Page:The Way of the Holy Cross Martin.djvu/16

 journey, and summoned the faithful to crowd about them, to listen to, and meditate upon the recital of the sad tragedy. Wheresoever this exercise was introduced, faith was seen to revive, morals to improve, the love of Jesus Christ to be re-kindled in the soul; so that the Sovereign Pontiffs, who had already attached abundant grants of indulgences to the real Stations of our Lord's Passion, did not hesitate to extend the same to these representations of them.

Such is the origin of the Way of the Cross, or the Stations of the Passion, but for gaining the Indulgences, the three following conditions must be complied with.

1.—We must meditate and pray for a few moments, at each of the Fourteen Stations which have been canonically set up; or, if incapable of meditating, we must, at least, bring before our attention one of the circumstances of the Passion, and excite ourselves to sorrow for our sins.

2.—We must perform the devotion of each