This is not the end. While this week’s stations seem like they should be, they are not. They are, perhaps, the most difficult stations to meditate on.

The eleventh station: Jesus is nailed to the cross

The Romans soldiers seemed to have perfected brutality. While scholars may quibble about where the nail was placed, in the palm or in the wrist, Jesus was nailed to the cross. Ironically, all four Gospels only report that Jesus was crucified, but do not explain what that entails. It’s in John’s Gospel after Jesus’ resurrection when Thomas doubts that the nail marks are mentioned.

Perhaps it’s just me, but whenever I’m praying the stations of the cross and this station is prayed, I feel like I want to protect my hands and wrists. Just thinking about having nails hammered through makes me cringe. After all the pain and suffering Jesus had to go through, from the mock trial and abuse from the Sanhedrin, to the scourging by the Roman soldiers, to the forced walk to Golgotha for His crucifixion, this last detail humbles me. While being affixed to the cross in any manner may be part of the whole crucifixion method, metal nails that pierce sensitive tissue and nerves must have been excruciating. And Jesus allowed Himself to be thus treated. For me and my sins. He did it so that I can have a relationship with God. He did it because He loves me. 

The twelfth station: Jesus dies on the cross

This is only the culmination of all Jesus’ suffering. It is not the end of Jesus or of salvation history. Rather it is the turning point. We have confirmation of Jesus’ death with the Roman soldier who pierced Him with a lance, to make sure He was dead. There is no mistake. Jesus just didn’t faint from being hung on the cross. He died. His body ceased all function. Jesus is fully human and fully divine, so while His human body died, His soul, both human and divine, lives on after the crucifixion. His soul descended down to the dead, to those souls who perished before Him, all the way back to Adam and Eve. But to those who walked with Him in His earthly life, all they know is that Jesus is dead. 

We have the luxury of knowing what happened next, but to those at that time, it must have been absolutely heartbreaking. From Blessed Mother Mary, to the Apostles, to all those who followed or who were somehow touched by Jesus during His ministry, the loss of Jesus must have been felt down to their soul. Praying the stations of the cross is walking with Jesus and His companions through this difficult time. We may not have been there at that time in history, but praying these events takes us back and opens our eyes to all that Jesus endured. Too often we sum it up by referencing Jesus’ Passion and Death, like it is two checkmarks on a list of what Jesus did in salvation history. 

It can be hard to pray the stations of the cross, and we’re not even done reviewing them all yet! It’s easy to become overwhelmed at all the pain and suffering in each detail. However, without being there, this may be only part of the full story of what happened. We can find ourselves wondering why Jesus allowed all this to be done to Him. Why didn’t He say enough is enough? But that is our human perspective reflecting on these events. These details are meant to be a method of reflection for us, to recognize when we choose our way or a perceived “easy” way of sin. Sin is when we reject God and His will for us. Sin is actually worse than all that Jesus suffered. And yet even after contemplating all that Jesus has done to repair our relationship with God, we choose to sin, again and again.

During Lent, we practice prayer, fasting, and almsgiving in a focused manner to align our minds and hearts with Jesus’ Passion and Death. In this time leading up to the most Holiest celebration of the Liturgical Year, let us recognize the depth of Jesus’ love for us, and humbly offer our Lenten practices in thanksgiving to Jesus.