On each Friday, during the Lenten Season, we will pray together the Fourteen Stations of the Cross to remind ourselves of the great sacrifice Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, made for us so that we may earn our place in Heaven at His next Coming.
Opening Prayer: Act of Contrition – Oh My God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins because they offend Thee My God, who is all good and deserving of all my love. And I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy Grace, to sin no more and to avoid the near occasion of sin. Amen.
Station #1: Jesus is condemned to death – In this First Station, reflect on the moment Jesus is sentenced to death by Pontius Pilate. Jesus does not try to defend himself, even though He did not commit the crimes.
We adore Thee, O Christ, and bless Thee.
Because, by Thy Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.
Jesus, you stand alone before Pilate. Nobody speaks up for You. No body helps defend You. You devoted Your entire life to helping others, listening to the smallest ones, caring for those who were ignored by others. They do not seem to remember that as they prepare to put You to death. My Jesus, Who by Thine own Will didst take on the heavy cross I made for You by my sins, oh, make me feel their heavy weight, and weep for them ever while I live.
Prayers: “Our Father”; “Hail Mary”; and “Glory Be to The Father”
Jesus Christ Crucified
Have mercy on us
May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
Station #2: Jesus is given the cross to carry – In this Second Station, Jesus begins to carry the cross. According to the Gospel, He has already been whipped, so the burden of the cross increases his already severe pain.
We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.
Because, by Thy Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.
Jesus, as you accepted Your Cross, You knew You would carry it to your death on Calvary. You knew it would not be easy, but You accepted it and carried it just the same. My Jesus, the heavy burden of my sins is on Thee, and bears Thee down beneath the cross. I loathed them; I detest them; I call on Thee to pardon them; may Thy Grace aid me never more to commit them.
Prayers: “Our Father”; “Hail Mary”; and “Glory Be to The Father”
Jesus Christ Crucified
Have mercy on us
May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
Station #3: Jesus falls for the first time carrying the cross – The Third Station follows Christ as he takes his first fall. Though He is tired and severely wounded, he still gets back up and moves towards His Crucifixion.
We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.
Because, by Thy Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.
Jesus, the cross you have been carrying is very heavy. You are becoming weak and almost ready to faint, and You fall down. Nobody seems to want to help You. The soldiers are interested in getting home, so they yell at You and try to get You up and moving again. Jesus most suffering, Mary Mother most sorrowful, if, by my sins, I caused You pain and anguish in the past, by God’s assisting grace it shall be so no more; rather be You my love henceforth till death.
Prayers: “Our Father”; “Hail Mary”; and “Glory Be to The Father”
Jesus Christ Crucified
Have mercy on us
May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
Station #4: Jesus meets his Mother, Mary, along his path to Calvary – In the Fourth Station, Jesus meets his Mother, Mary, along the road to Calvary. Mary is very distraught at her Son’s suffering covered in blood and carrying a heavy burden; yet she cannot lift the burden from Him.
We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.
Because, by Thy Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.
Jesus, You feel so alone with all those people yelling and screaming at You. You do not like the words they are saying about You, and You look for a friendly face in the crowd. You see Your mother. She cannot make the hurting stop, but it helps to see that she is on your side, that she is suffering with You. She does understand and care.
Prayers: “Our Father”; “Hail Mary”; and “Glory Be to The Father”
Jesus Christ Crucified
Have mercy on us
May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
Station #5: Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus to carry his cross – In the Fifth Station, Jesus is consumed by his burden and collapses. Worried that Jesus might not make it to the final crucifixion, the guards compel Simon, the Cyrenian, to help Him carry the cross. In the process, Simon becomes a follower of Christ.
We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.
Because, by Thy Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.
Jesus, the soldiers are becoming inpatient. This is taking longer than they wanted it to. They are afraid You will not make it to the hill where they will crucify You. As you grow weaker, they grab a man out of the crowd and make him help carry your cross. He was just watching what was happening, but all of sudden he is helping You carry your cross. My Jesus, blest, thrice best was he who aided Thee to bear the cross. Blest too shall I be if I aid Thee to bear the cross, by patiently bowing my neck to the crosses Thou shalt send me during life. My Jesus, give me grace to do so.
Prayers: “Our Father”; “Hail Mary”; and “Glory Be to The Father”
Jesus Christ Crucified
Have mercy on us
May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
Station #6: Veronica attends to Jesus’ wounds – In the Sixth Station, Veronica wipes the blood from Jesus’ face with a cloth and offers him wine to fortify him for the rest of the journey.
We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.
Because, by Thy Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.
Suddenly, a woman comes out of the crowd. Her name is Veronica. You can see how she cares for You as she takes a cloth and begins to wipe the blood and sweat from your face. She cannot do much, but she offers what little help she can. My tender Jesus, Who didst deign to print Thy sacred face upon the cloth with which Veronica wiped the sweat from off Thy brow, print in my soul deep, I pray Thee, the lasting memory of Thy bitter pains.
Prayers: “Our Father”; “Hail Mary”; and “Glory Be to The Father”
Jesus Christ Crucified
Have mercy on us
May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
Station #7: Jesus falls for a second time – In the Seventh Station, Jesus falls a second time, once again due to exhaustion, severe pain, and blood loss. While Simon is still assisting, Jesus stumbles under the weight of the cross.
We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.
Because, by Thy Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.
This is the second time You have fallen on the road. As the cross grows heavier and heavier, it becomes more difficult to get up. But You continue to struggle and try until You are up and walking again. You do not give up. My Jesus, often have I sinned and often, by sin, beaten Thee to the ground beneath the cross. Help me to use the efficacious means of grace that I may never fall again.
