Stations of the Cross

With The Passion of the Christ out, a lot of people are probably feeling more interested in the Stations of the Cross. I'm interested to find how different some of the prayers for doing the Stations are. Some folks can't picture doing them without singing the "Stabat Mater", others never heard of such a thing. (Around here, we seem to be in the latter group while Ebert's review indicates he's in the former.) Some are indoors, some outside in gardens or on trails. There are many different sets of meditations and prayers used for the Stations, each with its own advantages. Also, the Episcopal/Anglican church seems to do Stations.

The best explanation of the different versions of the Stations is at the website of Sacred Heart Parish, Morton, WA. You can pick out your own favorite version of the Stations while looking at the same set of pictures over in the frames. (A good use of frames, btw.) Another excellent site is from the Congregation of the Passion. The origins of the Stations in pilgrimages to Jerusalem are explained at Olga's Gallery and the Via Dolorosa.

Other sites which include both pictures and prayers for the Stations are: St. Charles Borromeo in Picayune, Mississippi; Two Hearts Design; St. Alexander's, Villa Park, IL; biblia.com; over at Gerard's site, Catholic Doors; and Ligurina-Maria.

If you just want a new set of pictures to look at while doing the Stations, check out a nice set of paintings of the Stations from Lodwar, Kenya. Here are some sculptures from St. Augustine's in Deerfield Twp., Michigan; and from Visionmasters.net.

Of course, the real test is to walk and pray Jesus' road every day as we carry our own crosses. But the more we try in all ways to die with Christ, the more we will live with Him.