The Stations of the Cross, also known as the Way of the Cross or Via Crucis, commemorate Jesus's passion and death on the cross. There are 14 stations that each depict a moment on his journey to Calvary, usually through sacred art, prayers, and reflections. The practice began as pious pilgrims traced his path through Jerusalem on the Via Dolorosa.
Later, for the many who wanted to pass along the same route, but could not make the trip to Jerusalem, a practice developed that eventually took the form of the fourteen stations currently found in almost every church throughout the world.
Below are a number of Stations of the Cross for personal devotion.
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PREPARATORY PRAYERS
Kneeling before the altar, make an Act of Contrition, and form the intention of gaining the indulgences, whether for yourself or for the souls in purgatory.
ACT OF CONTRITION
O MY GOD, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins because of Thy just punishments, but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, Who art all-good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to sin no more and to avoid the near occasions of sin. Amen.
Following the act of contrition say:
MY LORD, JESUS CHRIST, You have made this journey to die for me with unspeakable love; and I have so many times ungratefully abandoned You. | But now I love You with all my heart; and, because I love You, I am sincerely sorry for ever having offended You. Pardon me, my God, and permit me to accompany You on this journey. You go to die for love of me; I want, my beloved Redeemer, to die for love of You. My Jesus, I will live and die always united to You.
THE FIRST STATION PILATE CONDEMNS JESUS TO DIE
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R. Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
Priest: CONSIDER HOW JESUS CHRIST, after being scourged and crowned with thorns, was unjustly condemned by Pilate to die on the cross.
All say: MY ADORABLE JESUS, it was not Pilate; no, it was my sins that condemned You to die. I beseech You, by the merits of this sorrowful journey, to assist my soul on its journey to eternity. I love You, beloved Jesus; I love You more than I love myself. With all my heart I repent of ever having offended You. Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will.
Our Father…
THE SECOND STATION JESUS ACCEPTS HIS CROSS
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R. Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
Priest: CONSIDER JESUS as He walked this road with the cross on His shoulders, thinking of us, and offering to His Father in our behalf, the death He was about to suffer.
All say: MY MOST BELOVED JESUS, I embrace all the sufferings You have destined for me until death. I beg You, by all You suffered in carrying Your cross, to help me carry mine with Your perfect peace and resignation. I love You, Jesus, my love; I repent of ever having offended You. Never let me separate myself from You again. Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will.
Hail Mary…
THE THIRD STATION JESUS FALLS THE FIRST TIME
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R. Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
Priest: CONSIDER THE FIRST FALL OF JESUS. Loss of blood from the scourging and crowing with thorns had so weakened Him that He could hardly walk; and yet He had to carry that great load upon His shoulders. As the soldiers struck Him cruelly, He fell several times under the heavy cross.
All Say: MY BELOVED JESUS, it was not the weight of the cross but the weight of my sins which made You suffer so much. By the merits of this first fall, save me from falling into mortal sin. I love You, O my Jesus, with all my heart; I am sorry that I have offended You. May I never offend You again. Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will.
Glory be…
THE FOURTH STATION JESUS MEETS HIS AFFLICTED MOTHER
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R. Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
Priest: CONSIDER HOW THE SON met his Mother on His way to Calvary. Jesus and Mary gazed at each other and their looks became as so many arrows to wound those hearts which loved each other so tenderly
All Say: MY MOST LOVING JESUS, by the pain You suffered in this meeting grant me the grace of being truly devoted to Your most holy Mother. And You, my Queen, who was overwhelmed with sorrow, obtain for me by Your prayers a tender and a lasting remembrance of the passion of Your divine Son. I love You, Jesus, my Love, above all things. I repent of ever having offended You. Never allow me to offend You again. Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will.
Our Father…
THE FIFTH STATION SIMON HELPS JESUS CARRY THE CROSS
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R. Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
Priest: CONSIDER HOW WEAK and weary Jesus was. At each step He was at the point of expiring. Fearing that He would die on the way when they wished Him to die the infamous death of the cross, they forced Simon of Cyrene to help carry the cross after Our Lord.
All Say: MY BELOVED JESUS I will not refuse the cross as Simon did: I accept it and embrace it. I accept in particular the death that is destined for me with all the pains that may accompany it. I unite it to Your death and I offer it to You. You have died for love of me; I will die for love of You and to please You. Help me by Your grace. I love You, Jesus, my Love; I repent of ever having offended You. Never let me offend You again. Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will.
Hail Mary…
THE SIXTH STATION VERONICA OFFERS HER VEIL TO JESUS
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R. Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
Priest: CONSIDER THE COMPASSION of the holy woman, Veronica. Seeing Jesus in such distress, His face bathed in sweat and blood, she presented Him with her veil. Jesus wiped His face, and left upon the cloth the image of his sacred countenance.
All Say: MY BELOVED JESUS, Your face was beautiful before You began this journey; but, now, it no longer appears beautiful and is disfigured with wounds and blood. Alas, my soul also was once beautiful when it received Your grace in Baptism; but I have since disfigured it with my sins. You alone, my Redeemer, can restore it to its former beauty. Do this by the merits of Your passion; and then do with me as You will.
Glory be…
THE SEVENTH STATION JESUS FALLS THE SECOND TIME
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R. Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
Priest: CONSIDER HOW the second fall of Jesus under His cross renews the pain in all the wounds of the head and members of our afflicted Lord.
All Say: MY MOST GENTLE JESUS, how many times You have forgiven me; and how many times I have fallen again and begun again to offend You! By the merits of this second fall, give me the grace to persevere in Your love until death. Grant, that in all my temptations, I may always have recourse to You. I love You, Jesus, my Love with all my heart; I am sorry that I have offended You. Never let me offend You again. Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will.
Our Father…
THE EIGHTH STATION JESUS SPEAKS TO THE WOMEN
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R. Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
Priest: CONSIDER HOW the women wept with compassion seeing Jesus so distressed and dripping with blood as he walked along. Jesus said to them, “Weep not so much for me, but rather for Your children.”
All Say: MY JESUS, laden with sorrows, I weep for the sins which I have committed against You because of the punishment I deserve for them; and, still more, because of the displeasure they have caused You who have loved me with an infinite love. It is Your love, more than the fear of hell, which makes me weep for my sins. My Jesus, I love You more than myself; I am sorry that I have offended You. Never allow me to offend You again. Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will.
Hail Mary…
THE NINTH STATION JESUS FALLS THE THIRD TIME
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R. Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
Priest: CONSIDER HOW JESUS CHRIST fell for the third time. He was extremely weak and the cruelty of His executioners was excessive; they tried to hasten His steps though He hardly had strength to move.
All Say: MY OUTRAGED JESUS, by the weakness You suffered in going to Calvary, give me enough strength to overcome all human respect and all my evil passions which have led me to despise Your friendship. I love You, Jesus my Love, with all my heart; I am sorry for ever having offended You. Never permit me to offend You again. Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will.
Glory be…
THE TENTH STATION: JESUS IS STRIPPED OF HIS GARMENTS
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect) R.
Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
Priest: CONSIDER HOW JESUS was violently stripped of His clothes by His executioners. The inner garments adhered to his lacerated flesh and the soldiers tore them off so roughly that the skin came with them. Have pity for your Savior so cruelly treated and tell Him:
All Say: MY INNOCENT JESUS, by the torment You suffered in being stripped of Your garments, help me to strip myself of all attachment for the things of earth that I may place all my love in You who are so worthy of my love. I love You, O Jesus, with all my heart; I am sorry for ever having offended You. Never let me offend You again. Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will.
Our Father…
THE ELEVENTH STATION JESUS IS NAILED TO THE CROSS
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R. Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
Priest: CONSIDER JESUS, thrown down upon the cross, He stretched out His arms and offered to His eternal Father the sacrifice of His life for our salvation. They nailed His hands and feet, and then, raising the cross, left Him to die in anguish.
All Say: MY DESPISED JESUS, nail my heart to the cross that it may always remain there to love You and never leave You again. I love You more than myself; I am sorry for ever having offended You. Never permit me to offend You again. Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will.
Hail Mary…
THE TWELFTH STATION JESUS DIES UPON THE CROSS
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R. Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
Priest: CONSIDER HOW YOUR JESUS, after three hours of agony on the cross, is finally overwhelmed with suffering and, abandoning Himself to the weight of His body, bows His head and dies.
