We generally meditate on the Way of the Cross in fourteen places. We see various images and forms of it in our churches and chapels. But it was the Franciscan missionaries who began to pray specifically the way of the cross. The basis of prayer on the way to the cross is the idea that we can follow His sufferings as the Holy Mother followed Jesus. The way of the Holy Cross suggests ways to incorporate the sufferings of Christ into our lives as well.
1. In the early days there were only seven places on the way to the cross. In the Christian tradition, seven was considered a perfect number. They also meditated on the seven sorrows of Mary, the mother of Jesus. So it is no wonder that the places and meditative thoughts in the first edition of The Way of the Cross became seven.
2. As the members of the Franciscan Congregation spread the Way of the Cross among the faithful, they began to meditate on the sufferings and anxieties of the Blessed Mother along the Way of the Cross. In the Middle Ages, there was another aspect of the Way of the Cross called ‘Via Matrix’ which means ‘Mother’s Way’. It specifically meditates on Mary’s seven anxieties.
3. Imagination is very important in prayer. The world and its creations were the imagination of God. He was able to make it a reality. In the same way, we are all called to be co-creators of the God of our imagination. Therefore, we must be able to imagine a world through Him. So imagine that we are with the Lord on the way to the given cross. This will help make our prayers more effective. St. Alphonse Ligori says that imagination is essential for prayer. That is why when we use our imagination for meditation, we are joining with Jesus.
4. Pray the Ways of the Cross with beautiful pictures and prayers. The way of the cross is one of the most powerful ways to join one of Jesus’ sufferings. This meditation on the Way of the Cross is a great relief to those who are unable to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. We can bring the mind to the holiness of Good Friday by looking at various paintings and sculptures.
5. Sometimes in the hustle and bustle of life you may not have time to pray the Way of the Cross. Therefore, in 1787, Let us meditate in the midst of the hustle and bustle by reciting short passages from the updated edition by Saint Alphonse Ligori.
6. Let us meditate on the ways of the cross by remembering our sins. We can meditate on the Way of the Cross with repentant thoughts of past mistakes in life.
7. Meditate on the Way of the Cross with St. Joseph along with Jesus on Calvary. Saint Joseph was not present during His journey to Calvary. He did not suffer with Jesus. However, to equate the sufferings of the Holy Family with the Way of the Cross, we can apply Saint Joseph’s intercession. The sacrifice and redemption of Jesus and his adoptive father are included in the same hierarchy. As we meditate on the Way of the Cross with Joseph, of course, we can faithfully share in His sufferings.