The Way
of the Cross
by Mgr. John S. Clá Dias
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The Way of the Cross
by Mgr. John S. Clá Dias
Scroll down to continue
Initial Prayer
V/. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
R/. Amen.
“Without me, you can do nothing” (Jn 15:5).
O my Jesus, prepare me now to accompany Thee in Thy Way of the Cross. In it, I will find Thee wounded, exhausted and bloody. The Holy Scripture is most expressive in referring to Thy Passion: “I am therefore a worm and not a man, despised by all and the abjection of the people.” (Ps 21:7) Very different is Thy Divine figure from that which the Apostles contemplated on Mount Tabor, walking on the water, or curing the infirm. In this divine tragedy will be revealed the hideousness and wickedness of my sins. At Thy feet I lay my miseries and ask pardon for the enormous blame I have in Thy torments!
For this, I have recourse to the intercession of the Sorrowful Virgin. May she cover me with her maternal mantle, helping me to unite myself to Thee and also to embrace my cross.
Amen.
The First
Station
Jesus is Condemned to Death
V/. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee,
R/. Because by Thy Holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world.
So Pilate went back into the praetorium and summoned Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” (…) Jesus answered, “My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my kingdom did belong to this world, my attendants (would) be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not here. (Jn 18:33, 36)
Pilate (…) took water and washed his hands in the sight of the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood. Look to it yourselves.” And the whole people said in reply, “His blood be upon us and upon our children.” Then he released Barabbas to them, but after he had Jesus scourged, he handed him over to be crucified. (Mt 27:24-26)
Jesus, in affirming that His Kingdom was not of this world, nonetheless still desired to be the King of our hearts. He will deliver Himself into the hands of the executioners for love of us. In this moment of His imprisonment, should we not also offer Him our hearts?
I do not want to be indifferent in face of this profound desire of Jesus. This was the great fault committed by Pilate: neutrality in the face of a divine appeal and a criminal accusation.
Jesus is imploring my heart in this step of the Passion, He wants my sanctification.
My adorable Jesus, I see the great weight of my sins in the hatred of those who rejected Thee. Accept, Lord, my poor heart and take possession of it as King and sole proprietor. I am certain that if Thou wilt do this I will never more offend Thee.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be
V/. Sacred Heart of Jesus, Victim for sinners,
R/. Have mercy on us.
V/. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
R/. Amen.
The First
Station
Jesus is Condemned to Death
V/. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee,
R/. Because by Thy Holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world.
So Pilate went back into the praetorium and summoned Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” (…) Jesus answered, “My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my kingdom did belong to this world, my attendants (would) be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not here. (Jn 18:33, 36)
Pilate (…) took water and washed his hands in the sight of the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood. Look to it yourselves.” And the whole people said in reply, “His blood be upon us and upon our children.” Then he released Barabbas to them, but after he had Jesus scourged, he handed him over to be crucified. (Mt 27:24-26)
Jesus, in affirming that His Kingdom was not of this world, nonetheless still desired to be the King of our hearts. He will deliver Himself into the hands of the executioners for love of us. In this moment of His imprisonment, should we not also offer Him our hearts?
I do not want to be indifferent in face of this profound desire of Jesus. This was the great fault committed by Pilate: neutrality in the face of a divine appeal and a criminal accusation.
Jesus is imploring my heart in this step of the Passion, He wants my sanctification.
My adorable Jesus, I see the great weight of my sins in the hatred of those who rejected Thee. Accept, Lord, my poor heart and take possession of it as King and sole proprietor. I am certain that if Thou wilt do this I will never more offend Thee.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be
V/. Sacred Heart of Jesus, Victim for sinners,
R/. Have mercy on us.
V/. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
R/. Amen.
The Second
Station
Jesus Carries His Cross
V/. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee,
R/. Because by Thy Holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world.
And carrying the cross himself he went out to what is called the Place of the Skull, in Hebrew, Golgotha. (Jn 19:17)
Yet it was our infirmities that he bore, our sufferings that he endured (Is 53:4)
A Roman could never be condemned to death by crucifixion, since the cross was the greatest symbol of dishonour, reserved for the most abject criminals. However, the symbol of shame par excellence was embraced by Jesus, “He himself carried His cross…”
In this step of the Passion, Jesus takes my sins upon His adorable shoulders. However, the Divine Redeemer is such a grandiose King that He will transform the cross into an object of elevated nobility and distinction. It will be placed on top of churches and on the crowns of kings… and will be the passion of the saints.
What should I offer Jesus at this moment in which I see Him kiss the cross?
