an integral part of our Lenten experience.
 

Fr. Tarcisio