The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-03-11

made use Of during this peniten-
tial season and at any time
throughout the year.
The Way of the Cross is more
literally enriched with indulgen-
ces than any other approved de-
votion. It's origin is most holy.
1t was first performed by Our
Lord Himself when He bore the
Cross on His way to Calvary. The
fourteen stations bring before our
minds the principal stages in that
sorrowful journey to the summit
of Golgotha where He closed His
life amid the tragic surroundings
of the Crucifxion. By means Of
them we are enabled to follow
Him in spirit and mediate on all
that He endured of pain and sor-
row for our spiritual welfare, be-
cause it was by the dolors Of that
first Good Friday that He re-
deemed the world from the slav-
cry Of sin and made human re-
pentance possible and eficacious.
The Stations Of the Cross recall
the chief events in that memora-
BILE journey and enable us, by
prayer and meditation, to COM
passionate Our Savior in His an
guish. They help to infame our
hearts with love for Him. By
their mute appeal they bring
forth tears Of penance and draw
into our souls more copious
streams Of divine grace.
AS we pause before each station
we realize how great was the
burden of sin which demanded
such a sacrifice on the part Of the
Son Of God; and, consequently,
how terrible sin is in itself. At
sight of them we are moved to do
our utmost to keep sin far from
us, and thus to profit by the sol
emn admonition which they con-
vey in the words of the Savior
Himself: "Let a man deny him
self, take up his cross and follow
me-.
All who in the proper spirit of
penance and love make the Way
Of the Cross gain the very same
indulgences as are granted to
those who visit in person the
scenes and places sanctifed by the
presence Of the Son Of God in the
flesh. This is a great privilege
which the Church grants to the
faithful, and all who possibly can,
should make the journey to Cal
vary from time to time, and es-
pecially during Lent, as a testi-
mony of love for the Savior Who
first taught the world by this
means the necessity and worth of
personal self-sacrifce.
There are only two. conditions
laid down for gaining the indul-
gences. First, it is necessary to
move from station to station unless
it be a public devotion when the
leader and those who accompany
him move from one to the other.
Of course, if one is prevented
from making this change by in
trinity, the narrowness of the
place or the presence Of a crowd
one can fulfill this condition by
some slight movement or turning
towards the following station.
Secondly, it is indispensably re-
quired that the person making the
Way of the Cross mediate or at
least indulge in pious thoughts on
the Passion Of our Lord, though
not necessarily on that phase of it
represented by any particular
Station.
Those who, through illness or
other cause which prevents their
making the Stations in a church
or chapel can gain the same indul-
gences by holding in their hands
crucifx indulgenced for the
Way of the Cross and saying with
contrite heart and devotion the
l"Our Father, the "Hail Mary.
and the "Glory be to the Father"
fourteen times, that is once for
each station, and at the end five
times together with one additional
for the Pope.
Continued from page ~
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