The Stations of the Cross is a devotion in which the last events of Christ’s life are remembered. It is of course always appropriate to celebrate the Passion, but particularly so on Good Friday. Traditionally there are 14 stations, though sometimes some of the stations are omitted. Usually the worshiper “travels” from station to station, praying and meditating in a format similar to this at each station. :

∙ Brief narrative, often from scripture, though there are no standard passages.

∙ Trisagion or “Verse” from Stabat Mater (eg, LBW 110 “At the Cross Her Station Keeping”)

Here is a list in the form of a comparison chart of the 14 traditional stations and a set of 14 “Scriptural” stations which Pope John-Paul II developed more recently, replacing some of the stations based on tradition only with events taken from the Bible.

“Traditional”	Pope John-Paul II “Scriptural”
(Opening Devotion - varies)	(Opening Devotion - varies)
	1 Jesus Prays in the Garden of Olives
	2 Jesus Is Betrayed and Arrested
1 Jesus Is Condemned to Death	3 the Sanhedrin Condemns Jesus to Death
	4 Peter Denies Jesus
	5 Pilate Judges Jesus to the Cross
	6 Jesus Is Scourged and Crowned with Thorns
2 Jesus Carries His Cross	7 Jesus Mocked by Soldiers and Given His Cross
3 Jesus Falls the First Time
4 Jesus Meets His Afflicted Mother
5 Simon of Cyrene Helps Jesus to Carry His Cross	8 Simon of Cyrene Helps Jesus Carry His Cross
6 Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus
7 Jesus Falls the Second Time
8 Jesus Meets the Women of Jerusalem	9 Jesus Meets the Women of Jerusalem
9 Jesus Falls a Third Time
10 Jesus Is Stripped of His Clothes
11 Jesus Is Nailed to the Cross	10 Jesus Is Crucified
	11 Jesus Promises Paradise to the Penitent Thief
	12 Jesus Speaks to His Mother and Disciple
12 Jesus Dies on the Cross	13 Jesus Dies on the Cross
13 the Body of Jesus Is Taken down from the Cross
14 Jesus Is Laid in the Tomb	14 Jesus Is Placed in the Tomb
(Sometimes, Though Not on Good Friday: Resurrection)	15 Jesus Rises from the Dead
(Closing devotion - varies)	(Closing devotion - varies)

There are many booklets and web sites with stations of the cross material, usually loosely following the form above. Some of them also have pictures. Here are some samples:

The Book of Occasional Services (New York: The Church Hymnal Corporation. 1979) p 55-72.

Has a chapter with the traditional stations and liturgical guidelines. From the Episcopal Church.

Creighton University; Has pictures, very short meditations and verses. Also links to a Spanish version.

The 8 “biblical” stations from the traditional set with scripture and prayers.

Especially for children, with pictures and conversational explanations and meditations on the stations.