O my Jesus! In seeing Thee kneeling to embrace the instrument of Thy torture, I throw myself at Thy feet humbled and contrite. Wipe away all my faults with Thy infinite mercy transforming them into another crown of Thy glory.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be
V/. Sacred Heart of Jesus, Victim for sinners,
R/. Have mercy on us.
V/. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
R/. Amen.
The Third
Station
Jesus Falls the First Time
V/. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee,
R/. Because by Thy Holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world.
But he was pierced for our offenses, crushed for our sins, Upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole, by his stripes we were healed. (Is 53:5)
Our crimes are so terrible they caused the fall of a God made man!
The journey to Calvary was not long. However, the exhaustion caused by the scourging… the crown of thorns… the sleepless night…
He well could have refused to continue His Way of the Cross. All that had taken place was sufficient to justify His inability to go on. However, He wants to teach us to never become discouraged, to never give up. In this step, He shows Himself ready to raise us from our falls, no matter how terrible they may be.
O Jesus, punished for my crimes, lift me out of the situation in which I find myself, work in me a true conversion, so that I may return to the path of salvation and never despair of obtaining it. May I detest everything that separates me from Thee. May I die to sin, and when I fall, may I never doubt that I will receive Thy aid.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be
V/. Sacred Heart of Jesus, Victim for sinners,
R/. Have mercy on us.
V/. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
R/. Amen.
The Fourth
Station
Jesus Meets His Mother
V/. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee,
R/. Because by Thy Holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world.
And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted. (and you yourself a sword will pierce) so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. (Lk 2:34-35)
Come, all you who pass by the way, look and see whether there is any suffering like my suffering (Lam 1:12)
“His mother kept all these things in her heart” (Lk 2:51) She must have faithfully recalled the words of the Archangel Gabriel at the Annunciation: “He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”(Lk 1:32-33).
But how will this throne and this Kingdom be, she must have thought, if my Son is but one wound from head to foot, crushed under the weight of the cross?
Mary, in her wisdom, profoundly understood the immense gravity of sin. But was it necessary to carry things to this point? Who could have imagined a more tragic scene? A sword of sorrow pierced her pure soul, provoking acute suffering.
O sorrowful Virgin, forgive me! Forgive me for the great culpability I have in this step of the Passion. I thank thee for having associated thyself in the torments of Thy Divine Son for my redemption. O celestial Co-Redemptress, I recall this sacred exchange of gazes between Mother and Son in such dramatic circumstances, to implore forgiveness.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be
V/. Sacred Heart of Jesus, Victim for sinners,
R/. Have mercy on us.
V/. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
R/. Amen.
The Fifth
Station
Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry His Cross
V/. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee,
R/. Because by Thy Holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world.
And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak, dressed him in his own clothes, and led him out to crucify him. They pressed into service a passer-by, Simon, a Cyrenian, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross. (Mk 15:20-21)
The Roman soldiers feared that the Divine prisoner would die before reaching Golgotha. It was urgently necessary to find someone to help Him reach the end.
The centurion in charge of the Roman soldiers sees Simon. Who was Simon? We know that he was from Cyrene and little else. Although obliged, he helped carry the Cross of Jesus, thus cooperating with the work of Redemption.
Oh! What an extraordinary example for me! Even if innocent, I should remind myself of the words of the Divine Master: “Whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me.” (Mt 10:38).
It is imperative that I take up my cross; in other words, that responsibility or that humiliation. I must take up the cross of honesty, of an upright conscience and of the practice of virtue. Yes, it is necessary that I be perfect.
O Jesus, who in this step of the Passion seeks my help, I want to follow Thee with my cross. However, help me to help Thee, Lord.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be
V/. Sacred Heart of Jesus, Victim for sinners,
R/. Have mercy on us.
V/. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
R/. Amen.
The Sixth
Station
Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus
V/. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee,
R/. Because by Thy Holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world.
Lord, show us the light of your face! I am just – let me see your face; when I awake, let me be filled with your presence. (Ps 4:7; 16:15)
“Vera icona”, or true image. This is the significance of the name of her who had pity on Jesus and wiped His face. What could He offer her, at that moment, in acknowledgement for this noble gesture? His true Face! Jesus wanted to leave us this precious message: whenever, in some way, I wipe His Face, His physiognomy will be engraved on my soul, I will be another Christ.
If, in my everyday life, I devote myself to helping my neighbor to follow the ways of the Gospel and to seek salvation, the face of Christ will be marked in my spirit, making me similar to Him.
