STATIONS
OF THE CROSS
ACT OF CONTRITION
O my God, my Redeemer, behold me here at Thy feet. From the bottom of my heart
I am sorry for all my sins, because by them I have offended Thee, Who art infinitely
good. I will die rather than offend thee again.
Where it began: Gethsemane
Index:
Shortened version of the stations
Where it began....Gethsemane
MARK: 32They went to a place called Gethsemane, and
Jesus said to his disciples, "Sit here while I pray." 33He took
Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed
and troubled. 34"My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point
of death," he said to them. "Stay here and keep watch."
35Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible
the hour might pass from him. 36"Abba, Father," he said,
"everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what
I will, but what you will."
37Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Simon,"
he said to Peter, "are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one
hour? 38Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The
spirit is willing, but the body is weak."
39Once more he went away and prayed the same thing. 40When he came back,
he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did
not know what to say to him.
41Returning the third time, he said to them, "Are you still sleeping
and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is betrayed
into the hands of sinners. 42Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!" |
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First Station:
Jesus Is Condemned to Die
Leader - We adore Thee, O Christ, and bless Thee.
All - Because by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.
Jesus, you stand all alone before Pilate. Nobody speaks
up for you. Nobody 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 don't seem to remember that as they prepare to put you
to death.
As a child, sometimes I feel alone. Sometimes I feel
that others don't stand up for me and defend me when I am afraid. Sometimes
I don't feel like I am treated fairly, especially if I am scolded or corrected.
As an adult, sometimes I feel abandoned and afraid as
well. Sometimes I too, feel like I am treated unfairly or blamed for things
unfairly. I have a hard time when people criticize me at home or at work.
Help me be grateful for what you did for me. Help me
to accept criticism and unfairness as you did, and not complain. Help
me pray for those who have hurt me.
My Jesus, often have I signed The death warrant by my sins; save me by
Thy death from that eternal death which I have so often deserved.
Our Father.... Hail Mary.... Glory Be to the Father....
Leader - Jesus Christ Crucified.
All - Have mercy on Us.
Leader - May the souls of the faithful departed, through the
mercy of God, Rest in peace.
All - Amen.
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Second Station:
Jesus carries His cross
Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise
you.
All: Because by your 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 wouldn't be easy, but you
accepted it and carried it just the same.
As a child, sometimes I don't like the problems that
come my way. Sometimes I try to get others to take care of them or solve
them for me. Sometimes I become upset and crabby when I'm asked to do
even the smallest thing to help others.
As an adult I sometimes feel like I'm not appreciated.
Sometimes I feel as if I accept more responsibility that I need to. I
can feel sorry for myself, even though the crosses others carry are much
larger than my own. In my self-pity, I don't reach out to help.
My Jesus, Who by Thine own will didst take on Thee the
most heavy cross I made for Thee by my sins, oh, make me feel their heavy
weight, and weep for them ever while I live.
Our Father.... Hail Mary.... Glory Be to the Father....
Leader - Jesus Christ Crucified.
All - Have mercy on Us.
Leader - May the souls of the faithful departed, through the
mercy of God, Rest in peace.
All - Amen.
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Third Station:
Jesus falls the first time
Leader: We adore you,
O Christ, and we praise you.
All: Because by your 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.
As a child, sometimes I start to do something, but then
get tired of it. I hurry to get finished and sometimes don't do my work
well. Sometimes I don't pay attention to what I should be doing. When
things get hard for me, sometimes I give up.
As an adult, I sometimes put things off. I give up too
easily, and sometimes don't do my work as well as I know I can.
My Jesus, the heavy burden of my sins is on Thee, and
bears Thee down beneath the cross. I loathe them, I detest them; I call
on Thee to pardon them; may Thy grace aid me never more to commit them.
Our Father.... Hail Mary.... Glory Be to the Father....
Leader - Jesus Christ Crucified.
All - Have mercy on Us.
Leader - May the souls of the faithful departed, through the
mercy of God, Rest in peace.
All - Amen
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Fourth Station:
Jesus meets his Mother
Leader: We adore you,
O Christ, and we praise you.