All Say: MY DYING JESUS, I devoutly kiss the cross on which You would die for love of me. I deserve, because of my sins, to die a terrible death; but Your death is my hope. By the merits of Your death, give me the grace to die embracing Your feet and burning with love of You. I yield my soul into Your hands. I love You with my whole heart. I am sorry that I have offended You. Never let me offend You again. Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will.
All kneel for a moment and pray three times the Our Father.
THE THIRTEENTH STATION JESUS IS TAKEN DOWN FROM THE CROSS
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R. Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
Priest: CONSIDER HOW, after Our Lord had died, He was taken down from the cross by two of His disciples, Joseph and Nicodemus, and placed in the arms of His afflicted Mother. She received Him with unutterable tenderness and pressed Him close to her bosom.
All Say: O MOTHER OF SORROWS, for the love of Your Son, accept me as Your servant and pray to Him for me, And You, my Redeemer, since you have died for me, allow me to love You, for I desire only You and nothing more. I love You, Jesus my Love, and I am sorry that I have offended You. Never let me offend You again. Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will.
Glory be…
THE FOURTEENTH STATION JESUS IS PLACED IN THE SEPULCHER
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R. Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
Priest: CONSIDER HOW the disciples carried the body of Jesus to its burial, while His holy Mother went with them and arranged it in the sepulcher with her own hands. They then closed the tomb and all departed.
All Say: O, MY BURIED JESUS, I kiss the stone that closes You in. But You gloriously did rise again on the third day. I beg You by Your resurrection that I may be raised gloriously on the last day, to be united with You in heaven, to praise You and love You forever. I love You, Jesus, and I repent of ever having offended You. Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will.
Our Father…
After the stations say the “Our Father”, the “Hail Mary,” and the “Glory be to the Father,” five times, in honour of the Passion of Jesus Christ, and once for the intention of the Holy Father.
PRAYER TO JESUS CHRIST CRUCIFIED
MY GOOD AND DEAR JESUS, I kneel before You, asking You most earnestly to engrave upon my heart a deep and lively faith, hope, and charity, with true repentance for my sins, and a firm resolve to make amends. As I reflect upon Your five wounds, and dwell upon them with deep compassion and grief, I recall, good Jesus, the words the Prophet David spoke long ago concerning Yourself: “They pierced My hands and My feet; they have numbered all My bones.''
The faithful who, after receiving Communion, recite this prayer before a picture of Christ Crucified may gain a plenary indulgence on any Friday in Lent and a partial indulgence on other days of the year, with the addition of prayers for the Holy Father's intention. Enchiridion Indulgentiarum, no. 22
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INTRODUCTORY PRAYER
The curtain is now about to go up on the awful and abiding drama of Thy Redemptive Love. And as I hear Thy words, “Take up thy Cross daily and follow Me”, I stand affrighted, lest its burden be too great and its shame too bitter. If I could but see that Thy command to follow Thee to Calvary was not just an iron law of cruel fate, but a condition of everlasting happiness, perhaps I could better make the journey, but I fear, dear Jesus, lest having Thee I must have naught else beside. Let this fear be dispelled in seeing death as the condition of life, for through Thy apostle, Paul, Thou hast told us it is the joy at the end of the journey that makes us endure the Cross, and even Thou, in loving kindness, hast asked all who labor and are burdened to come unto Thee, where they will find rest for their souls. Then I shall take up the Cross, Jesus! Why must we love Thee so!
FIRST STATION: JESUS IS CONDEMNED TO DEATH
V. Adoramus te, Christe, et benedicimus tibi.
R. Quia per sanctam Crucem tuam redemisti mundum.
Pilate, the time-serving politician, stepped forward on his sunlit portico. On his right stood Christ, the Just One who came to give His life for the redemption of many; on his left stood Barabbas, the wicked one, who had incited a revolt and taken a life. Pilate asked the mob to choose between the two: “Whether you will that I release unto you, Christ, or Barabbas”?
How would I have answered that question, had I been in the courtyard that Good Friday morning? I cannot escape answering by saying that the question belongs only to the past, for it is as actual now as ever. My conscience is the tribunal of Pilate. Daily, hourly, and every minute of the day, Christ comes before that tribunal, as virtue, honesty and purity. Barabbas comes as vice, dishonesty and uncleanness. As often as I choose to speak the uncharitable word, do the dishonest action, or consent to the evil thought, I say in so many words, “Release unto me, Barabbas,” and to choose Barabbas means to crucify Christ.
Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
(All kneel and recite)
O Jesus, many times in my life I have preferred Barabbas to Thee. There is no way that I can undo that choice, but to make my way to Thy feet, and beg Thy forgiveness. But that is so humiliating, for Thou wearest the garment of a fool, and Thou bearest in Thy hand the reed scepter of a mock king. It is so hard to do penance and admit that I am guilty! It is so hard to be seen with Thee, who art wearing Thy crown of thorns. It is hard! But let me see, Jesus, that it is harder to wear the crown of thorns!
Our Father
V. Miserere nostri, Domine.
R. Miserere nostri.
Fidelium animae per misericordiam Dei requiescant in pace. Amen
SECOND STATION: JESUS RECEIVES HIS CROSS
V. Adoramus te, Christe, et benedicimus tibi.
R. Quia per sanctam Crucem tuam redemisti mundum.
Our Blessed Lord had been a visitor to our earth but forty days when Simeon, with prophetic vision, declared He would become a sign of contradiction. That day had now come, for “He came unto His own, and His own received Him not.” As a symbol of the world’s contradiction of His life-giving message, they gave Him a Cross, in which one bar is at variance or contradiction with another.
But by a Divine Act, He made the sign of contradiction the sign of Redemption. The circle is the symbol of selfishness, for it is continually circumscribed by self, never able to break out of the limits, but the cross is the symbol of redemption, for its arms are outstretched, even unto infinity, to embrace all humanity within its grasp.
Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
(All kneel and recite)
I know, dear Lord, how crosses are made. Thy will is the vertical bar: my will is the horizontal bar. When I place my will against Thy will, I make a cross. Up to this point, dear Jesus, I have done nothing but fashion crosses by disobeying Thy holy law, and asserting my own selfish desire. Grant that I may make Thee no more crosses, but henceforth may place the bar of my will alongside the bar of Thy will, and make a yoke that will always be sweet and a burden that will always be light.
Our Father
V. Miserere nostri, Domine.
R. Miserere nostri.
Fidelium animae per misericordiam Dei requiescant in pace. Amen
THIRD STATION: JESUS FALLS BENEATH THE CROSS THE FIRST TIME
V. Adoramus te, Christe, et benedicimus tibi.
R. Quia per sanctam Crucem tuam redemisti mundum.
Three times Our Savior was tempted on the mountain, and three times He fell on the way to the mountain of Calvary. Thus did He atone for our three falls to the temptations of the flesh, the world, and the devil.
After fasting forty days in the desert, Our Blessed Lord was hungry. Satan tempted Him first on the part of the flesh, by asking Him to do the natural thing when hungry, namely, to use His power and command that the stones be turned into bread. But the Master retorted that the food which satisfies the longings of our heart comes not from the flesh, but from the Spirit of God.
Many times I, too, have been tempted to give way to the demands of my lower nature when the spirit should have been served. But, unlike my Master, I fell by consenting to the promptings of the flesh instead of the urges of Grace, and by doing that which is natural when I should have done that which is supernatural. And alas! I have found it always true that giving away to lower impulses has made hungry where most it satisfies, and that with the bread of lower desires, no man can live.
Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
(All kneel and recite)
When my frame rocks beneath the power of Satan, and my flesh is buffeted by the tempter, seal my senses and keep me mindful that my body is a temple of the Holy Ghost, and that only the clean of heart shall see Thee, O God! Grant henceforth, that by the merits of this fall under the Cross, I may be saved from falls of the flesh not by bread made from stones, but by Flesh made from the Bread of Life and by Blood made from the Wine that germinates Virgins.
Our Father
V. Miserere nostri, Domine.
R. Miserere nostri.
Fidelium animae per misericordiam Dei requiescant in pace. Amen
FOURTH STATION: JESUS MEETS HIS MOTHER
V. Adoramus te, Christe, et benedicimus tibi.
R. Quia per sanctam Crucem tuam redemisti mundum.
At the marriage feast of Cana, when Mary first noted the embarrassment of the hosts, and asked Her Divine Son to work His first miracle, He answered: “My hour is not yet come.” But at her solicitation He anticipated it, and changed the water into wine. “His hour,” He said, “was not yet come”. But His hour was her hour too, and now it had come! At Cana, He changed water into wine. On the road to Calvary, the wine is changed into blood. It is the solemn hour of consecration by which she unites herself with the sufferings of her Beloved Son, to save the world from the terrible embarrassment of sin, and the want of God’s redemptive wine of love. It was the hour of reversal of the world’s estimate of love, for a Son is summoning His mother to suffer. Love, then, does not mean to have: it means to be had: it is the giving of oneself for another. No one ever loved Jesus like Mary; therefore, no one ever suffered for Jesus like Mary.
Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
(All kneel and recite)
Mary, dear Mother, in this thy hour of sorrow, thou art paying dearly for the privilege of thy Immaculate Conception! Thou art doing even more! For thy present sorrows are the pains of childbirth by which thou dost become the Mother of Mankind, as in Bethlehem thou didst become the Mother of Jesus, thy First Born. Thou art, then, really my Mother, not by the title of courtesy, but by the pains of birth. Teach me, Mother, to see that Jesus calls to suffering those whom He loves, and grant that just as Jesus keeps the best wine of His love for the hour when we need it most, so too He may keep thee near us when we need thee most – in all trials and temptations, and in particular at the hour of our death.
Hail Mary
V. Miserere nostri, Domine.
R. Miserere nostri.
Fidelium animae per misericordiam Dei requiescant in pace. Amen
FIFTH STATION: SIMON OF CYRENE HELPS JESUS CARRY THE CROSS
V. Adoramus te, Christe, et benedicimus tibi.
R. Quia per sanctam Crucem tuam redemisti mundum.
It was not merely death sinful men wished Our Blessed Savior; it was a particular kind of death upon the sign of contradiction. Lest exhaustion and weakness should rob them of unfurling Him as a banner of salvation upon the Cross of Calvary, they forced Simon of Cyrene to help Him with His task. Simon saw in the cross only the burden of wood, but not the burden of the world’s sins, and hence became at first an unwilling aid and a constrained helper. A few minutes, however, in the sweet company of Jesus changed his outlook, slavery became freedom, constraint became love, and reluctance a sweet abandon.
I, too, am like Simon in his first moments: I know about Jesus, but I do not know Jesus. I have feared to be a sharer of His Cross, and hence have loved but little, because I have known only a little. I have too often insisted on beginning with pleasure, when it is with pleasure that I should have ended.
Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, That we may he made worthy of the promises of Christ.
(All kneel and recite)
Give me, O Jesus, an understanding of this great mystery – that it is only at a distance that the Cross frightens – that its shadow is really more terrible than its reality – that its splinters are more terrifying than its beams – that the whole of it is more easy to carry than a part. Thou hast told us, dear Savior, that we must take up our Cross daily and follow Thee. Grant, then, that when a Cross comes between Thee and me, as it did between Thee and Simon, that I may be quite content just to see Thy footsteps and follow them as Simon did, until at last I shall be forever more an uncaught captive in the hands of Thy Sweet Love.
Our Father
V. Miserere nostri, Domine.
R. Miserere nostri.
Fidelium animae per misericordiam Dei requiescant in pace. Amen
SIXTH STATION: JESUS AND VERONICA
V. Adoramus te, Christe, et benedicimus tibi.
R. Quia per sanctam Crucem tuam redemisti mundum.
Simon, the Cyrenean, helped Jesus with His burden as a reminder that man is called to the sublime vocation of carrying a Cross. But woman, too, has her role to play, and on that dread day Veronica, with a woman’s own peculiar vision, looked out on a countenance bruised and stained with dust and blood, and saw in it the very Face of Divinity.
Braving human respect, she touched a towel to His visage, and as if to remind us that the likeness between Christ and us is most perfect in suffering and sorrow, the Divine Saviour, on His way not to Tabor but to Calvary, left the impression of His Divinely sorrowful face.
Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
(All kneel and recite)
The day, O Lord, I was born anew of water and the Holy Ghost, the image of Thy Cross was stamped on my soul, and the inscription of Thy sorrow graven on my heart. On this day Thou asketh me: “Whose inscription is written thereon?” If it be Thine, then let me render to God the things that are God’s. Grant that like Veronica, I may brave all human respect to carry Thy image about with me, not on a veil but on the fleshy tablet of my heart. Bestow, too, the Grace to be so much like Thee that as I move among men, they may see something of Thee in me, as the maid-servant saw something of Thee in Peter and if it be not the marks of Thy Passion, then let it be the sparks of Thy Love!
Our Father
V. Miserere nostri, Domine.
R. Miserere nostri.
Fidelium animae per misericordiam Dei requiescant in pace. Amen
SEVENTH STATION: JESUS FALLS A SECOND TIME
V. Adoramus te, Christe, et benedicimus tibi.
R. Quia per sanctam Crucem tuam redemisti mundum.
In the second temptation on the mount, the devil asked Our Blessed Lord to abandon Himself wholly to God and to take no care or thought of Himself, saying: “Cast Thyself down, for the angels will bear Thee up.” But the Savior answered: “Thou shalt not tempt the Lord, Thy God,” reminding Satan that God never saves us against our will, but only when we cooperate with His grace.
This temptation came not from the flesh, but from the world, which so many times has said to me: “Cast thyself down on the rocks of sin; abandon thyself to God; God is Merciful; He will bear thee up; there is plenty of time for repentance – God will take care of you.” And many times I, unlike the Master, have succumbed to such whisperings and sinned by presumption, then made a half-hearted resolution to amend, and fell again.
Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
(All kneel and recite)
Dear Savior, by this, Thy second fall, Thou didst atone for my excessive love of the world, and the many times I abused Thy mercy and goodness as an excuse for sinning again. By lifting Thyself up again, Thou hast merited the grace of lifting me up once more and continuing the journey with Thee to Calvary. Free me from the spirit of the world. Let me see that it profiteth me nothing to gain the whole world and lose my immortal soul. Thou hast told me that the world will always hate me if I love Thee, and so when it is bitterest in its scorns, I ask that I may be consoled by the memory that it hath hated Thee before me.
Our Father
V. Miserere nostri, Domine.
R. Miserere nostri.
Fidelium animae per misericordiam Dei requiescant in pace. Amen
EIGHTH STATION: JESUS COMFORTS THE WOMEN OF JERUSALEM
V. Adoramus te, Christe, et benedicimus tibi.
R. Quia per sanctam Crucem tuam redemisti mundum.
Of all things on earth, that which we know least is our own self. We know the sins and defects of others a thousand times better than our own, and see forever the mote in our brother’s eye, but not the beam in our own. That great truth, it seems, was unheeded on the journey to Calvary. The pious women of Jerusalem, though quite unafraid to declare their loyalty before impious men, yet saw only the suffering Christ whom they loved; they did not see the loving Christ who suffered for them. They sympathized with the pain, but did not see themselves as the cause of that pain. It was their own sins and mine as well, which He took upon Himself, and as if to bring that truth home to us all there welled up from the depths of the Sacred Heart the plaintive words: “Weep not for Me, but weep for yourselves.”
Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
(All kneel and recite)
O Jesus, let me see the personal equation between my sins and Calvary. Let me weep not for Thee apart from me, but for Thee on account of me. Let me see that if I had been less proud, the crown of thorns would have been less piercing; that if I had been less selfwilled, the Cross would have been less heavy; that if I had been less sinful, the road would have been much shorter. Give me the grace to weep for my sins, and since sorrow and joy share the same source, which is the fountain of tears, give me also to understand that my sorrows may one day, through Thy Love, be changed into everlasting joy.
Our Father
V. Miserere nostri, Domine.
R. Miserere nostri.
Fidelium animae per misericordiam Dei requiescant in pace Amen
NINTH STATION: AGAIN, A THIRD TIME, JESUS FALLS
V. Adoramus te, Christe, et benedicimus tibi.
R. Quia per sanctam Crucem tuam redemisti mundum.
The third temptation on the mount was the temptation, not of the flesh or the world, but of the devil himself, asking Our Blessed Lord to fall down and adore him, promising He would be given all the kingdoms of the earth. But Jesus said to him: “Begone, Satan, for it is written: ‘The Lord thy God shalt thou adore, and Him only shalt thou serve.'”
There have been countless occasions in my life when I exchanged the priceless treasure of Thy grace for the toy of some passing pleasure. Unlike Christ, I have believed the devil’s lies, and bartered eternity for time, peace for remorse, and the freedom of the children of God for the terrible slavery of sin. And each time I have learned that whereas Satan promises the pleasure of his kingdom, he actually gives only his barren desert of unhappiness and pain.
Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
(All kneel and recite)
Many times, dear Jesus, I promised Thee, after having fallen by the flesh and the world, I would never fall again. This, Thy third fall, dear Jesus, is a witness that I have fallen by the snares of the devil, but by rising again Thou hast given me another pledge of hope. Thou hast taught me now that there are two classes of people in the world: those who fall and stay down, and those who fall and get up again. By this third fall, Thou hast purchased for me the grace of rising again. Never let me fall again. The devil would give the world to have my soul; Thou art giving Thy very life to have it. Therefore, dear Jesus, it must be worth saving! O help me save it.
Our Father
V. Miserere nostri, Domine.
R. Miserere nostri.
Fidelium animae per misericordiam Dei requiescant in pace. Amen
TENTH STATION: JESUS IS STRIPPED, AND DRENCHED WITH GALL
V. Adoramus te, Christe, et benedicimus tibi.
R. Quia per sanctam Crucem tuam redemisti mundum.
God’s dealing with man has been a continuous process of overflowing goodness. The first overflowing was giving things existence, and that was creation; the second was the over-flowing of the secrets of His love, and that was revelation. Finally, love, which knows no limits, exhausted itself in the Incarnation, for here in the language of Paul, “He emptied Himself,” cast His glory into the background, and took upon Himself the form and habit of man.
Now on the hill of Calvary, Jesus wills not only to empty Himself of His Divine glory, but even the least of His earthly possessions. The Heavenly Vagabond, who had nowhere to lay His head, is now stripped of His garments, so that in death He might have nothing but give all, and thus be utterly empty.
Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, That we may he made worthy of the promises of Christ.
(All kneel and recite)
But, Jesus, love is reciprocal, and every emptying implies a filling. If Thou hast emptied Thyself by giving us divine life, was it not because I should be filled by it? Grant, then, dear Jesus, that I may be emptied of selfishness, and filled with Thy charity; emptied of sins, and filled with Thy grace; emptied of earthliness, and filled with heavenliness. Strip me of the garments which are worldly, and clothe me with the white robe of baptism, so that through the poverty of earthly things, I may become rich. Strengthen me to repay Thy life of emptying by my love of sacrifice, and by filling up in my body the sufferings which are wanting to Thy Passion, O Christ!
Our Father
V. Miserere nostri, Domine.
R. Miserere nostri.
Fidelium animae per misericordiam Dei requiescant in pace. Amen
ELEVENTH STATION: JESUS IS NAILED TO THE CROSS
V. Adoramus te, Christe, et benedicimus tibi.
R. Quia per sanctam Crucem tuam redemisti mundum.
Our Blessed Lord mounts His pulpit for the last time. This time it is not Peter’s bark, nor Galilean hills, but the pulpit of the Cross which, like the words He shall utter, will itself be eloquent even when time shall be no more. The Preacher is the Word of God; the congregation is made up of soldiers who shake dice for His garments; of unbelievers, whose mouths are craters of hate and volcanoes of blasphemy; and of the faithful ones – Mary, Magdalen, and John – innocence, penitence and priesthood – the three types of souls forever to be found beneath the pulpit of the Cross. The sermon is the Seven Last Words – words of love and forgiveness – first to enemies: “Forgive them, for they know not what they do;” then to sinners: “This day thou shalt be with Me in paradise;” then to saints: “Mother, behold thy son.”
Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, That we may he made worthy of the promises of Christ.
(All kneel and recite)
Dear Jesus, as I listen to Thy sermon, which reveals Thy tremendous thirst for love, I begin to discover what love really is, and how many times I have crucified it: Thy hands, so often raised to bless me, I have nailed fast; Thy feet, which so often sought me in devious ways of sin, I dug with steel; Thy lips, which have so often summoned me from paths of wickedness, I blistered with dust. And now I hear Thy word of love which pardons and forgives, and I begin to understand that when I pierced Thy heart, it was my own I slew. To Thy Cross I now return as the chalice of all common miseries and the hope of forlorn sinners. Ever beneath it, let me learn the lesson that it does not require much time to make me a saint, but only much love; and that, if I had never sinned, O Jesus, I never could call Thee “Savior.”
Our Father
V. Miserere nostri, Domine.
R. Miserere nostri.
Fidelium animae per misericordiam Dei requiescant in pace. Amen
TWELFTH STATION: JESUS DIES UPON THE CROSS
V. Adoramus te, Christe, et benedicimus tibi.
R. Quia per sanctam Crucem tuam redemisti mundum.
The great funeral pyre of suffering gradually burns itself out, and the blood of the GodMan dries on the Cross in testimony of His passing. His garments are bequeathed to His executioners, His blood to the earth, His body to the grave, His Mother to John, and His soul to His Heavenly Father. Finishing the last word of His testament, He bows His head and dies. His spirit descends into Limbo, and His escort is a thief. All is finished now. God has had His revenge. Three things cooperated in our fall: the disobedient man: Adam; the proud woman: Eve; and the tree. Our Redeemer uses the same three to lift us back to divine life; the obedient Man: Christ; the humble new Eve: Mary; and the tree which is the tree of the Cross. But the triumph is not yet apparent, for from the group around the Cross there comes a cry of their now momentary victory; “Others He saved, Himself He cannot save.”
Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, That we may he made worthy of the promises of Christ.
(All kneel and recite)
O Jesus, of course you cannot! No man can save himself, if he is to save another. Thy weakness is not that of impotency, but obedience to a law which is the law of sacrifice. The leaves cannot save themselves, if they are to bud the greenery, nor the acorn save itself if it is to spring forth the oak. Nor canst Thou, O Jesus, save Thyself if Thou art really saving us from sin. Grant me an everlasting and abiding love for Thy Redemption, and while on earth, let me see, that there is no such thing as walking around the Cross – the outstretched arms will not let me do that. Grant that like Thee, I may lose my life for time, and thus by the strangest of strange paradoxes, save it for eternity.
Our Father
V. Miserere nostri, Domine.
R. Miserere nostri.
Fidelium animae per misericordiam Dei requiescant in pace. Amen
THIRTEENTH STATION: JESUS IS TAKEN FROM THE CROSS, AND LAID IN MARY'S BOSOM
V. Adoramus te, Christe, et benedicimus tibi.
R. Quia per sanctam Crucem tuam redemisti mundum.
The Prodigal Son has returned, for is not Jesus the prodigal? Thirty-three years ago He left His Father’s heavenly home and went off into the foreign country of this world, spending Himself and being spent, teaching mankind, opening blind eyes to the light of God’s sunshine, and unstopping deaf ears to the music of the human voice. And now, the heavenly Spendthrift has wasted the substance of His body and blood amongst sinners, and quite spent and exhausted, is laid in the arms of His Blessed Mother, who for the moment thinks that Bethlehem has come back again.
Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
(All kneel and recite)
Oh, no, Mary! Bethlehem has not come back! Those hands that once clutched at Magi gifts are carpentered with nails; that baby brow on which majesty once made its throne is now wearing a crown of thorns; the baby feet that once could not walk because they could not bear the weight of Divine Omnipotence, now cannot walk because pierced with nails. Someone, Mary, has intervened between Bethlehem and this hour. It is not Bethlehem returning! It is Calvary! And that which intervened is my sins! O, Mary, intercede for me to Thy Son. Let me draw from thy heart thy seven swords. Mother of God, let me be thy prodigal!
Hail Mary
V. Miserere nostri, Domine.
R. Miserere nostri.
Fidelium animae per misericordiam Dei requiescant in pace. Amen
FOURTEENTH STATION: JESUS IS LAID IN THE TOMB
V. Adoramus te, Christe, et benedicimus tibi.
R. Quia per sanctam Crucem tuam redemisti mundum.
Generally, the world is willing to concede at least a twofold hospitality: a place in which to be born, and a place in which to die. But both of these it denied Him who is the Master of life and death. For birth, He was given a cave under the floor of the world; for death, He was given the bed of the Cross, for a pillow, a crown of thorns, and, lest hands and feet should slip out, they tucked them in with nails. And thus the glory of His birth was hidden in the least of the cities of Israel, and the ignominy of His death in the greatest of them all. Born in a stranger’s cave, buried in a stranger’s grave, Christ declares to the world that human birth and human death were equally foreign to Him; but to whom can earthly birth and earthly death be strange, except to God?
Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
(All kneel and recite)
Sweet Jesus, now I understand, as Thou art placed in the sepulchre, that the law of life is the law of death, that nothing is born but that something dies, and nothing dies but that something lives. Thy life has taught me that unless there is a Cross there will never be an empty tomb; unless there is a crown of thorns there will never be a halo of light; and unless there is a scourged body there will never be a glorified body. Having the joy of Thy resurrection set before me, give me strength to endure the Cross and share in the fellowship of Thy sufferings until that other resurrection day, when in the heavenly Jerusalem, tears shall be wiped away, and Thy love which is God shall reign forever and ever. Amen.
Our Father
V. Miserere nostri, Domine.
R. Miserere nostri.
Fidelium animae per misericordiam Dei requiescant in pace. Amen
PRAYER AFTER THE WAY OF THE CROSS
Offered for the Intention of the Holy Father, Vicar of Jesus Christ.
Dear Jesus, Thou art the Word of God, and the Word of God, Thou hast told us, is a seed which bringeth forth life only on condition that it falleth to the ground. As the seed of ever-lasting life, Thou didst fall to the earth by Thy death on Good Friday, but Thou didst gloriously rise to Thy new life on Easter Sunday. Thus Thou hast taught us that Christian living means dying to the world in a Calvary of time, as a prelude to an eternity-long Easter in heaven. Grant that on that day when Thou wilt come in the clouds of heaven to judge the living and the dead, bearing Thy Cross as a sign of triumph and Thy scars as pledges of love, that I may show Thee my cross and my scars, and in return be privileged to hear from Thy own lips: “Come, ye blessed of My Father into the Kingdom prepared for you from all eternity.”
Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.
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Preparatory Prayer
Most merciful Lord, * with a contrite heart and penitent spirit * I bow down before Thy divine Majesty. * I adore Thee as my supreme Lord and Master. * I believe in Thee, * I hope in Thee, * I love Thee above all things. * I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, * my only and supreme God. * I firmly resolve to amend my life; * and although I am unworthy to obtain mercy, * yet looking upon Thy holy Cross * I am filled with peace and consolation. * I will, therefore, meditate on Thy sufferings, * and visit the Stations * in company with Thy sorrowful Mother * and my holy Guardian Angel, * to promote Thy honor and to save my soul.
I desire to gain all indulgences granted to this holy exercise * for myself and for the souls in Purgatory.
O Loving Jesus, * inflame my cold heart with Thy love, * that I may perform this devotion as perfectly as possible, * and that I may live and die in union with Thee. Amen.
First Station – Jesus Is Condemned to Death
V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee.
R. Because by Thy holy Cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.Jesus, the most innocent of beings, is condemned to death, yes, to the shameful death of the cross. In order to remain a friend of Caesar, Pilate delivers Jesus into the hands of His enemies. O fearful crime, to condemn Innocence to death and to displease God in order to please men.
O innocent Jesus, * I have sinned and I am guilty of eternal death; * but that I may Live, * Thou dost gladly accept the unjust sentence of death. * For whom then shall I henceforth live * if not for Thee, my Lord? * If I desire to please men, * I can not be Thy servant. * Let me, therefore, rather displease the whole world * than not please Thee, O Jesus!
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.
V. Lord Jesus, crucified.
R. Have mercy on us.Second Station – Jesus Carries His Cross
V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee.
R. Because by Thy holy Cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.When our divine Redeemer beheld the Cross, He most willingly reached out to it with His bleeding arms. He embraced it lovingly, kissed it tenderly, took it on His bruised shoulders, and, exhausted as He was, He carried it joyfully.
O my Jesus, * I can not be Thy friend and follower * if I refuse to carry my cross. * O beloved cross, * I embrace Thee, * I kiss Thee, * I joyfully accept Thee from the hand of my God. * Far be it from me to glory in anything * save in the Cross of my Lord and Redeemer. * By it the world shall be crucified to me, * and I to the world, * that I may be Thine forever.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.
V. Lord Jesus, crucified.
R. Have mercy on us.Third Station – Jesus Falls the First Time
V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee.
R. Because by Thy holy Cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.Carrying the Cross, our dear Savior was so weakened with its heavy weight that He fell exhausted to the ground. The Cross was light and sweet to Him, but our sins made it so heavy and hard to carry.
Beloved Jesus, * Thou didst carry the burden and the heavy weight of my sins. * Should I then not bear in union with Thee * my light burden of suffering, * and accept the sweet yoke of Thy commandments? * Thy yoke is sweet and Thy burden is light. * I willingly accept it. * I will take up my cross and follow Thee.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.
V. Lord Jesus, crucified.
R. Have mercy on us.Fourth Station – Jesus Meets His Blessed Mother
V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee.
R. Because by Thy holy Cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.How sad and how painful must it have been for Mary to behold her beloved Son laden with the Cross, covered with wounds and blood, and driven through the streets by savage executioners! What unspeakable pangs her most tender heart must have experienced! How earnestly did she desire to die instead of Jesus, or at least with Him!
O Jesus, * O Mary, * I am the cause of the pains that pierced your hearts. * Would that my heart might experience some of your sufferings. * O Mother, * let me share in thy sufferings and those of they Son, * that I may obtain the grace of a happy death.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.
V. Lord Jesus, crucified.
R. Have mercy on us.Fifth Station – Simon of Cyrene Helps Jesus Carry His Cross
V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee.
R. Because by Thy holy Cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.Simon of Cyrene was forced to help our exhausted Savior carry His Cross. How pleased would Jesus have been, had Simon offered his services of his own accord. However, Simon was not invited by Christ as you are. He says: “Take up your cross and follow Me.” Nevertheless you recoil, and carry it grudgingly.
O Jesus, * whosoever does not take up his cross and follow Thee, * is not worthy of Thee. * Behold, I cheerfully join Thee on the way of the cross. * I desire to carry it with all patience until death, * that I may prove worthy of Thee.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.
V. Lord Jesus, crucified.
R. Have mercy on us.Sixth Station – Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus
V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee.
R. Because by Thy holy Cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.Moved by compassion, Veronica presents her veil to Jesus, to wipe His disfigured face. He imprints on it His holy countenance, and returns it to her as a recompense. Shall Christ reward you in like manner? Then you too must do Him a service. But you do a service to Christ every time you perform a work of mercy towards your neighbor: for He says: “What you have done to the least of My brethren, you have done to Me.”
Dearest Jesus, * what return shall I make Thee for all Thy benefits? * Behold, I consecrate myself entirely to Thy service. * My whole heart I give to Thee; * stamp on it Thy holy image, * that I may never forget Thee.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.
V. Lord Jesus, crucified.
R. Have mercy on us.Seventh Station – Jesus Falls the Second Time
V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee.
R. Because by Thy holy Cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.Overwhelmed by the weight of the Cross, Jesus falls again to the ground. But the cruel executioners do not permit Him to rest a moment. With thrusts and blows they urge Him onward. With what cruelty Jesus in treated and trampled under foot! Remember, compassionate soul, that your sins caused Jesus this painful fall.
Have mercy on me, O Jesus, * and help me never to fall into my former sins. * From this moment I will strive sincerely * never to sin again. * But Thou, O Jesus, strengthen me with Thy grace, * that I may faithfully carry out my resolution.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.
V. Lord Jesus, crucified.
R. Have mercy on us.Eighth Station – Jesus Speaks to the Women of Jerusalem
V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee.
R. Because by Thy holy Cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.Moved by compassion, these devoted women weep over our suffering Savior. But He turns to them and says: “Weep not for Me, but weep for yourselves and your children. Weep for your sins and those of your children; for they are the cause of My suffering.” You also must weep over your sins, for there is nothing more pleasing to our Lord and more useful to yourself than the tears you shed out of contrition for your sins.
O Jesus, * who shall give my eyes a torrent of tears, * that I may day and night weep over my sins? * I beseech Thee by Thy bitter and bloody tears * to move my heart, * so that tears may flow in abundance from my eyes, * and that I may weep over Thy sufferings * and over my sins until death.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.
V. Lord Jesus, crucified.
R. Have mercy on us.Ninth Station – Jesus Falls the Third Time
V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee.
R. Because by Thy holy Cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.Exhausted at the foot of Calvary, Jesus falls for the third time to the ground. How painfully must have been reopened all the wounds of His tender body by these repeated falls. And how enormous must my sins be, to cause Jesus to fall so painfully. Had not Jesus taken my sins upon Himself, they would have plunged me into the abyss of Hell.