Lord, with the help of Thy grace, I now understand Thy commandment: “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another” (Jn 13:34). Thou desirest that I be attentive to those in need of my help, kind with the lowly, and firm with the proud. I am ready to act in this way.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be
V/. Sacred Heart of Jesus, Victim for sinners,
R/. Have mercy on us.
V/. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
R/. Amen.
The Seventh Station
Jesus Falls the Second Time
V/. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee,
R/. Because by Thy Holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world.
We had all gone astray like sheep, each following his own way; But the Lord laid upon him the guilt of us all.
Though he was harshly treated, he submitted and opened not his mouth; Like a lamb led to the slaughter or a sheep before the shearers, he was silent and opened not his mouth. (Is 53:6-7)
Those whose steps are guided by the Lord; whose way God approves, may stumble, but they will never fall, for the Lord holds their hand. (Ps 36:23-24)
In spite of the help of the Cyrenian, the weight of the Cross is crushing. Who, upon falling for the second time under these circumstances, would not remain prostrate? It was the moment to surrender. But Jesus wants to take this holocaust to the end. How the stones along the path were painless in comparison with the sufferings that were to come…
Once again, Jesus wishes to show us how far our confidence should go, even when we relapse into the same faults. The Redeemer is always ready to pardon us. Since He has taken our sin upon Himself, He will never fail to raise us.
Through the infinite merits of Thy second fall, confirm me in Thy grace, I implore Thee through Mary Most Holy.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be
V/. Sacred Heart of Jesus, Victim for sinners,
R/. Have mercy on us.
V/. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
R/. Amen.
The Eighth
Station
Jesus Consoles the
Daughters of Jerusalem
V/. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee,
R/. Because by Thy Holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world.
A large crowd of people followed Jesus, including many women who mourned and lamented him. Jesus turned to them and said, Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep instead for yourselves and for your children (Lk 23:27-28)
Jesus, now immersed in the torments of the Passion, made His way toward the triumph of the completion of His mission. However, in His infinite justice, He did not fail to warn the holy women of the necessity of making reparation for the collective sin. It was not sufficient to be deeply moved by the tragedy of a grievously offended God. It was crucial to appease the divine wrath against men for the crime committed.
O Jesus, Lord of Justice, who rewards every good deed and chastises every evil act, give me the grace to be fully conscious of my folly, crimes and sins, with the purpose of sincerely asking Thy pardon.
The more profoundly I recognize my sins, the greater will be my repentance and the more complete will be Thy absolution.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be
V/. Sacred Heart of Jesus, Victim for sinners,
R/. Have mercy on us.
V/. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
R/. Amen.
The Ninth
Station
Jesus Falls the Third Time
V/. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee,
R/. Because by Thy Holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world.
He was spurned and avoided by men, a man of suffering, accustomed to infirmity (Is 53:3)
Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in his footsteps. He himself bore our sins in his body upon the cross, so that, free from sin, we might live for righteousness. (1 Pt 2:21-24)
There, before my eyes, under the weight of the Cross, is the Light of the world, prostrate upon the ground for the third time.
What value was there in the Cyrenian carrying the Cross? Why did he not at least take upon his shoulders the heaviest portion? If the soldiers forced the Cyrenian, they must have recognized the exhausted state of their Victim. Why did they order Jesus to continue?
Once more, it is an image of our miseries. We are like this.
If I were the Cyrenian, would I have acted differently? How many times have I been negligent in the fulfillment of my duties, in the practice of virtue, in avoiding the occasions that lead me to sin… I am a long way from perfection, leaving Jesus to be almost crushed under the weight of the Cross, with no intention of helping Him!
Jesus gives me the divine example: if all abandon or persecute me, and I fall under the cross of deceptions, I must never let myself be overcome by discouragement.
There is always more to give, even when there seems to be no more strength. This is another of the lessons contained in this Station.
O my Jesus, I thank Thee for the example of generosity and total giving that Thou hast shown me in this step of the Passion. I beseech of Thee efficacious graces to continuously serve Thee with disinterested love and great enthusiasm.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be
V/. Sacred Heart of Jesus, Victim for sinners,
R/. Have mercy on us.
V/. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
R/. Amen.
The Tenth
Station
Jesus Is Stripped of His Garments
V/. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee,
R/. Because by Thy Holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world.
They took his clothes and divided them into four shares, a share for each soldier. They also took his tunic, but the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from the top down.
