Stations of the Cross

The Stations Of The Cross are a popular Catholic devotion which commemorates the Passion and death of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Each of the fourteen stations stands for an event which occured during Jesus' Passion and death at Calvalry on Good Friday. A person making the Stations Of The Cross is to meditate about each event depicted at each station, and pray.  At many Catholic Churchs and Chapels, mounted along the sides of the interior walls are fourteen plaques which depicts each Station Of The Cross. A person making the Stations will go to each station and pray and meditate about that particular event which Jesus went through in His Passion and death. 

An overview of the mosaic Stations of the Cross

   at the Cathedral of Saint Joseph the Workman

The Cathedral Stations of the Cross are among its most beautiful treasures.  Made in Munich, Germany, their artistry is unsurpassed.  Each station is crafted from hundreds of tiny pieces of glass placed with such precision that they describe the event portrayed, they capture the mystery of that event, and they portray deep emotion on the faces of the figures.  They convey grief, support, love, sorrow.  Tiny pieces of glass do all that!  Following tradition, the background of each mosaic is in gold, reminding us that this world, because of Christ, is rich in divine love.  What follows is a reflection on the artistry of these pieces.

I. “Jesus is condemned to death.”  Notice the wicked eye brow of Pontius Pilate condemning Jesus.  Who is he who dares to judge the Christ?  His posture is as twisted and contorted as his judgment.  Christ, on the other hand, looks regal.

II. “Jesus takes up his cross.”  Jesus’ face seems to bear a look of acceptance as he takes hold of his cross, as he embraces it.  Pictorially the cross, standing between Christ and the Roman soldier, serves as a divider between the Roman Empire and the Kingdom which is not of this world.

III. “Jesus falls the first time.”  Is it a fall that Jesus takes, or really a genuflection made in worship to his Father’s will?  Over him stands the soldier, eyes alarmed.  “Will I get my duty done before he dies?” he asks.  He should be asking questions of love, not duty.

IV. “Jesus meets his afflicted mother.”  Here is where meet the epitome of human and divine love.  Jesus meets his mother, Mary.  She stands straight.  He looks to be falling.  Again, tiny pieces of glass portray deep emotion; the eyes of each stare into the others.  They are full of sadness and love.

V. “Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry the cross.”  Simon is not eager to be pressed into service, but his strong body, feet firmly planted, contrasts with the body of Jesus, burdened by the cross.  His physical strength is made evident by the triangular design of his stance.

VI. “Veronica wipes the face of Jesus.”  See the pale image of the face of Jesus on Veronica’s veil.  A Roman arch rising above and behind Jesus increases, as it were, the weight of the cross; a worshipping maiden kneels below to give comfort.

VII. “Jesus falls the second time.”  It is not Simon who rises above Jesus, fallen a second time, but a cruel soldier; his brow is furrowed in anger, his stick raised to strike Jesus now nearly broken.  Gone is his sense of duty, replaced by inhuman cruelty.

VIII. “Jesus speaks to the women of Jerusalem.”  In portraying four figures, a lesser artist would have made the station look crowded.  Here, there is a freedom of movement.  Jesus, his face so vulnerable, shows a measure of relief to see the support of the women of Jerusalem.  He might well have thought of Sirach, “A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter.”

IX. “Jesus falls a third time.”  With the third fall Jesus is prone, like the candidate who lies on the floor of the sanctuary before the bishop ordains him to service as a priest.  Now, Jesus can walk no further.  Still, the awful climb up Calvary remains.  He is motivated not by anger and the cries of those standing over him, but by his love for the human family.

X. “Jesus is stripped of his garments.”  The soldier who strips Jesus of his clothes is equal to Jesus in stature.  They face each other man to God-man.  The soldier grasps Jesus firmly by the arm.  Jesus looks almost childlike here.  His eyes question, “Is this disgrace still ahead of me? Is this, too, necessary?”

XI. “Jesus is nailed to the cross.”  The torso of Jesus on the cross is artistically shaped.  Arms and legs already strapped to the cross, the nailing now begins.  The jug fading to the background to the left, is it water or vinegar?  The hammer, firmly in the grasp of the executioner, is at center stage.

XII. “Jesus dies on the cross.”  Love draws three figures to this frame.  John and Mary stand erect on either side of the crucified Lord.  It is a well-balanced piece.  The rich folds of their cloaks portray the richness of the love.  Christ, nearly naked, has given all.

XIII. “The body of Jesus is taken down from the cross.”  Here the same three are portrayed; this time in the centuries-old posture of the Pietà.  Mary holds the lifeless body of Jesus on her lap.  Look again to see how lifeless it is.  Michelangelo would be impressed.  Christ’s head hangs down in death; his hair falls through the delicate fingers of Mary’s loving embrace.  His lifeless legs akimbo, they no longer have any strength.  John holds the crown of thorns, another example of the delicate artistry of the mosaic.

XIV. “The body of Jesus is buried in the sepulcher.”  Joseph of Arimathea, a friendly stranger, and Mary lay Jesus in the tomb.  All recognize the seriousness of their duties.  Incredibly, the outline of the arm and hand of Jesus can be seen beneath the folds of the shroud.  What a master of his craft, this artist.

And what a Master of His craft is the Lord God who raised up his Son, whose death and resurrection bring salvation to his human family.