Most merciful Jesus, * I return Thee a thousand thanks * for not permitting me to die in my sins * and fall into the abyss of Hell, * as I have deserved so often. * Enkindle in me a sincere desire to amend my life. * Let me never again fall into sin, * but grant me the grace of final perseverance.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.
V. Lord Jesus, crucified.
R. Have mercy on us.Tenth Station – Jesus Is Stripped of His Garments
V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee.
R. Because by Thy holy Cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.Arriving on Calvary, Jesus was cruelly deprived of His garments. How painful the stripping must have been, because the garments adhered to His mangled body, so that in removing them parts of the flesh were torn away. Jesus is deprived of His garments that He may die possessed of nothing. How happy shall not I die after laying aside my evil habits and tendencies!
Help me, O Jesus, to amend my life. * Let it be renewed according to Thy will and desire. * However painful the correction may be to me, * I will not spare myself. * With the assistance of Thy grace, * I will refrain from all sinful pleasure and vain amusement, * that I may die happy and live forever.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.
V. Lord Jesus, crucified.
R. Have mercy on us.Eleventh Station – Jesus Is Nailed to the Cross
V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee.
R. Because by Thy holy Cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.Stripped of His garments, Jesus is violently thrown down on the Cross. His hands and His feet are nailed to it in the most cruel way. Jesus remains silent, because it so pleases His heavenly Father. He suffers patiently, because He suffers for you. How do you act in sufferings and trials? How fretful and impatient, how full of complaints are you!
O Jesus, * meek and patient Lamb, * I renounce forever my impatience. * Crucify, O Lord, my flesh, * with its evil desires and vices. * Punish and afflict me in this life, * but spare me in the next. * I resign myself altogether to Thy holy will. * May it be done in all things.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.
V. Lord Jesus, crucified.
R. Have mercy on us.Twelfth Station – Jesus Dies on the Cross
V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee.
R. Because by Thy holy Cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.Behold Jesus crucified! Behold His wounds received for love of you! His whole appearance betokens love. His head is bent to kiss you. His arms are extended to embrace you. His heart is open to receive you. Oh what love! Jesus dies on the Cross, to preserve you from eternal death.
Most lovable Jesus, * who will grant that I may die for love of Thee? * I will endeavor to die to the world and its vanities * when I behold Thee on the Cross * covered with wounds and crowned with thorns. * Merciful Jesus, * take me into Thy wounded heart, * that I may despise all perishable things, * to live and die for Thee alone.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.
V. Lord Jesus, crucified.
R. Have mercy on us. Let me mingle tears with thee, Mourning Him who mourned for me, All the days that I may live.Thirteenth Station – Jesus Is Taken Down From the Cross
V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee.
R. Because by Thy holy Cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.Jesus did not descend from the Cross, but remained on it till His death. When taken down, He rested on the bosom of His beloved Mother as He had so often done in life. Persevere in your good resolutions, and do not flee from the cross. For he who perseveres till the end shall be saved. Consider, moreover, how pure the heart should be that receives the body and blood of Jesus Christ in the adorable Sacrament of the Altar.
O Lord Jesus crucified! * I most earnestly entreat Thee: * Help me do what is right * and let me not be separated from Thy Cross, * for on it I desire to live and to die. * Create in me, O Lord, a clean heart, * that I may worthily receive Thee in Holy Communion, and that Thou mayest remain in me, * and I in Thee, * for all eternity.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.
V. Lord Jesus, crucified.
R. Have mercy on us.Fourteenth Station – Jesus Is Laid in the Tomb
V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee.
R. Because by Thy holy Cross, Thou hast redeemed the world.The body of Jesus is laid in a stranger’s tomb. He Who in this world had not whereon to rest His head, would have no grave of His own after death. You whose heart is still attached to this world, despise it that you may not perish with it.
O Jesus, * Thou hast singled me out from the world, * what then shall I seek in it? * Thou hast created me for Heaven, * what then shall I desire upon earth? * Depart from me, deceitful world, with thy vanities! Henceforth I will walk the way of the Cross * traced out for me by my Redeemer, * and journey onward to my heavenly home, * where my rest and my joy shall be forever.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.
V. Lord Jesus, crucified.
R. Have mercy on us. Virgin of all virgins best, Listen to my fond request: Let me share thy grief divine.Concluding Prayer
Almighty and eternal God, merciful Father, who hast given to the human race Thy beloved Son as an example of humility, obedience, and patience, to precede us on the way of life, bearing the cross: Graciously grant us that we, inflamed by His infinite love, may take up the sweet yoke of His Gospel together with the mortification of the cross, following Him as His true disciples, so that we shall one day gloriously rise with Him and joyfully hear the final sentence: “Come, ye blessed of My Father, and possess the kingdom which was prepared for you from the beginning,” where Thou reignest with the Son and the Holy Ghost, and where we hope to reign with Thee, world without end. Amen.-Saint Francis of Assisi
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Begin with an Act of Contrition.
First Station: Jesus condemned to Death
V. We adore thee, O Christ, and we bless thee.
R. Because by thy holy Cross thou hast redeemed the world.THE Holy, Just, and True was judged by sinners, and put to death. Yet, while they judged, they were compelled to acquit Him. Judas, who betrayed Him, said, "I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood." Pilate, who sentenced Him, said, "I am innocent of the blood of this just person," and threw the guilt upon the Jews. The Centurion who saw Him crucified said, "Indeed this was a just man." Thus ever, O Lord, Thou art justified in Thy words, and dost overcome when Thou art judged. And so, much more, at the last day "They shall look on Him whom they pierced"; and He who was condemned in weakness shall judge the world in power, and even those who are condemned will confess their judgment is just.
V. Have mercy on us, O Lord.
R. Have mercy on us.The Second Station: Jesus receives His Cross
V. We adore thee, O Christ, and we bless thee.
R. Because by thy holy Cross thou hast redeemed the world.JESUS supports the whole world by His divine power, for He is God; but the weight was less heavy than was the Cross which our sins hewed out for Him. Our sins cost Him this humiliation. He had to take on Him our nature, and to appear among us as a man, and to offer up for us a great sacrifice. He had to pass a life in penance, and to endure His passion and death at the end of it. O Lord God Almighty, who dost bear the weight of the whole world without weariness, who bore the weight of all our sins, though they wearied Thee, as Thou art the Preserver of our bodies by Thy Providence, so be Thou the Saviour of our souls by Thy precious blood.
V. Have mercy on us, O Lord.
R. Have mercy on us.The Third Station: Jesus falls under the weight of the Cross the first time
V. We adore thee, O Christ, and we bless thee.
R. Because by thy holy Cross thou hast redeemed the world.SATAN fell from heaven in the beginning; by the just sentence of his Creator he fell, against whom he had rebelled. And when he had succeeded in gaining man to join him in his rebellion, and his Maker came to save him, then his brief hour of triumph came, and he made the most of it. When the Holiest had taken flesh, and was in his power, then in his revenge and malice he determined, as he himself had been struck down by the Almighty arm, to strike in turn a heavy blow at Him who struck him. Therefore it was that Jesus fell down so suddenly. O dear Lord, by this Thy first fall raise us all out of sin, who have so miserably fallen under its power.
V. Have mercy on us, O Lord.
R. Have mercy on us.The Fourth Station: Jesus meets His Mother
V. We adore thee, O Christ, and we bless thee.
R. Because by thy holy Cross thou hast redeemed the world.THERE is no part of the history of Jesus but Mary has her part in it. There are those who profess to be His servants, who think that her work was ended when she bore Him, and after that she had nothing to do but disappear and be forgotten. But we, O Lord, Thy children of the Catholic Church, do not so think of Thy Mother. She brought the tender infant into the Temple, she lifted Him up in her arms when the wise men came to adore Him. She fled with Him to Egypt, she took Him up to Jerusalem when He was twelve years old. He lived with her at Nazareth for thirty years. She was with Him at the marriage-feast. Even when He had left her to preach, she hovered about Him. And now she shows herself as He toils along the Sacred Way with His cross on His shoulders. Sweet Mother, let us ever think of thee when we think of Jesus, and when we pray to Him, ever aid us by thy powerful intercession.
