You are looking at the Santa Scale (the Holy Stairs) in Rome. It is said that these are the stairs that Christ walked up during his trial to meet Pontus Pilate. The stairs were brought over by Constantine’s mother. There is said to be remains of the blood of Christ on these stairs. Catholics come from all over to crawl up these stairs, one by one, stopping to pray on each step. You cannot walk up them – you must go up on your knees. They pray for forgiveness, for healing, for their family, for any and everything. Their priest tell them if they will crawl and pray up the stairs a certain number of times they will get what they are seeking. At the top of the stairs is a picture of Christ on the cross. As I watched people working their way slowly, and probably painfully, up the stairs I took everything in me to not cry uncontrollably. I thought, “My Christ did not come and die for this.” Our faith is not based on works. Crawling up stairs will not save anyone. Christ gives us salvation freely. I thank Him that I do not have to crawl up stairs to reach Him.