Today is Good Friday, the day traditionally set aside in the year to remember the death of Jesus on the cross. Good Friday is one of only two days in the year that Roman Catholics do not have Mass. Instead, on this day, most Catholic Churches say the stations of the Cross (these are normally found an pictures around the inside walls of all Churches). In the 12th century, St Francis of Assisi devised the list and started the tradition of reciting it as a type of devotional service. Structurally, Mel Gibson’s 2004 film, The Passion of the Christ, follows the stations. This is the complete list of the 14 stations, as St Francis defined them.
1
First Station
Jesus is condemned to death
2
Second Station
Jesus carries His cross
3
Third Station
Jesus falls the first time
4
Fourth Station
Jesus meets his mother
5
Fifth Station
Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus to carry his cross
6
Sixth Station
Veronica wipes the face of Jesus
7
Seventh Station
Jesus falls the second time
8
Eight Station
Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem
9
Ninth Station
Jesus falls a third time
10
Tenth Station
Jesus’ clothes are taken away
11
Eleventh Station
Jesus is nailed to the cross
12
Twelfth Station
Jesus dies on the cross
13
Thirteenth Station
The body of Jesus is taken down from the cross
14
Fourteenth Station
Jesus is laid in the tomb
Why do Catholics use the cross in worship when idolatry is forbidden in the bible?
THAT….my friend is a very good and neccessary question.
That is because Catholicism is a mixture of multiple pagan religions and a small portion of actual Judaism.
The Catholic church bends the rules of the Bible to what they feel most comfortable with.
Grandpa taught me this
I didn't ask why its worshiped, I asked why it is used in worship.
And cparker, why are you so defensive about it? If theres nothing wrong with it you should be proud. Funny little typo you had there- "the cross is an idol." You must have meant to say "isn't an idol". Hmmm, maybe some divine intervention there? lol
The old testament says: You must MAKE no idols.
The new testament says: Be on your guard against idols.
Those aren't the only referrences made, just 2 of several.
It’s not an idol its a representation. When they speak of “idols” in the Bible they’re refferring to statues of other gods/beings that are used to say ‘if you dont worship this you aren’t apart of this religion’. It’s just trying to say don’t believe in the power of idols but belive in the power of God and we can do for you reguardless of if you follow the rules because hes here for everyone.
damn… what’s a brother gotta do to get a fig?
Don’t worry, he’ll be fine. The good guys always are in these kind of movies.
I’m just waiting for the obligatory moron to make the comment “How could you possibly have left ____ off this list?!?”
How could you possibly left off the part when Jesus logged on to ScottTrade right before the tenth station and bought 20,000 shares of communial wine at cost? He made a killing.
jayfray: i’ve seen the pictures before in the catholic church but never with any description. thanks for putting them here.
some of those early pictures make Jesus look like a whiner. and i’ve never heard of #6 or #8. i’m pretty sure those aren’t in the Bible. where did st. francis get them from?
Probably from the apostles who were there when it happened
i’ve always wondered that, myself, jardojo! or why people are still believing that the stories written over 1000 years ago by men of a nomadic, desert dwelling populace, whose only certainties in life where slavery, servitude, *****,or sheep, have any relevance in today’s society? the people who wrote the stories of the bible had no knowledge of the world beyond the middle east, the sand, or petty tribal feuds that resulted in bloodshed during a barbaric and primitive time of early civilization.
ringtailroxy
I love the cloth that Jesus has his face wiped with. For some reason, I just don’t think that a perfect recreation of his face would be made from a quick wipe.
I like this list. jardojo: what are you talking about? The cross is an idol. The golden calf was an idol because it symbolized being away from God. The cross symbolizes being with God, among other things, so how is that idolatry. Frater, we need as many religious lists as you can for the comment debates and since religion is the most important thing that humans have, in my opinion…
the cross is not worshipped by catholics. it is a symbol that reminds us how Jesus died for all humanity.
jardojo: as Twinkle and cparker said, it is not worshipped – it is used as a tool to remember the way Jesus died. The same is true of statues of the saints – they are used to remind Catholics of people who lived lives that were holy that should be emulated. This is a very common (and silly) misconception that non-Catholics have. I might have to do a list of misconceptions some time. There are many.
thank you twinkle.
jfrater: i’d love it if there was a misconceptions about catholics list. as a catholic i’ve been asked some pretty silly things. also, because for some reason i feel like it will come up, catholics do pray to saints, but this is for the saints intervention with God.
There are so many things that I do not believe, but I never make fun out of those who believe. Who knows,they might be right. The world was here long before Iwas born.
The thing I never really understood about Catholics is how they seem to deify Jesus’s mother Mary. I could be mistaken about this, as I am not Catholic, but it seems to me that Catholics pray to Mary, indicating an underlying belief that she is omnipresent and omnipotent, that she can hear their prayers and answer them.
