An Illustrated Stations of the Cross:
The Devotion and its History
Reverend Jim Nisbet
Aka James Nisbet
ISBN 9780896221307
ISBN 089622130X
1982
Prior to Lent in 2026 I went through the collection of Stations I had and found I had about 10 I have never read or reviewed and have made the commitment to try and make it through them this Lent, and I added 2 as I have been reading, praying, and reviewing my way through the collection. Of the 10 I started with 6 were from Twenty-Third Publications, and while researching the first review I found a few others I am interested in. This is one that is not part of that series but from the publisher.
This is the seventh of the Stations of the Cross I have read from Twenty-Third Publications in this series, this was originally published in 1982 and there does not appear to have been a reprinting at any point in time since then. This won would not be great for corporate use, but is excellent for personal devotion.
It is not currently available on the Twenty-Third Publications site other retailers show it as unavailable, which is a pity it is an excellent version of this devotion.
The description of this volume from the back cover states:
“This handsome, timely volume captures the power of Christ's last hours for those who have long loved the Stations and those to whom the devotion is new.
Artist / author Father Nisbet offers us a fresh vision of the Stations with a vitality that will satisfy adults and entice youth. The living history of the devotion, as presented by the author and verified by Franciscan scholars, fills a woeful gap in current religious and secular understanding. The sensitive description of the Holy Way gives the reader an awesome sense of "being there" along the Via Dolorosa.
The photographic illustrations are of the Stations in St. Matthew's Cathedral in Washington, D.C. These historic art pieces were the gifts of the grand-nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte. The graphic illustrations by the author offer contemplative symbols for each of the Stations.
Rev. Cyprian Lynch, OFM, Associate Professor of Franciscan History at the Franciscan Institute, states well the purpose of the book in his foreword: ''Employing the inspiring text ... many persons will undoubtedly experience the healing, enlightening and quickening virtue that still goes out from Christ to those who_ meditate on his passion."
An Illustrated Stations of the Cross is an ideal gift for personal devotion or for a study club or a prayer group. The illustrations and prayers have the strength and beauty to rekindle the devotion for today's believer.”
The opening prayer in this book is:
“Father, send your Holy Spirit upon me to enlighten and to strengthen me. I seek to walk in the path of your son, Jesus, and to follow in his steps. May I look on this path not simply as an event in history, but as my own life today. Let me learn, let me understand, and give me the strength to accept and to live this path. Amen.”
The chapters in this volume are:
Foreword
Introduction
Opening Prayer
Arrested in the Garden
The First Station The Unjust Judge
The Second Station Accepting the Crossbeam
The Third Station Jesus Fall Under the Cross
The Fourth Station Jesus Notices Mary
The Fifth Station The Unwilling Helper
The Sixth Station True Image
The Seventh Station Jesus Falls Again
The Eighth Station The Charitable Women
The Ninth Station Jesus Rises the Third Time
The Tenth Station Jesus Is Prepared
The Eleventh Station Jesus Is Fixed to the Cross
The Twelfth Station The Suffering Ends
The Thirteenth Station The Body Is Taken From the Cross
The Fourteenth Station The Body Is Placed in the Tomb
The Fifteenth Station The Empty Tomb
Closing Prayer
A sample Station for this edition:
“The Third Station
Jesus Falls Under The Cross
The scriptures do not record the falls of Jesus, but certainly as we consider Jesus' weakened condition, the load he carries, and the crowds in the streets, it is apparent that the way of the cross is difficult and the falls frequent. This is the first of the traditional stations that takes place outside of the fortress where Pilate lives. Even in the Jerusalem of today this means the crushing and surging crowds that are always a part of the Oriental marketplace. Perhaps this fall is simply the result of a crowd more interested in shopping than in the execution that is soon to take place. Jesus falls. The crossbeam slips from his shoulder and falls on top of him. But he rises, picks it up. And continues on his way.
Though he fall, he does not lie prostrate, for the hand of the Lord sustains him. Neither in my youth, nor now that I am old, have I seen a just man forsaken ... (Psalm 37:24-25).
Though he was in the form of God, he did not deem equality with God something to be grasped at. Rather he emptied himself and took the form of a slave, being born in the likeness of men. He was known to be of human estate, and it was thus that he humbled himself, obediently accepting even death, death on a cross! (Philippians 2:6-8).
I see this first fall of Jesus as the result of the indifference of the crowd. The people are not evil or intent on hurting him. They are merely involved in their daily work and are not concerned with what is happening to Jesus. Many times in my own life, in various ways, 1 am jostled and pushed by others who are concerned with affairs that are more important to them than I am. I stumble and fall, hurt more by their indifference than by their pushing. I see that the answer to this situation can only be Jesus' answer. Silently, Jesus gets up, picks up the crossbeam, and goes on. He has a tremendous understanding that I lack but must learn. Each of these people pushing me is also carrying a cross, and I have to become aware that they are. Some crosses are more visible than others, but everyone has one. It is only my indifference to the crosses of others that prompts my unkind word or condemnation. Jesus, who is only too aware of the problems of others, goes on silently.
Father, give me the vision of your son Jesus. Prevent me from letting my problems blind me to the real problems of others. Do not let my concern for myself consume my life and turn me from service to others. I seek to know and to do your will. It is concern for your will and your love, not concern for my comfort, that enables me to carry my cross in comfort. Amen.”
The volume ends with:
“Closing Prayer
Mighty Lord Jesus, I have followed you again on the path to victory over death. May this following bear fruit in my daily life. Renew my love of your church and my participation in her sacraments. Strengthen my commitment to love and serve the people around me. Let my life proclaim the faithfulness of a Father who draws us all to victory. Help me to hold the teachings of your passion in my heart until 1 can again walk this path with you. Amen.”