V. Have mercy on us, O Lord.
R. Have mercy on us.The Fifth Station: Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus to carry the Cross
V. We adore thee, O Christ, and we bless thee.
R. Because by thy holy Cross thou hast redeemed the world.JESUS could bear His Cross alone, did He so will; but He permits Simon to help Him, in order to remind us that we must take part in His sufferings, and have a fellowship in His work. His merit is infinite, yet He condescends to let His people add their merit to it. The sanctity of the Blessed Virgin, the blood of the Martyrs, the prayers and penances of the Saints, the good deeds of all the faithful, take part in that work which, nevertheless, is perfect without them. He saves us by His blood, but it is through and with ourselves that He saves us. Dear Lord, teach us to suffer with Thee, make it pleasant to us to suffer for Thy sake, and sanctify all our sufferings by the merits of Thy own.
V. Have mercy on us, O Lord.
R. Have mercy on us.The Sixth Station: The Face of Jesus is wiped by Veronica
V. We adore thee, O Christ, and we bless thee.
R. Because by thy holy Cross thou hast redeemed the world.JESUS let the pious woman carry off an impression of His Sacred Countenance, which was to last to future ages. He did this to remind us all, that His image must ever be impressed on all our hearts. Whoever we are, in whatever part of the earth, in whatever age of the world, Jesus must live in our hearts. We may differ from each other in many things, but in this we must all agree, if we are His true children. We must bear about with us the napkin of St. Veronica; we must ever meditate upon His death and resurrection, we must ever imitate His divine excellence, according to our measure. Lord, let our countenances be ever pleasing in Thy sight, not defiled with sin, but bathed and washed white in Thy precious blood.
V. Have mercy on us, O Lord.
R. Have mercy on us.The Seventh Station: Jesus falls a second time
V. We adore thee, O Christ, and we bless thee.
R. Because by thy holy Cross thou hast redeemed the world.SATAN had a second fall, when our Lord came upon earth. By that time he had usurped the dominion of the whole world�and he called himself its king. And he dared to take up the Holy Saviour in his arms, and show Him all kingdoms, and blasphemously promise to give them to Him, His Maker, if He would adore him. Jesus answered, "Begone, Satan!"�and Satan fell down from the high mountain. And Jesus bare witness to it when He said, "I saw Satan, as lightning, falling from heaven." The Evil One remembered this second defeat, and so now he smote down the Innocent Lord a second time, now that he had Him in his power. O dear Lord, teach us to suffer with Thee, and not be afraid of Satan's buffetings, when they come on us from resisting him.
V. Have mercy on us, O Lord.
R. Have mercy on us.The Eighth Station: The Women of Jerusalem mourn for Our Lord
V. We adore thee, O Christ, and we bless thee.
R. Because by thy holy Cross thou hast redeemed the world.EVER since the prophecy of old time, that the Saviour of man was to be born of a woman of the stock of Abraham, the Jewish women had desired to bear Him. Yet, now that He was really come, how different, as the Gospel tells us, was the event from what they had expected. He said to them "that the days were coming when they should say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that have not borne, and the breasts which have not given suck." Ah, Lord, we know not what is good for us, and what is bad. We cannot foretell the future, nor do we know, when Thou comest to visit us, in what form Thou wilt come. And therefore we leave it all to Thee. Do Thou Thy good pleasure to us and in us. Let us ever look at Thee, and do Thou look upon us, and give us the grace of Thy bitter Cross and Passion, and console us in Thy own way and at Thy own time.
V. Have mercy on us, O Lord.
R. Have mercy on us.The Ninth Station: Jesus falls the third time
V. We adore thee, O Christ, and we bless thee.
R. Because by thy holy Cross thou hast redeemed the world.SATAN will have a third and final fall at the end of the world, when he will be shut up for good in the everlasting fiery prison. He knew this was to be his end�he has no hope, but despair only. He knew that no suffering which he could at that moment inflict upon the Saviour of men would avail to rescue himself from that inevitable doom. But, in horrible rage and hatred, he determined to insult and torture while he could the great King whose throne is everlasting. Therefore a third time he smote Him down fiercely to the earth. O Jesus, Only-begotten Son of God, the Word Incarnate, we adore with fear and trembling and deep thankfulness Thy awful humiliation, that Thou who art the Highest, should have permitted Thyself, even for one hour, to be the sport and prey of the Evil One.
V. Have mercy on us, O Lord.
R. Have mercy on us.The Tenth Station: Jesus is stripped of His Garments
V. We adore thee, O Christ, and we bless thee.
R. Because by thy holy Cross thou hast redeemed the world.JESUS would give up everything of this world, before He left it. He exercised the most perfect poverty. When He left the Holy House of Nazareth, and went out to preach, He had not where to lay His head. He lived on the poorest food, and on what was given to Him by those who loved and served Him. And therefore He chose a death in which not even His clothes were left to Him. He parted with what seemed most necessary, and even a part of Him, by the law of human nature since the fall. Grant us in like manner, O dear Lord, to care nothing for anything on earth, and to bear the loss of all things, and to endure even shame, reproach, contempt, and mockery, rather than that Thou shalt be ashamed of us at the last day.
V. Have mercy on us, O Lord.
R. Have mercy on us.The Eleventh Station: Jesus is nailed to the Cross
V. We adore thee, O Christ, and we bless thee.
R. Because by thy holy Cross thou hast redeemed the world.JESUS is pierced through each hand and each foot with a sharp nail. His eyes are dimmed with blood, and are closed by the swollen lids and livid brows which the blows of His executioners have caused. His mouth is filled with vinegar and gall. His head is encircled by the sharp thorns. His heart is pierced with the spear. Thus, all His senses are mortified and crucified, that He may make atonement for every kind of human sin. O Jesus, mortify and crucify us with Thee. Let us never sin by hand or foot, by eyes or mouth, or by head or heart. Let all our senses be a sacrifice to Thee; let every member sing Thy praise. Let the sacred blood which flowed from Thy five wounds anoint us with such sanctifying grace that we may die to the world, and live only to Thee.
V. Have mercy on us, O Lord.
R. Have mercy on us.The Twelfth Station: Jesus dies upon the Cross
V. We adore thee, O Christ, and we bless thee.
R. Because by thy holy Cross thou hast redeemed the world.CONSUMMATUM est." It is completed�it has come to a full end. The mystery of God's love towards us is accomplished. The price is paid, and we are redeemed. The Eternal Father determined not to pardon us without a price, in order to show us especial favour. He condescended to make us valuable to Him. What we buy we put a value on. He might have saved us without a price�by the mere fiat of His will. But to show His love for us He took a price, which, if there was to be a price set upon us at all, if there was any ransom at all to be taken for the guilt of our sins, could be nothing short of the death of His Son in our nature. O my God and Father, Thou hast valued us so much as to pay the highest of all possible prices for our sinful souls and shall we not love and choose Thee above all things as the one necessary and one only good?
V. Have mercy on us, O Lord.
R. Have mercy on us.The Thirteenth Station: Jesus is laid in the arms of His Blessed Mother
V. We adore thee, O Christ, and we bless thee.
R. Because by thy holy Cross thou hast redeemed the world.HE is Thy property now, O Virgin Mother, once again, for He and the world have met and parted. He went out from Thee to do His Father's work�and He has done and suffered it. Satan and bad men have now no longer any claim upon Him�too long has He been in their arms. Satan took Him up aloft to the high mountain; evil men lifted Him up upon the Cross. He has not been in Thy arms, O Mother of God, since He was a child�but now thou hast a claim upon Him, when the world has done its worst. For thou art the all-favoured, all-blessed, all-gracious Mother of the Highest. We rejoice in this great mystery. He has been hidden in thy womb, He has lain in thy bosom, He has been suckled at thy breasts, He has been carried in thy arms and now that He is dead, He is placed upon thy lap. Virgin Mother of God, pray for us.
V. Have mercy on us, O Lord.
R. Have mercy on us.The Fourteenth Station: Jesus is laid in the Sepulchre
V. We adore thee, O Christ, and we bless thee.
R. Because by thy holy Cross thou hast redeemed the world.JESUS, when He was nearest to His everlasting triumph, seemed to be farthest from triumphing. When He was nearest upon entering upon His kingdom, and exercising all power in heaven and earth, He was lying dead in a cave of the rock. He was wrapped round in burying-clothes, and confined within a sepulchre of stone, where He was soon to have a glorified spiritual body, which could penetrate all substances, go to and fro quicker than thought, and was about to ascend on high. Make us to trust in thee, O Jesus, that Thou wilt display in us a similar providence. Make us sure, O Lord, that the greater is our distress, the nearer we are to Thee. The more men scorn us, the more Thou dost honour us. The more men insult over us, the higher Thou wilt exalt us. The more they forget us, the more Thou dost keep us in mind. The more they abandon us, the closer Thou wilt bring us to Thyself.
