- the upright beam which was permanently fixed in a visible place outside the city walls, beside a major road;
- the crossbar or patibulum which weighs between 75 and 125 pounds which is carried on the back of the victim who is to be crucified during his final walk
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The
Road to Calvary
The scourging finished,
they tear the cloak from around his shoulders to be replaced with his own
clothing.(St. Matthew 27: 31) In doing this his wounds
once again begin to bleed staining his clothes even before the journey
to Golgotha begins.
The patibulum of the cross is placed across his shoulders and tied in place. With the weight of this crossbar being between 80 and 110 pounds, Jesus slowly begins his final walk down the path which is now known as the Via Dolorosa or the "way of the suffering." |
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The procession consists
of Jesus, two thieves, the execution detail of Roman soldiers headed by
a centurion, who carries
a sign indicating the man's name and crime, calling out as they proceed
to the place of execution.(St. Luke 23: 32) Although
the route taken is only 650 yards, which might not appear any great distance,
after receiving a vicious beating and loss of blood each step with the
heavy patibulum is pure agony. Feet bare, the painful process of
placing one foot before the other through the narrow streets of stone continues
with each step, a jolting pain ripples throughout the body. Many
of the Jewish women who had previously heard Jesus speak were filled with
sorrow and could not refrain from sobbing and wailing as he passed by.
Jesus hearing their cries turned and said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, weep
not for me, but rather weep for yourselves and for your children. My work
is about done -- soon I go to my Father -- but the times of terrible trouble
for Jerusalem are just beginning. Behold, the days are coming in which
you shall say: Blessed are the barren and those whose breasts have never
suckled their young. In those days will you pray the rocks of the hills
to fall on you in order that you may be delivered from the terrors of your
troubles."(St. Luke 23: 27-31)
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In his already weaken state Jesus stumbles and falls heavily to the ground. The crowd shows their impatience at the delays and the length of time it is taking for this walk. The centurion, anxious to continue on the journey, grabs a person from the street, Simon of Cyrene, forcing him to carry the cross for Jesus.(St. Matthew 27: 32) |
Ever so slowly, Jesus follows behind until at last there remains only the slope of Golgotha to climb and the walk will end. Golgotha, the journey is completed, Jesus is thrown to the ground his back on the cross, the crucifixion begins.(St. John 19: 17) |
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Note: Val Dolorosa (way of the suffering) was marked in the 16th century as the route which Christ was taken to his crucifixion on Golgotha. There are 14 stations of events which occurred and nine churches along the way which mark the suffering that was placed upon our Lord due to the sin of man. There is even a path where one can walk on stones which were used during the time of Jesus. The stations of the cross were established in the 1800s.
Note: The total weight of the cross is approximately 300 pounds. It is for this reason there are two parts:
(St. Matthew 27: 31-33) And when they had mocked him, they took the cloak off him and put his own garments on him, and led him away to crucify him.Now as they went out, they found a man of Cyrene named Simon; him they forced to take up his cross. And they came to the place called Golgotha, that is, the Place of the Skull.
(St. Mark 15: 20-22) Basically same text as for St. Matthew.
(St. Luke 23:26-32) And as they led him away, they laid hold of a certain Simon of Cyrene, coming from the country, and upon him they laid the cross to bear it after Jesus.
Now there was following him a great crowd of the people, and of women, who were bewailing and lamenting him. But Jesus turning to them said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For behold, days are coming in which men will say, "Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and breasts that never nursed. Then they will begin to say to the mountains. Fall upon us, and to the hills, Cover us! For if in the case of green wood they do these things, what is to happen in the case of the dry?" Now there were also two other malefactors led to execution with him.
(St. John 19: 17-18) And
bearing the cross for himself, he went forth to the place called the Skull,
in Hebrew, Golgotha, where they crucified him, and with him two others,
one on each side and Jesus in the center.
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