Jardojo: The cross is not an idol. Christians do not pray to the cross and ask it to solve their problems, they do not have days of rememberance for the cross Jesus carried…they use the cross in rememberance of Jesus. There is a big difference between iconography and worship.
jardojo: for the reasons mentioned above – it is used to help focus the attention of the person praying on Jesus. An idol (as referenced by the Bible) would be an object to which you attach special power that is reserved to God alone – for example an amulet. It would also apply to any object you created that you pray TO in the hopes that the OBJECT will help you. Catholics do not expect any miracles from the objects they use – they are solely for reminders. It is interesting when protestants reject some parts of the Catholic Church while using a Catholic book (the Bible) to prove their position
SlickWilly: Catholics believe that everyone in heaven (saints) can hear our prayers – and therefore you can ask them to intercede for you – they are not able to make things happen – but they can appeal to God to do things – it is like getting extra help in your prayers
dude i forgot the question mark, kill me
jardojo: i did not mean to come across as being defensive. I am actually as non-catholic as they come while still being Christian. My only point was the idol comment. However, I followed Buddhism for 5 years before becoming Christian and at least for me it was a vital stage in finding what I truely believe in. The best part about God is every person has their own distinct idea and relationship or lack thereof that no one else may understand and its not necessary that they do.
jfrater: are you Catholic as well? you seem to know a lot.
jfrater, Thank you so much for explaining. I know nothing of Catholicism, and have wondered like many. Especially about the whole thing with Mary. Very good, thanks again.
alexlwe: I was raised as a Catholic and got a good founding in catechism – luckily I remember much of the stuff we learnt
It helps that the teachings are the same as they always have been so there are lots of resources for finding more information too.
HandyMandy: it is my pleasure
Question:: What is the other day of the year that Roman Catholics don’t celebrate Mass?
bridget: Holy Saturday – tomorrow. The Churches are stripped bear – all images and statues are covered or removed (this is symbolic of the absence of Jesus between his death – today – and his resurrection on Sunday). Only the last sacraments are allowed on Holy Saturday (that is the special sacrament for people who are dying). Holy Saturday is considered to be the day that Jesus went down to Hell.
Wow, I am always learning something new here~ Thanks!
For those interested, this is a youtube clip (the first of a series) which shows the stations of the cross service:
So if I were to bow down to, pray to, or ask that a cross help me by providing material things then it would be an idol? So then does that mean that an object being an idol is more of a state of mind or attitude than simply being an object made to represent something?
Thank you for your answers by the way, Im not trying to be argumentative, Ive just never heard any explanations on the subject..
You know the big ‘J’ got a few numbers at station 8. Preying on those chicks that he brainwashed in his cult. Somewhere a fig tree is laughing.
Another thing…if ‘J’ knew that he was going to be carrying that cross, why didn’t he do a little bit of training? He’s all scrawney and emaciated. Why didn’t he turn some dirt into some whey protein and a rock into a squat rack and beef himself up for ‘the big day’? He could have picked up that cross like Eugene Sandow and marched up that path with some dignity.
jfrater:
This was a nice one. If only more of us could focus on the pathos and conviction and poetry of Jesus, in examples like this… well… I won’t be puerile about it… but you know what I mean.
Happy Easter, kiwi.
I wonder which of the saints is the go-to guy (or girl) to get things done. There are so many of them, there is bound to be number of slackers and goof-offs. These are the saints, for instance, that are out back having a smoke when they should be at their desk filing and forwarding prayer requests. I’m sure two or three are in tight with the big J and can get away with special favors from time to time. The trick is finding out who Jesus’s golf buddy is for the week. My money is on St. Hubbins…
No doubt slick…
March madness reduces prayer forwarding thus reducing god’s efficiency by some 25 – 30%. Not a good day to pray.
I go to St. E. Bunny for my late March early April prayers.
sometimes general human rudeness and disrespect is unbelievable.
It’s because they don’t know any better. I used to think that Scientologists are weird. But you know what? Whatever gets you thru your day. Seriously. When people cut down one religion or another I just let it slide. I don’t know their motivations. I actually find it quite amusing. Why do people cut down someones faith at no provocation? They say we are brainwashed but then they try to convince us that their way is better. Like I said, I may disagree with many religions but who cares. If it makes someones life better and they are happy who cares?
Is it Happy Easter or Merry Easter…I don’t want to offend anyone.
Alright alright…in all seriousness. Why is ‘J’ wearing an old fasioned dive helmet? He looks kind of like Cuba Gooding Jr.
“Yes Divemaster!”
Disc: I completely agree with you.
Very fascinating! I wasn’t brought up with any sort of religion, though I’m interested in them all. I love the religion lists I always learn a whole lot. I don’t really know if I believe in the whole “Jesus is the son of God” thing, but from what I’ve read of Jesus, I believe he was at least a real person, and a pretty swell guy at that. Whether we choose to worship him or not, we could all stand to learn something from his teachings.
Also, I’ve never met a Christian of any denomination who worships a cross or any other religious symbol. I thought the cross was worn/displayed in remembrance of Jesus. To honor him and stuff.
Those illustrations must be from a European church. In America, or at least in Mexico, the pictures tend to be a little (an sometimes really) bloody. Also, there are crucifix that show a very realistic Jesus nailed and mauled to the cross. I don’t know why the difference.
