Albeit, this devotion has evolved over time. Tradition holds that our Blessed Mother made daily visits to the scenes of our Lord’s passion. After Constantine legalized Christianity in the year 313 AD, this pathway was marked with its important stations. St Jerome living in Bethlehem during the latter part of his life, attested to the crowds of pilgrims from various countries who visited these Holy places and followed the Way of the Cross. As this devotion continued to grow in popularity and attract devotees; the Church in the fifth century, developed interest to “reproduce” the Holy places on other areas so pilgrims who were not able to actually travel to the Holy Land could do so in a devotional, spiritual way in their hearts. For instance, we see St Petronius, Bishop of Bologna, constructing some chapels at the monastery of San Stefano which depicted the more important shrines of the Holy Land, including several of the Stations.
In 1342, the Franciscans were assigned the task of guarding the shrines of the Holy Land. The faithful received indulgences for praying at the following stations: at Pilate’s house, where Christ met His Mother, where He spoke to the women, where He met Simon of Cyrene, where the soldiers stripped Him of His garments, where He was nailed to the Cross, and at His tomb. It is recorded that William Wey, an English pilgrim, visited the Holy Land in 1458 and in 1462, and is credited with the term Stations. He described the manner in which pilgrims followed the steps of Christ. Prior to this time, the path usually followed the reverse course of ours today, and involved moving from Mount Calvary to Pilate’s house.
At the time the Moslem Turks blocked access to the Holy Land, reproductions of the Stations were erected at popular spiritual centers, including the Dominican Friary at Cordova and the Poor Clare Convent of Messina (early 1400s); Nuremberg (1468); Louvain (1505; Bamberg, Fribourg and Rhodes (1507). A good number of these stations were produced by skilled artists and are considered masterpieces today. In 1584, a book written by Adrichomius entitled Jerusalem Sicut Christi Tempore Floruit gives 12 Stations which match those in our present version. This book was translated into several languages and circulated widely. In the 16th century, devotional books were seen especially in the Low Countries which had 14 Stations with prayers for each one of them. At the close of 17th century, the creation of Stations in Churches became more popular. Consequently, in 1686, Pope Innocent XI realizing that only few people could travel to the Holy Land due to oppression from the Moslems, granted the Franciscans the right to erect Stations in all of their Churches and that the same indulgences would be given to the faithful for practicing the devotion as if on an actual pilgrimage.
Pope Benedict XIII extended these indulgences to all of the faithful in 1726. Five years later, Pope Clement XII permitted Stations to be erected in all Churches and fixed the number 14. In 1742, Pope Benedict XIV exhorted all priests to enrich their Churches with the Way of the Cross, which must include 14 Crosses and are usually accompanied with pictures or images of each particular Stations. The popularity of the devotion was also encouraged by preachers like St. Leonard Casanova (1676-1751) of Porto Maurizio, Italy who reportedly erected over 600 sets of Stations throughout Italy.
Today we speak of fourteen stations of the cross; albeit some booklets contain a fifteen station which commemorates the resurrection. In this case the relationship between the passion and death of our Lord with his resurrection is considered and emphasized. A plenary indulgence is granted to those who devotedly follow the Way of the Cross, actually moving from station to station where they are legitimately erected and while meditating on the passion and death of our Lord (Enchiridion of indulgences, 63). Those who cannot visit a Church may gain the same indulgence by piously reading and meditating on the passion and death of our Lord for one and half hour.
MEDITATIONS
DAY THREE WITH
DAVID NUTAYI
Dearest in the Lord,
As we continue with our Lenten campaign we are invited to meditate on the prophecy of Isaiah (58:1-9). The prophet gives us an authentic modality in respect of how we ought to fast as true followers of Christ.
Many a times as Christians we claim to be fasting while we neglect those who are suffering, naked, hungry, poor, less privileged, prisoners, orphans, widows, widowers, and so on. The works of mercy as documented in the diary of St. Maria Faustina are actually meant for everyone and not for some specific Christians.
Prayer:
Oh Lord, give me the grace to be generous with my wealth, talents, time and gifts that others may be beneficiaries of your blessings through me. Amen
Amen
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