All: Because by your holy cross You have redeemed the world.
Jesus, you feel so alone with all those people yelling
and screaming at you. You don't like the words they are saying about you,
and you look for a friendly face in the crowd. You see your mother. She
can't 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.
As a child, sometimes I feel like too many things are
going on. Sometimes other kids pick on me and call me names. I need to
look around me for a friendly face, and for the help I need. I need to
share my troubles with those who truly care about me.
As an adult I sometimes feel overwhelmed by many things.
Life is so competitive, and I worry so much about my future and those
who have some control over it. I need to remember that being an adult
does not mean having to solve every problem all by myself. I need to look
around me for a friendly face, for the help I need.
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.
Our Father.... Hail Mary.... Glory be to the Father....
Leader - Jesus Christ Crucified.
All - Have mercy on Us.
Leader - May the souls of the faithful departed, through the
mercy of God, Rest in peace.
All - Amen
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Fifth Station:
Simon of Cyrene helps
Jesus to carry his Cross
Leader: We adore you,
O Christ, and we praise you.
All: Because by your holy cross You have redeemed the world.
Jesus, the soldiers are becoming impatient. This is taking
longer than they wanted it to. They are afraid you won't make it to the
hill where you will be crucified. 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 a sudden he is helping you carry your cross.
As a child, sometimes I see people who need my help.
Sometimes I pretend not to hear when my parents call me. I disappear when
I know others could use my help.
As an adult, sometimes I try to do as little as I can
and still get by. Others might need my help, but I ignore their needs.
Even when I'm asked to help, I sometimes claim to be too busy.
My Jesus, blest, thrice blest 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.
Our Father.... Hail Mary.... Glory be to the Father....
Leader - Jesus Christ Crucified.
All - Have mercy on Us.
Leader - May the souls of the faithful departed, through the
mercy of God, Rest in peace.
All - Amen
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Sixth Station:
Veronica wipes the face of Jesus
Leader: We adore you,
O Christ, and we praise you.
All: Because by your holy cross You have redeemed the world.
Jesus, 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 can't do much,
but she offers what little help she can.
As a child, sometimes I know someone could use a little
help and understanding. They may be picked on or teased by others, or
just sad or lonely. Sometimes I feel bad that others don't step in to
help, but I don't help either.
As an adult, I notice the needs around me. Sometimes
my own family members crave my attention, and I don't even seem to notice.
Sometimes a co-worker, friend, or family member could use help or understanding,
but I don't reach out to help lest I be criticized, or that they demand
more of me than I'd like to give.
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.
Our Father.... Hail Mary.... Glory be to the Father....
Leader - Jesus Christ Crucified.
All - Have mercy on Us.
Leader - May the souls of the faithful departed, through the
mercy of God, Rest in peace.
All - Amen
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Seventh Station:
Jesus falls the second time
Leader: We adore you,
O Christ, and we praise you.
All: Because by your 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're up and walking again.
You don't give up.
As a child, sometimes things get me down. Others seem
to find things easier to do or to learn. Each time I fail, I find it harder
to keep trying.
As an adult, sometimes I think I should know more than
I do. I become impatient with myself and find it hard to believe in myself
when I fail. It is easy to despair over small things, and sometimes I
do.
Help me when things seem difficult for me. Even when
it's hard, help me get up and keep trying as you did. Help me do my best
without comparing myself with others.
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.
Our Father.... Hail Mary.... Glory be to the Father....
Leader - Jesus Christ Crucified.
All - Have Mercy on Us.
Leader - May the souls of the faithful departed, through the
mercy of God, Rest in peace.
All - Amen
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Eighth Station:
Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem
Leader: We adore you,
O Christ, and we praise you.
All: Because by your 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 they are sad. You stop to spend
a moment with them, to offer them some encouragement. Although you are
have been abandoned by your friends and are in pain, you stop and try
to help them.
As a child, sometimes I think a lot about myself. I think
about what I want and would like people to spend their lives pleasing
me.
