Fifteen years ago, when Father John March was going through a spiritual struggle, he turned to an ancient Catholic devotion for an anchor. “I thought my life was going to go in one direction, and after a phone call I received, I realized it was going in another,” he recalled.
After the conversation, he began contemplating the Stations of the Cross, the 14-step prayer that invites all to encounter Jesus in His Passion and Death on the Cross.
“It was powerful, this time to reflect,” Father March said, “especially, the seventh station, where Jesus falls the second time and gets back up.”
In this time, “God strengthened me to rise up from what I had experienced, and He gave me a lot of hope,” he continued. “He told me, ‘You can let go of this thing that you wanted, and do what you need to do.’ He gave me clarity to follow Him.”
Also known as the Way of the Cross or Via Crucis, the Stations of the Cross can be traced to early pilgrims commemorating Jesus’ path through Jerusalem on the Via Dolorosa (“The Sorrowful Way”) to His Crucifixion. The devotion eventually took the form of the 14 stations now found in churches across the world, including in the Diocese of Camden and Saint Vincent de Paul Parish, Mays Landing, where Father March is pastor.
“It’s something very powerful for the faithful,” said Father March, adding that parishioners take collective ownership at his parish. For example, this Lenten season, a different ministry is leading each Stations of the Cross service. “One week, it’s the food pantry. Another, the rosary society. Another, the Knights of Columbus – and even the school.”
“Everyone makes it a reverent experience,” he said.
Held in the church, the Stations of the Cross in Mays Landing have ministry leaders guiding attendees through an explanation of each particular step and its
relevance to one’s life today, through spoken narration.
As individuals immerse themselves into each commemorative station – such as when Jesus is condemned to death, meets His mother on the way, or is assisted by Simon of Cyrene – “we realize Jesus truly is the savior of the world, and that gives us hope,” Father March said.
When people meditate on Jesus taking up His Cross, as well as His sufferings, they encounter a Christ who remains and strengthens them through any struggle.
“This knowledge is a real gift to us,” Father March stressed. “His own sufferings can make us feel understood in our own pains like no one else can.”
For those praying the Stations of the Cross who are unsure if they are “doing it right,” Father March shares advice.
“God recognizes that we’re trying to be with Him in His Passion, where we give Him the opportunity to reveal Himself. While we were yet sinners, He died for us. He did it willingly, demonstrating His love for us. Even if we don’t feel anything or understand everything completely, God is working on us and getting our hearts ready to get close to Him.”
For people who can’t necessarily make it out to a parish Stations of the Cross service – whether confined to their homes, in the hospital or working, for example – Father March noted that what can be “just as powerful is holding, or gazing upon, a crucifix.”
“Just holding Him, looking at Him … we can unite our sufferings to His, and even ask Him to use our sufferings as a prayer for others,” the pastor said.
“That’s one of the most powerful things we can do.”
Most especially, Father March added, one doesn’t have to wait for Lent to dive into the introspective experience of Stations of the Cross.
“Whenever we’re tired, struggling, anxious, we can turn to God and trust in Him to give us the strength to carry our crosses. It’s always a beautiful day to pray the Stations of the Cross.”
at the bottom and then tap “Add to Home Screen”