So they said to one another, ‘Let’s not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it will be,’ in order that the passage of scripture might be fulfilled (that says): ‘They divided my garments among them, and for my vesture they cast lots.’ (Jn 19:23-24)
Who could imagine a greater humiliation? Jesus, the creator of chastity is stripped of His garments before the entire mob. Perhaps this is to make reparation for the immorality and lack of modesty in clothing of future times – the fashions that were strongly censored by Our Lady, in Fatima.
On all four corners of the earth we find His followers. It is a beautiful symbol of the Holy Church, the greatest of the works of Jesus, which will spread throughout the entire world.
The soldiers decided to draw lots for His tunic, believing it to be of great value as it was a seamless garment.
The Holy Church in its perfect unity is symbolized in the seamless tunic. It requires a total union among all its faithful, not tolerating the least division.
O my Jesus, may I always love the unity of Thy Holy Church and work for its expansion throughout the entire world, excluding no one in this task of helping Thee save both rich and poor – all souls.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be
V/. Sacred Heart of Jesus, Victim for sinners,
R/. Have mercy on us.
V/. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
R/. Amen.
The Eleventh Station
Jesus is Nailed to the Cross
V/. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee,
R/. Because by Thy Holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world.
When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him and the criminals there, one on his right, the other on his left. Pilate also had an inscription written and put on the cross. It read, “Jesus the Nazorean, the King of the Jews.” (Lk 23:33; Jn 19:19)
Finally Jesus arrives at Calvary, the place where, according to a pious tradition, Adam had been buried. Here sin abounded, and here grace would overflow.
Crucified! That same cross that weighed so heavily upon His shoulders will be the instrument of His death. His arms? Open, to draw all mankind to Himself, as Saint John Chrysostom affirms. On the verge of His final agony, large nails pierce His sacred hands and divine feet, making Jesus writhe in pain.
The refined malice of His accusers reached the point of crucifying Him between two thieves so that he, too, would be considered such. While the soldiers divide among themselves the material belongings of the Divine Crucified One, He entrusts His precious inheritance – Mary Most Holy – to the beloved disciple, in a final and supreme gesture of filial love.
O my Jesus, in this meditation I see the drama of the folly of love of a God for His creatures. If I had been the only one to sin, Thou wouldst have done everything the same. Thou wouldst have been crucified just for me.
Grant me the same graces poured out on the Good Thief so that I may one day be with Thee in Paradise.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be
V/. Sacred Heart of Jesus, Victim for sinners,
R/. Have mercy on us.
V/. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
R/. Amen.
The Twelfth
Station
Jesus Dies on the Cross
V/. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee,
R/. Because by Thy Holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world.
When Jesus had taken the wine, he said, ‘It is finished.’ And bowing his head, he handed over his spirit. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and then of the other one who was crucified with Jesus. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs, but one soldier thrust his lance into his side, and immediately blood and water flowed out. (Jn 19:30;32-34)
“Bowing his head, he handed over his spirit.” the Gospel states. Regarding this, St. Augustine asks: “Who can sleep whenever he wants when Jesus died when He wanted to?” And St. John Chrysostom says: “By His actions, the Evangelist shows us that He was Lord of all.”
From His side “blood and water flowed”, symbolizing the Sacraments of the Church, indispensable for our salvation. St. John uses the word “open” signifying the opening of the door from which would be born the Holy Church.
O my Jesus, there is no greater proof of love! Thou hast given Thy very precious life for me! And what should I give Thee? To think that this same sacrifice is renewed every day upon the altar, in a bloodless manner, so that I will be able to fully benefit from it!
Ah, Lord, accept my poor being, my body, my soul, my relations, everything that belongs to me now and in the future, even my merits. Everything is Thine, Lord, and I offer it to Thee in retribution through Mary Most Holy.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be
V/. Sacred Heart of Jesus, Victim for sinners,
R/. Have mercy on us.
V/. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
R/. Amen.
The Thirteenth
Station
Jesus is taken down from the Cross
V/. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee,
R/. Because by Thy Holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world.
After this, Joseph of Arimathea, secretly a disciple of Jesus for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate if he could remove the body of Jesus. And Pilate permitted it. So he came and took his body. Nicodemus, the one who had first come to him at night, also came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes weighing about one hundred pounds.
They took the body of Jesus and bound it with burial cloths along with the spices, according to the Jewish burial custom. (Jn 19:38-40)
Providence draws the lines of history perfectly. Joseph of Arithemea, besides being of the nobility, was closely associated with Pontius Pilate. These factors provided the favorable circumstances for him to obtain the necessary authorization for Jesus to be buried not as a common criminal, but rather as a person of importance. Who, if not Joseph, would have had the courage to face the Roman governor to ask for the body of the Crucified? For this reason, St. John Chrysostom says of him: “Behold the courage of this man who risked his life, making himself the enemy of all in his affection for Jesus Christ…”
What a special grace was given to this Joseph, to remove the Divine Body, Victim of infinite value from the Cross, and with the help of Nicodemus, to place It in the sepulcher.