As an adult, sometimes I act like a child. I become so
absorbed in myself and what I'd like that I forget about the needs of
others. I take them for granted, and often ignore their needs.
Help me think more about others. Help me remembers that
others have problems, too. Help me respond to them even when I'm busy
or preoccupied with my own problems.
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 lies my trust. May my heart ever answer Thine.
Our Father.... Hail Mary.... Glory be to the Father....
Leader - Jesus Christ Crucified.
All - Have Mercy on Us.
Leader - May the souls of the faithful departed, through the
mercy of God, Rest in peace.
All - Amen
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Ninth Station:
Jesus falls a third time
Leader: We adore you,
O Christ, and we praise you.
All: Because by your 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.
As a child, sometimes I fail time and time again. I find
it hard to get along with my sisters and brothers, sometimes I'm not honest,
sometimes I'm lazy. I'm tempted to stop trying. It's just too hard sometimes.
As an adult, I often feel I should have conquered my
weaknesses by now. I become discouraged when I'm confronted by the same
problems over and over again. Sometimes I get weary. When I have health
problems, I can become discouraged and depressed.
Help me think of the cross you carried. Help me continue
to hope that I can make the changes in my life I need to. You didn't give
up. I can have the strength to get up again as well.
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 into sin. Ah, my Jesus, rather let me die than
ever offend Thee again.
Our Father.... Hail Mary.... Glory be to the Father....
Leader - Jesus Christ Crucified.
All - Have mercy on Us.
Leader - May the souls of the faithful departed, through the
mercy of God, Rest in Peace.
All - Amen
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Tenth Station:
Jesus clothes are taken away
Leader: We adore you,
O Christ, and we praise you.
All: Because by your 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're not aware
that you'll perform the greatest miracle of all!
As a child, sometimes I'm tempted to repeat stories I
know are unclean and disrespectful. I sometimes try to act grown up by
using crude and bad words.
As an adult, sometimes I repeat stories that are disrespectful
of others. I can entertain thoughts that are not clean. Sometimes I give
the young people around me a bad example to follow.
Help me to keep myself pure and clean. Help me say things
that build up the people around me. Help me overcome worldly desires that
I may become more like Jesus. Help me set a good example for others to
follow.
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 of the world and sin.
Our Father.... Hail Mary.... Glory be to the Father....
Leader - Jesus Christ Crucified.
All - Have mercy on Us.
Leader - May the souls of the faithful departed, through the
mercy of God, Rest in peace.
All - Amen
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Eleventh Station:
Jesus is nailed to the cross
Leader: We adore you,
O Christ, and we praise you.
All: Because by your 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 your hands and feet.
You feel abandoned by the people you loved so much. People seem to have
gone mad. You have done nothing but good, yet they drive nails through
your hands and feet.
As a child, sometimes I hurt others. Sometimes I join
with friends and decide not to like another. We gang up against another
and cause them hurt and pain. Sometimes I say or do hurtful things to
my brothers and sisters. I can wonder what they'd think about themselves
if they believed everything I told them about themselves.
As and adult, sometimes I discriminate against others.
Even without thinking, I judge others because of their color, intelligence,
income level or name. I forget that I am to live as a brother or sister
to all people. Sometimes I use harsh words when I speak to my children
and family members. I can find it easy to look for something that isn't
very important and make it very important.
Help me look again at the people around me. Help me see
the hurt and pain I have caused in others. Be with me to help me make
amends for the harm I have done.
My Jesus, by Thine agony when the cruel nails pierced
Thy tender hands and feet and fixed them to the cross, make me crucify
my flesh by Christian penance.
Our Father.... Hail Mary.... Glory be to the Father....
Leader - Jesus Christ Crucified.
All - Have mercy on Us.
Leader - May the souls of the faithful departed, through the
mercy of God, Rest in peace.
All - Amen
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Twelfth Station:
Jesus dies on the cross
Leader: We adore you,
O Christ, and we praise you.
All: Because by your 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.
Jesus, let me take a few moments now to consider your
love for me. Help me thank you for your willingness to go to your death
for me. Help me express my love for you!
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.