I highlighted a few passages from the Forward and Introduction they are:
“Since medieval times the way of the cross has been the most widely practiced method of meditating on the Passion. It remains the simplest and easiest means of learning the lesson of sacrifice by studying the divine model of sacrifice. The Second Vatican Council warmly recommended this and other popular devotions, but urged that they be brought into harmony with the scriptures and the liturgy. The author of this booklet has acceded to this injunction of the council in an admirable manner. Employing the inspiring text he has provided herein, many persons will undoubtedly experience the healing, enlightening, and quickening virtue that still goes out from Christ to those who meditate on his passion.”
“The early Christian community was composed largely of Jews, and they continued the practice of pilgrimage to Jerusalem, although the purpose of the trips came more and more to be focused on Jesus.”
“Christians came from all over the world to recall the events in the life of Jesus that took place in the holy city, and, as time went on, different places in the city came to be identified with specific events in the life of Jesus.”
“As many Christians visited the city, made the walk, and wrote about their experiences, an entire devotion grew up around the life of Jesus in Jerusalem. In time the route of the walk became fixed, beginning at the Antonia and ending at the sepulcher.”
“As control of the area shifted more and more surely into the hands of the Moslems, the Franciscans were among the very few Christian clergy welcome in Palestine. And as time went on the care of the major Christian shrines fell into their hands. They came to be the representatives of the Roman Catholic Church in the Holy Land, and the way of sorrows came under their administration.”
“Meanwhile, in Europe the making of pilgrimages became a regular part of the religious life of the people and the great shrines there grew in importance. People flocked to Rome in Italy, Santiago de Compostela in Spain, and Canterbury in England. But deep within the hearts of all Christians was the longing for the primary place of pilgrimage— Jerusalem.”
“To meet this longing, the Franciscans began the practice of placing the way of sorrows— or stations of the cross— in their churches. Thus the faithful could go on pilgrimage at home and the devotion was made available to all irrespective of one's financial situation or the political fortunes of Palestine.”
“As in the past, some of the sites are certain, some are conjecture, some events are scriptural, some are traditional. Yet within this devotion persists the earliest pilgrimage of the Christian community and our link to our ancestors in faith, the Jewish people.”
“There are two separate elements in the illustrations. The first is the Maltese cross encompassing a Greek cross. The Maltese cross is to represent Jesus, and as his suffering grows its color fills more and more of the cross. His suffering is completely anticipated in the agony of the garden, but then it starts to grow anew slowly through the journey to Calvary and death. The Greek cross represents the cross that Jesus was forced to carry. When Jesus is without the cross the position is blank, but when he has the cross the position is filled.”
“Since the Second Vatican Council, there is a growing custom of including a fifteenth station, the resurrection of Jesus. Because of the desire for symmetry, eight stations on each side of the church building, many places add still another station to bring the number to sixteen. I have honored this custom here by adding a new first station, "Arrested in the Garden." It has no number so that the numbers on the stations correspond to the traditional number sequence.”
Overall am impressed with Stations I have tracked down from Twenty-Third Publications, both the currently in print and older titles like this one. I have benefitted from all of them. And this one was a much deeper exploration of each station. I just wish this volume was in print and that a digital edition was available. I know several people I would recommend it to.
I try and pray a Stations each Friday throughout the year, and every day during Lent. I do not see myself returning to this one often, but if a digital edition because available it would be one I used more often. But I did benefit from praying through it and believe it would be great for personal use but not great in a corporate or group setting.
Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2026 Catholic Reading Plan! For all Stations of the Cross review click here.
Books in the Praying The Stations With Series:
A Way of Reconciliation for Teens - Colleen Rainone
Praying the Stations for Healing - David M. Knight
Praying the Stations of the Cross for Seniors - John van Bemmel
Stations of the Cross for Older Adults - John Van Bemmel
Praying the Stations for the Suffering, Ill, and Disabled - Holly B. Clark
aka Praying the Stations With Mary the Mother of Jesus – Richard Furey
Praying the Stations of Mercy with Pope Francis - Bill Huebsch
Stations of the Cross for Today's Disciples - Sr. Christine Kreshko
Praying the Stations with Children - Gwen Costello
Praying the Stations with John Paul II – Bill Huebsch
Praying the Stations with Pope Francis - Bill Huebsch
Praying the Stations with Saint John XXIII - Bill Huebsch
Praying the Stations with Seniors – John Van Bemmel
Praying the Stations with Young Children - Diane Abajian
Stations of the Cross for Today's Disciples - Christine Kresho
The Mystery of the Cross: Praying the Stations with Pope Francis - David M. Knight
Walking the Via Dolorosa Today - Laurin J. Wenig
…
Other Stations from Twenty-Third Publications:
A Mother's Way of the Cross - Deborah McCann
A Personal Way of the Cross - Isaias Powers
Stations of Hope: Praying the Stations of the Cross for Today - Father David M. Knight
Stations of Strength Praying the Stations of the Cross in Times of Suffering - Alice Camille
The People of the Way of the Cross - Marci Alborghetti
The Stations of the Resurrection - Sister Catherine Duenne
The Way of the Cross - William V Coleman
The Way of the Cross for Parents - Susan Jones
Via Lucis The Way of Light: Praying the Stations of the Resurrection - Glenn Byer
Walking with Jesus on the Way to Calvary - Kathy McGovern
Way of Cross Religion Teachers - Gwen Costello
...