O Jesus, in seeing Thy lifeless body, my heart groans. I behold the hands that ordered the seas and storms, expelled the money changers from the temple and benefited all of Israel, now stilled. Thy feet, which walked upon the water and traversed countless roads in search of the needy, are motionless. Thy voice, which made the Pharisees tremble, but kindly forgave repentant sinners, can no longer be heard. Thou art but one wound from head to foot.
O Sorrowful Virgin, I beseech of thee the special grace of having before my eyes, for the rest of my life, this terrible image of the gravity of sin. Forgive me, my Mother, forgive me! Help me to sin no more!
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be
V/. Sacred Heart of Jesus, Victim for sinners,
R/. Have mercy on us.
V/. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
R/. Amen.
The Fourteenth
Station
Jesus is Placed in the Sepulchre
V/. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee,
R/. Because by Thy Holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world.
Now in the place where he had been crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had yet been buried. So they laid Jesus there because of the Jewish preparation day, for the tomb was close by. Then he (Joseph of Arimathea) rolled a huge stone across the entrance to the tomb and departed. But Mary Magdalene and the other Mary remained sitting there facing the tomb. (Jn 19:41-42; Mt 27:60-61)
A great stone separates us, at this moment, from the Sacred Body of Jesus.
Those with faith could adore Jesus in Body and Divinity, present in the Sepulcher, and obtain the benefit of receiving graces directly from the Redeemer. This was the great consolation of the Holy Women.
This is why St. Jerome affirms: “The women persevered in their duty, awaiting what Jesus had promised; for this reason they merited to be the first to see the Resurrection, because whoever perseveres until the end, will be saved.”
Blessed are the Holy Women! However, we are also blessed, since we have Jesus in Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the Eucharist. In the Eucharist we adore Him, not hidden by “a great tombstone”, but veiled, under the appearance of bread and wine.
O Virgin Mary, I have recourse to thee to obtain for me from Jesus in the sepulcher, confirmation in the grace of God, so that one day, following Thy footsteps and His, I will resurrect unto eternal glory.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be
V/. Sacred Heart of Jesus, Victim for sinners,
R/. Have mercy on us.
V/. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
R/. Amen.
Final Prayer
In thee, O Sorrowful Virgin, I recall the synthesis of all the episodes I have meditated upon. What mystical graces thou must have received in the midst of such sorrows – the graces to feel in thy person the actual pains of the Redeemer! It is not without reason, that from a certain perspective, thou can be called Co-Redemptress.
It is to thee that I fly to take refuge, groaning under the weight of my sins, with the unshakable conviction that “never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help or sought thine intercession was left unaided.”
Sorrowful Mother, I have recourse to thee to implore the pardon of my sins, my eternal salvation and the complete sanctification of my soul.
I ask thee also that the world in general and the Holy Roman Catholic and Apostolic Church may reach their plenitude of splendor and grace, so that we may witness the universal proclamation of the triumph of thy Immaculate Heart: “In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph!” Amen.
Indulgences from the Way of the Cross
Besides the merits obtained from the practice of the Way of the Cross, we can also easily profit from the indulgences granted by the Church to those who fulfill certain conditions.
The punishment due to our sins is either completely or partially pardoned by the gaining of indulgences. This punishment is the time in purgatory after our death. Indulgences can also be applied to the souls of the deceased.
The requirements to obtain a Plenary Indulgence with the Way of the Cross.
To obtain a plenary indulgence for praying the Way of the Cross, it is customary to complete the readings, prayers and meditations for each Station before their respective images or a cross, usually placed along the walls of churches. When the Way of the Cross is prayed by a group, and it is difficult for everyone to move in an orderly way from one Station to the next, it is sufficient for the leader to do so.
In addition, it is necessary to be detached from all sin, even venial. The fulfillment of the following three conditions are also necessary: Sacramental confession, (Eucharistic) Communion and prayers for the intentions of the Holy Father (traditionally an Our Father, a Hail Mary and a Glory Be). One confession is sufficient to gain all plenary indulgences over a period of one month.
(Cfr Manual das Indulgências, normas e concessões [Manual of Indulgences, Rules and Concessions], Brazil: Ed. Paulus, 4th edition, 1990).
