Via Dolorosa - The Stations of the Cross

Above: The first two Stations of the Cross, Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Paris

Praying the Stations of the Cross during the Lenten season is a very ancient tradition. Indeed many churches and cathedrals throughout the world have lined their walls with statuary and stained-glass windows that serve as prayer stations for precisely this purpose. At each station, the penitent Christian pauses, gazes upward and reflects upon the many sufferings endured by the Christ as He walked on the "way of sorrow" to His death. This Lenten tradition has been formalized, but still takes on a wondrous variety of expressions.

For an excellent illustration of the traditional stations, see this Stations of the Cross slideshow, found at Flickr.com. It provides prayers and images for each of the 14 stations that line the walls of St. Francis of Assisi Church in Sacramento, CA.

A video version of the traditional prayers, with images from Mel Gibson's 2004 film "The Passion of the Christ" may be found here.

Note - The images in this video are very bloody and gruesome. They may not be appropriate for sensitive people and young children. For those with doubts, the slideshow is recommended.