Simple Stations

Last Friday, I had planned to take advantage of my parish's newly erected out door Stations of the Cross before my hour of silent adoration, but I left the house late, very late. After adoration, I still wanted to get in my stations. So, I prayed simple stations. That is at each station, I looked at the image, named the station, genuflected and prayed "We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you, Because, by your Holy Cross, you have redeemed the world." Then I walked to the next one. (I knelt for an extra moment of silence at the 12th as is my usual practice). I probably did not look very reverent praying 14 stations in five minutes, but I love simple stations and here is why:

• It is quick. Devotions need not be burdensome, and sometimes I just don't have much time or attention span. A little goes a long way and is better than nothing.

• I am reminded to think about Jesus' Holy Cross and Sacrificial Death for love of me, his falls, the help he received, the comfort he gave, his suffering to save the world from sin.

• Wonderful inspirations can come from just naming the station or silently looking at an image (especially the super familiar parish stations that we hardly notice anymore) without any preset thoughts or prayers to be said. Sometimes, I find that a point of reflection from a Way of the Cross I prayed in the past returns powerfully to my thoughts.

• I offer fourteen acts of adoration in honor of the Lord's Passion.

• I am walking with Jesus on his road to Calvary.

There are a lot of great meditations for the Stations of the Cross, I do hope to share some of my own in the coming Fridays, but today I offer the encouragement to pray the stations, even if you simply stop for two minutes to name each one and offer the customary act of adoration, or any other short prayer that suits you.

The first station: Jesus is condemned to death. We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you, Because, by your Holy Cross, you have redeemed the world.

The second station: Jesus takes up his Cross. We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you, Because, by your Holy Cross, you have redeemed the world.

The third station: Jesus falls the first time. We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you, Because, by your Holy Cross, you have redeemed the world.

The fourth station: Jesus meets his mother. We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you, Because, by your Holy Cross, you have redeemed the world.

The fifth station: Simon helps Jesus to carry the Cross. We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you, Because, by your Holy Cross, you have redeemed the world.

The sixth station: Veronica wipes the face of Jesus. We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you, Because, by your Holy Cross, you have redeemed the world.

The seventh station: Jesus falls the second time. We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you, Because, by your Holy Cross, you have redeemed the world.

The eighth station: Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem. We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you, Because, by your Holy Cross, you have redeemed the world.

The ninth station: Jesus falls the third time. We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you, Because, by your Holy Cross, you have redeemed the world.

The tenth station: Jesus is stripped of his garments. We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you, Because, by your Holy Cross, you have redeemed the world.

The eleventh station: Jesus is nailed to the Cross. We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you, Because, by your Holy Cross, you have redeemed the world.

The twelfth station: Jesus dies on the Cross.

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you, Because, by your Holy Cross, you have redeemed the world.

The thirteenth station: The body of Jesus is taken down from the Cross and laid in his mother's arms. We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you, Because, by your Holy Cross, you have redeemed the world.

The fourteenth station: The body of Jesus is laid in the tomb. We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you,Because, by your Holy Cross, you have redeemed the world.

You can offer an Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be as a conclusion, if you like.