V. Have mercy on us, O Lord.
R. Have mercy on us.LETUS PRAY
God, who by the Precious Blood of Thy only-begotten Son didst sanctify the standard of the Cross, grant, we beseech Thee, that we who rejoice in the glory of the same Holy Cross may at all times and places rejoice in Thy protection, through the same Christ, our Lord.
End with one Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory be, for the intention of the Sovereign Pontiff.
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I. JESUS IS CONDEMNED TO DEATH
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R. Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
IT IS AFTER TEN IN THE MORNING. The trial is moving to its close. There has been no conclusive evidence. The judge knows that his enemies have handed Jesus over to him out of envy, and he tries an absurd move: a choice between Barabbas, a criminal accused of robbery and murder, and Jesus, who says he is Christ. The people choose Barabbas. Pilate is frightened by the growing uproar. So he sends for water, and washes his hands in the sight of the people, saying as he does so: “I am innocent of the blood of this just man; it is your affair.” And having had Jesus scourged, he hands him over to them to be crucified. Their frenzied and possessed throats fall silent. As if God had already been vanquished... If only you and I had recognised the day of the Lord!
Our Father, and/or Hail Mary, and/or Glory be.
V. Have mercy on us, O Lord
R. Have mercy on us.
II. JESUS TAKES UP HIS CROSS
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R. Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
OFFERING NO RESISTANCE, Jesus gives himself up to the execution of the sentence. He is to be spared nothing, and upon his shoulders falls the weight of the ignominious cross. But, through love, the Cross is to become the throne from which he reigns.
Our Father, and/or Hail Mary, and/or Glory be.
V. Have mercy on us, O Lord
R. Have mercy on us.
III . JESUS FALLS THE FIRST TIME
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R. Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
THE WORN OUT BODY of Jesus staggers now beneath the huge Cross... Our Lord falls to the ground exhausted. Is it not true that as soon as you cease to be afraid of the Cross, of what people call the cross, when you set your will to accept the Will of God, then you find happiness, and all your worries, all your sufferings, physical or moral, pass away? Truly the Cross of Jesus is gentle and lovable. There, sorrows cease to count; there is only the joy of knowing that we are co-redeemers with Him.
Our Father, and/or Hail Mary, and/or Glory be.
V. Have mercy on us, O Lord
R. Have mercy on us.
IV. JESUS IS MET BY HIS BLESSED MOTHER
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R. Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
HAND IN HAND with Mary, you and I also want to console Jesus, by accepting always and in everything the Will of his Father, of our Father.
Our Father, and/or Hail Mary, and/or Glory be.
V. Have mercy on us, O Lord
R. Have mercy on us.
V. SIMON HELPS JESUS
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R. Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
IN THE WHOLE CONTEXT of the Passion, this help does not add up to very much. But for Jesus, a smile, a word, a gesture, a little bit of love is enough for him to pour out his grace bountifully on the soul of his friend... At times the Cross appears without our looking for it: it is Christ who is seeking us out. And if by chance, before this unexpected Cross which, perhaps, is therefore more difficult to understand, your heart were to show repugnance... don’t give it consolations. And, filled with a noble compassion, when it asks for them, say to it slowly, as one speaking in confidence: ‘Heart: heart on the Cross! Heart on the Cross!’
Our Father, and/or Hail Mary, and/or Glory be.
V. Have mercy on us, O Lord
R. Have mercy on us.
VI. JESUS’ FACE IS WIPED BY VERONICA
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R. Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
THE BELOVED FACE OF JESUS, that smiled upon children and was transfigured with glory on Mount Tabor, is now, as it were, concealed by suffering. But this suffering is our purification; the sweat and the blood, which disfigure and tarnish his features, serve to cleanse us.
Our Father, and/or Hail Mary, and/or Glory be.
V. Have mercy on us, O Lord
R. Have mercy on us.
VII. JESUS FALLS THE SECOND TIME
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R. Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
TO OUR FALLING AGAIN and again into evil, Jesus responds with his determination to redeem us, with an abundance of forgiveness. And, so that no one may despair, again he wearily raises himself, embracing the Cross.
Our Father, and/or Hail Mary, and/or Glory be.
V. Have mercy on us, O Lord
R. Have mercy on us.
VIII . JESUS CONSOLES THE WOMEN
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R. Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
A NUMBER OF WOMEN are unable to restrain their compassion and break into tears... But Our Lord wishes to channel their weeping towards a more supernatural motive, and he invites them to weep for sins... Your sins, my sins, the sins of all men, rise up. All the evil we have done and the good that we have neglected to do.
Our Father, and/or Hail Mary, and/or Glory be.
V. Have mercy on us, O Lord
R. Have mercy on us.
IX. JESUS FALLS THE THIRD TIME
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R. Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
MY GOD! MAY I HATE SIN, and unite myself to You, embracing the Holy Cross, so that I too may fulfil your most lovable Will. Stripped of every earthly attachment, with no other goal but your glory.... generously, offering myself with you in a perfect holocaust.
Our Father, and/or Hail Mary, and/or Glory be.
V. Have mercy on us, O Lord
R. Have mercy on us.
X. JESUS IS STRIPPED OF HIS GARMENTS
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R. Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
THE EXECUTIONERS TAKE HIS garments and divide them into four parts. But the cloak is without seam, so they say: ‘It would be better not to tear it, but let us cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.’ So Scripture is again fulfilled: ‘They divided my garments among them, for my vesture they cast lots.’ Despoiled, left in the most absolute poverty: our Lord is left with nothing save the wooden Cross. To reach God, Christ is the way; but Christ is on the Cross, and to climb up to the Cross we must have our hearts free.
Our Father, and/or Hail Mary, and/or Glory be.
V. Have mercy on us, O Lord
R. Have mercy on us.
XI. JESUS IS NAILED TO THE CROSS
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R. Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
NOW THEY ARE CRUCIFYING OUR LORD, and with him two thieves, one on his right and one on his left. Meanwhile, Jesus says: ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.’ It is Love that has brought Jesus to Calvary. And once on the Cross, all his gestures and all his words are of love, a love both calm and strong. With a gesture befitting an Eternal Priest, he opens his arms to the whole human race... And we, our souls rent with sorrow, say to Jesus sincerely: ‘I am yours, and I give my whole self to You; gladly do I nail myself to your Cross, ready to be in the cross-roads of this world a soul dedicated to You, to your glory, to the work of Redemption, the co-redemption of all mankind.’
Our Father, and/or Hail Mary, and/or Glory be.
V. Have mercy on us, O Lord
R. Have mercy on us.
XII. JESUS DIES ON THE CROSS
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R. Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS stands his Mother, Mary, with other holy women. Jesus looks at her; then he looks at the disciple whom he loves, and he says to his Mother: ‘Woman, behold thy son.’ Then he says to the disciple: ‘Behold thy mother.’ ... It is close on three o’clock, when Jesus cries out: ‘My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?’ ... ‘Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.’ And he expires. Love sacrifice; it is a fountain of interior life. Love the Cross, which is an altar of sacrifice. Love pain, until you drink, as Christ did, the very dregs of the chalice.
Our Father, and/or Hail Mary, and/or Glory be.
V. Have mercy on us, O Lord
R. Have mercy on us.
XIII. JESUS IS TAKEN DOWN FROM THE CROSS
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R. Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA and Nicodemus were not known publicly as disciples of the Master... But now, when things have turned bad, when the others have fled, they are not afraid to stand up for their Lord. Between the two of them they take down the body of Jesus and place it in the arms of his most holy Mother. Mary’s grief is renewed... The Blessed Virgin is our Mother, and we do not wish to, we cannot, leave her alone.
Our Father, and/or Hail Mary, and/or Glory be.
V. Have mercy on us, O Lord
R. Have mercy on us.
XIV. JESUS’ BODY IS BURIED
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R. Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
NOW IT IS ALL OVER. The work of our Redemption has been accomplished. We are now children of God, because Jesus has died for us and his death has ransomed us. Empti enim estis pretio magno! You and I have been bought at a great price. We must make our own the life and death of Christ. We must die through mortification and penance, so that Christ may live in us through Love. And then follow in the footsteps of Christ, with zeal to co-redeem all mankind.
Our Father, and/or Hail Mary, and/or Glory be.
V. Have mercy on us, O Lord
R. Have mercy on us.