Prayers: “Our Father”; “Hail Mary”; and “Glory Be to The Father”
Jesus Christ Crucified
Have mercy on us
May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
Station #8: Jesus speaks to the women followers of Jerusalem – In the Eighth Station, Jesus comes upon a group of women mourners from Jerusalem. Even as Jesus is suffering, He stops to comfort the women, who are faithful followers.
We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.
Because, by Thy Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.
Jesus, as You carry Your cross, You see a group of women along the road. As You pass by, You see that they are sad. You stop to spend a moment with them, to offer them some encouragement. Although You have been abandoned by your friends and are in pain, You stop and try to help them. My Jesus, Who didst comfort the pious women of Jerusalem who wept to see Thee bruised and torn, comfort my soul with Thy tender pity, for in Thy pity lives my trust. May my heart ever answer Thine.
Prayers: “Our Father”; “Hail Mary”; and “Glory Be to The Father”
Jesus Christ Crucified
Have mercy on us
May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
Station #9: Jesus falls a third time – In the Ninth Station, Jesus falls a third time prostrate on the ground consumed by exhaustion, severe pain, and blood loss.
We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.
Because, by Thy Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.
Jesus, your journey has been long. You fall again, beneath Your cross. You know Your journey is coming to an end. You struggle and struggle. You get up and keep going. My Jesus, by all the bitter woes Thou didst endure when for the third time the heavy cross bowed Thee to the earth, never, I beseech Thee, let me fall again to sin. Ah, my Jesus, rather let me die than ever offend Thee again.
Prayers: “Our Father”; “Hail Mary”; and “Glory Be to The Father”
Jesus Christ Crucified
Have mercy on us
May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
Station #10: Jesus is stripped of His garments – In the Tenth Station, the guards rip off Jesus’ clothes, making his wounds raw and bleed anew. Then the guards pour vinegar over his wounds and offer him bitter gall to drink.
We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.
Because, by Thy Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.
The soldiers notice you have something of value. They remove Your cloak and throw dice for it. Your wounds are torn open once again. Some of the people in the crowd make fun of You. They tease You and challenge You to perform a miracle for them to see. They are not aware that You will perform the greatest miracle of all! My Jesus, stripped of Thy garments and drenched with gall, strip me of love for things of Earth, and make me loathe all that savors the world and sin.
Prayers: “Our Father”; “Hail Mary”; and “Glory Be to The Father”
Jesus Christ Crucified
Have mercy on us
May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
Station #11: Jesus is nailed to the cross – In the Eleventh Station, Jesus is positioned on the cross, and the guards drive nails through His hands, and after erecting the cross, they drive nails through His feet.
We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.
Because, by Thy Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.
You are stretched out on the cross You have carried so far. The soldiers take big nails and drive them into hands and feet. You feel abandoned by the people You loved so much. People seem to have gone mad. You have done nothing wrong, yet they drive nails through Your hands and feet. My Jesus, by Thine agony when the cruel nails pierced Thy tender hands and feet and fixed them to the cross, make me make amends for the harm that I have done.
Prayers: “Our Father”; “Hail Mary”; and “Glory Be to The Father”
Jesus Christ Crucified
Have mercy on us
May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
Station #12: Jesus’ death on the cross – In the Twelfth Station, Jesus is positioned on the cross, Jesus is suspended on the cross, and after hours of horrific suffering, he commends His Spirit to His Father in Heaven.
We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.
Because, by Thy Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.
As Jesus hung on the cross, He forgave the soldiers who had crucified Him and prayed for His mother and friends. Jesus wanted all of us to be able to live forever with God, so He gave all he had for us. My Jesus, three hours didst Thou hang in agony, and then die for me; let me die before I sin, and if I live, live for Thy love and faithful service.
Prayers: “Our Father”; “Hail Mary”; and “Glory Be to The Father”
Jesus Christ Crucified
Have mercy on us
May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
Station #13: Jesus’ body is removed from the cross by his followers – In the Thirteenth Station, after Jesus’ death, Joseph and Nicodemus take His body from the cross. Mary, His mother, weeps over her Son’s body.
We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.
Because, by Thy Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.
Jesus, how brutally You were put to death. How gently You are taken down from the cross. Your suffering and pain are ended, and You are put in the lap of Your mother. The dirt and blood are wiped away. You are treated with love. O, Mary, Mother most sorrowful, the sword of grief pierced thy soul when thou didst see Jesus lying lifeless on thy bosom; obtain for me hatred of sin because sin slew thy Son and wounded thine own heart, and grace to live a Christian life and save my soul.
Prayers: “Our Father”; “Hail Mary”; and “Glory Be to The Father”
Jesus Christ Crucified
Have mercy on us
May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
Station #14: Jesus’ body is placed in the tomb by his followers – In the Fourteenth and final Station, Jesus’ followers, after preparing His body, place His body in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. They roll the stone over the Sepulchre in anticipation of the Sabbath. During this time, it is said that Jesus goes to the realm of the dead.
We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.
Because, by Thy Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.
Jesus, Your body is prepared for burial. Joseph gave You his own tomb. He laid Your body there and rolled a large stone in front of it, then went home. What a sad day it has been for so many people. My Jesus, beside Thy body in the tomb, I , too, would lie dead; but if I live, let it be for Thee, so as one day to enjoy with Thee in heaven the fruits of Thy passion and Thy bitter death.
Prayers: “Our Father”; “Hail Mary”; and “Glory Be to The Father”
Jesus Christ Crucified
Have mercy on us
May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
May God Bless You and Your Loved Ones,
The Society of Saint Gianna Beretta Molla – Board of Directors
Check out our website at https://saintgianna.org |