Our Father.... Hail Mary.... Glory be to the Father....
Leader - Jesus Christ Crucified.
All - Have mercy on Us.
Leader - May the souls of the faithful departed, through the
mercy of God, Rest in peace.
All - Amen
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Thirteenth Station:
The body of Jesus is
taken down from the cross
Leader: We adore you,
O Christ, and we praise you.
All: Because by your holy cross You have redeemed the world.
Jesus, how brutally you were put to death. How gently
your are taken 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.
As a child, sometimes I treat others better when they're
sad or in pain. When somebody dies, I become very gentle and kind. I notice
the good and kind things people say about those who have died.
As an adult, I seem to be kinder when someone dies. If
only I could learn to see the good things about them while they were alive.
If only I would tell those around me how much I love them, while I still
have the opportunity to do so.
Help me look for the good in those around me, especially
those I love the most. Help me live this day as if it were the last. Help
me become a more gentle and loving person through my greater appreciation
for those around me.
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.
Our Father.... Hail Mary.... Glory be to the Father....
Leader - Jesus Christ Crucified.
All - Have mercy on Us.
Leader - May the souls of the faithful departed, through the
mercy of God, Rest in peace.
All - Amen
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Fourteenth Station:
Jesus is laid in the tomb
Leader: We adore you,
O Christ, and we praise you.
All: Because by your 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.
As a child, sometimes I try to keep everything for myself.
I find it hard to share my things with my brothers or sisters and with
my friends.
As an adult, I can be selfish too. I can accumulate things
and keep them for myself. I try to make sure I have what I want before
I share what I have with anybody else.
Help me think of Joseph of Arimathea, who risked his
own life as he accepted Jesus' body for burial. Help me think of how Joseph
loved Jesus so much that he gave him his own tomb.
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.
Our Father.... Hail Mary.... Glory be to the Father....
Leader - Jesus Christ Crucified.
All - Have mercy on Us.
Leader - May the souls of the faithful departed, through the
mercy of God, Rest in peace.
All - Amen
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Back to Stations Index
Shortened Version of The Stations...
First Station - Jesus Condemned to Death
O Jesus! so meek and uncomplaining, teach me resignation in trials.
Second Station - Jesus Carries His Cross
My Jesus, this Cross should be mine, not Thine; my sins crucified Thee.
Third Station - Our Lord Falls the First Time
O Jesus! by this first fall, never let me fall into mortal sin.
Fourth Station - Jesus Meets His Mother
O Jesus! may no human tie, however dear, keep me from following the road of
the Cross.
Fifth Station - Simon the Cyrenean Helps Jesus Carry His Cross
Simon unwillingly assisted Thee; may I with patience suffer all for Thee.
Sixth Station - Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus
O Jesus! Thou didst imprint Thy sacred features upon Veronica's veil; stamp
them also indelibly upon my heart
Seventh Station - The Second Fall of Jesus
By Thy second fall, preserve me, dear Lord, from relapse into sin.
Eighth Station - Jesus Consoles the Women of Jerusalem
My greatest consolation would be to hear Thee say: "Many sins are forgiven
thee, because thou hast loved much."
Ninth Station - Third Fall of Jesus
O Jesus! when weary upon life's ong journey, be Thou my strength and my perseverance
Tenth Station - Jesus Stripped of His Garments
My soul has been robbed of its robe of innocence; clothe me, dear Jesus, with
the garb of penance and contrition.
Eleventh Station - Jesus Nailed to the Cross
Thou didst forgive Thy enemies; my God, teach me to forgive injuries and FORGET
them.
Twelfth Station - Jesus Dies on the Cross
Thou art dying, my Jesus, but Thy Sacred Heart still throbs with love for Thy
sinful children.
Thirteenth Station - Jesus Taken Down from the Cross
Receive me into thy arms, O Sorrowful Mother; and obtain for me perfect contrition
for my sins.
Fourteenth Station - Jesus Laid in the Sepulchre
When I receive Thee into my heart in Holy Communion, O Jesus, make it a fit
abiding place for thy adorable Body. Amen.
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