Jfrater ,thanks for posting this list. I am not Catholic but my wife and daughter are. However I do attend Catholic Church every Sunday because my wife sighed me up to be an usher. (Smart woman) Actually I do enjoy going and yes the Stations of the Cross are carved in wood along the walls. I was raised protestant so I never knew about the stations until I started attending Catholic Church.
Hope everyone has a nice Easter (including 666 whom ever that might be)
Mt. St. Mary 32 – 27 over Miami at the half! It has divine intervention written ALL over it! You must admit, it is an unfair advantage, I am going to pray my ass off for the Hurricanes during the half! Please don’t bust my bracket ‘J’…I beg you!
Blog…thank you, you as well.
You can call me ‘Stan’
jardojo, there’s something that you’re not fully understanding here, allow me to explain… idolatry is defined as anything that takes glory away from God.
jardojo: you are exactly right – it doesn’t matter what the object is- whether it be a cross, or a rabbit’s foot, if you are hoping to gain some benefit from ITS own power, it is idolatrous. That is why in the bible the people were sinning – they were worshipping the Golden Calf for its own merit.
Jaz013: they are traditional styled images from the Latin rites (West). But you are right – many Western images are very gruesome – in particular those of the Spanish – which will be why they are like that in nations that the Spanish settled.
He sure did fall a lot.
666: Rumor around the watercooler is that God likes Kansas this year.
Expanding on post #33 just a bit:
Imagine the number of souls condemned to the inferno because their death-bed confession sat on some dude’s desk while the said saint snuck out to pound a few pints of guinness with St. Patrick and keep an eye on their brackets. It’s got to be in the millions, maybe more? If some Cristians would be so kind as to give me a rough estimate on the number? Also, is their an appeal process? Maybe to St. Peter?
St. Nick: “Dammit, Pat get your ass in here! You have 12 applications here for redemption that you never filed!…*****!”
St. Pat: “Hmmm, let me see them. Oh, he’s doomed, him too, oh well we have to do something about the overcrowding here”.
St. Nick: “I didn’t see nothin’”
St. Pat: “See what?”
Slick: Kansas?
It figures, right smack in the middle of the bible-belt. They led the nation in prayers sent, but who knows how many of those got forwarded. Just have to wait and see.
It’s a good list as (almost
) always, but I didn’t like the pictures. So maybe I’ll recommend something special: http://www.jasnagora.com/stacjeDrogiKrzyzowej.php?ID=1 for those who won’t fear an encounter with the foreign culture :>. It’s by Polish painter named Jerzy Duda-Gracz and depicts 14 traditional stations and 4 additional ones (The Ressurection, Doubting Thomas, Galilea and The Ascension) . Let’s prove that the true art knows no bonds.
To cycle the paintings click the arrow at the top-right.
Do you know where these pictures physically are?
666: While I found your post #47 to be incredibly funny, I take issue with one point: I seriously *doubt* that heaven is overcrowded. Because all of us informed individuals that regularly watch South Park know that only Mormons get in to heaven.
I don’t know but don’t you think its too violent to the eyes of the children to see a man nailed in a cross?
Ah, my fault Slick.
Being ignorant on the subject of what type of ID you need to enter the pearly gates, I wonder what a fake Mormon ID goes for on the black market. Any devout Mormons here who can help?
magnidude: I really dislike those images – though I am sure the artist is a great one – I prefer traditional religious images.
Mikerodz: Do you think that is worse than much of what they see in films and on TV these days?
RE: post #41
My prayers were OBVIOUSLY answered! Miami is up 8 early in the second half! You have made me a believer ‘J’!
jfrater: I didn’t know the Spanish also used the more gruesome style. Personally, I like it. In those illustrations it appears like Jesus is in someway taking a walk. Even when the romans are nailing him to the cross, the expression on His face makes the whole scene look a little fake. It’s not that I like the blood. Is just that I think the romanticized style just take all the strength in the ***** that those images are suppose to represent.
The most gruesome illustration I’ve seen is from a church in Mexico, called The Calvary, in the 11, 12 and 13 Stations, Jesus is almost completely painted red, and there are even more details (like the wound from the spear in His ribs).
666: Unfortunately, while a good idea, you’re not the first to have it, and Heaven’s reference database is simply years ahead of the curve. There is a special kind of hell that exists for holders of fake LDS ID’s, and I can tell you right now…it ain’t pretty.
RE: Post #45
Joni,
That is because P. Pilot stole the Nike AIR Jesus sandals right off of his feet and made him go bare foot, his traction must have gone directly to hell after that.
@666
Kansas isn’t in the middle of the bible belt.
They’re actually on the edge (some don’t even consider it a part of the bible belt, surprisingly).
The bible belt normally refers to where the Southern Baptists Church is very prominent.
Map: http://www.valpo.edu/geomet/pics/geo200/religion/baptist.gif
Kind of startling to me to be scrolling down and come across a hot chick’s ass in a thong for one of the adverts in the middle of the stations.
Hahaha…”Air” Jesus. Ahh…beautiful blasphemy. Happy Easter, everybody!