-
-
The Way of the Cross is prayed together onFridays evenings during the Season of Lent
Way of the Cross
Jubilee Year of Mercy
"The Cross of Christ contains all the love of God, his immeasurable Mercy"
- Pope Francis, July 2013
FIRST STATION
Jesus before Pilate
V. We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
R. Because by your holy Cross you have redeemed the world.
Scripture
Then they took Jesus from Caiaphas to Pilate’s headquarters. It was early in the morning. They themselves did not enter the headquarters, so as to avoid ritual defilement and to be able to eat the Passover.
Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, ‘Are you the King of the Jews?’ Jesus answered, ‘Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?’ Pilate replied, ‘I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?’ Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.’ Pilate asked him, ‘So you are a king?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.’
- John 18:28, 33-37
Meditation
Unlike the Sanhedrin … Jesus’ attitude is striking: we do not hear the words of scorn, we do not hear the words of condemnation, but only words of love, of mercy, which are an invitation to conversation. God does not tire of forgiving us if we are able to return to Him with a contrite heart. “Great is God’s mercy,” says the Psalm.
- Pope Francis, Angelus, March 17, 2013
Reflection
What is it that you need to be forgiven for and is there a person whom you need to ask forgiveness from? Pray for the grace to forgive.
Moment of silent reflection
Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
SECOND STATION
Jesus carries his Cross
V. We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
R. Because by your holy Cross you have redeemed the world.
Scripture
‘The Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.’
Then he said to them all, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it.
- Luke 9:22-24
Meditation- Pope Francis, Stations of the Cross, World Youth day 2013
Jesus, with his Cross, walks with us and takes upon himself our fears, our problems, and our sufferings, even to the silence of the deepest and most painful. With the cross, Jesus unites himself to the silence of the victims of violence, those who can no longer cry our, especially the innocent and the defenseless.
Reflection
Are you a person who reaches out to those in pain and suffering?
Pray for the grace to support them even when it seems too hard.
Moment of silent reflection
Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
THIRD STATION
Jesus fall for the First Time
V. We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
R. Because by your holy Cross you have redeemed the world.
Scripture- Matthew 11: 28-30
‘Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’
Meditation- Saint John Paul II, Angelus given in Australia, November 1986
We do not pretend that life is all beauty. We are aware of darkness and sin, of poverty and pain.
But we know that Jesus has conquered sin and passed through his pain to the glory. And we live in the light of his Paschal Mystery-the mystery of his death and resurrection.
Reflection
Do you allow God to support you when you experience pain in your life? Pray for the grace of acceptance and peace.
Moment of silent reflection
Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
FOURTH STATION
Jesus meets his Mother
V. We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
R. Because by your holy Cross you have redeemed the world.
Scripture- Luke 2:34-35
Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, ‘This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.’
Meditation- Saint John Paul II, General Audience, October 25, 1995
A disciple and friend of Saint Bernard, Arnold of Chartres, shed light particularly on Mary's offering in the sacrifice of Calvary. He distinguished in the Cross "two altars: one in Mary's heart, the other in Christ's body. Christ sacrificed his flesh, Mary her soul". Mary sacrificed herself spiritually in deep communion with Christ, and implored the world's salvation: "What the mother asks, the Son approves and the Father grants"
Reflection
What do you need to change in order to offer wholeheartedly your life to God? Pray for the grace to welcome change into your life where it is needed.
Moment of silent reflection
Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
FIFTH STATION
Jesus is helped by Simon
V. We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
R. Because by your holy Cross you have redeemed the world.
Scripture- Mark 15:21-22
They compelled a passer-by, who was coming in from the country, to carry his cross; it was Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus. Then they brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means the place of a skull).
Meditation- Pope Francis, Evangelli Gaudium, 44
A small step, in the midst of great human limitations, can be more pleasing to God than a life which appears outwardly in order but moves through the day without confronting great difficulties. Everyone needs to be touched by the comfort and attraction of God’s saving love, which is mysteriously at work in each person, above and beyond their faults and failings.
Reflection
How can you help to carry the physical and psychological burdens of others? Pray for the grace of a generous heart that reaches out to others.
Moment of silent reflection
Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
SIXTH STATION
Veronica wipes the face of Jesus
V. We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
R. Because by your holy Cross you have redeemed the world.
Scripture
For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.- 1 Corinthians 13:12-13
Meditation
We can never divide prayer, the encounter with God in the Sacraments, from listening to others, from closeness to their lives and especially to their wounds.
Jesus opens up a gap through which we can glimpse two faces: the face of the Father and that of the brother. He does not give us two rules or two precepts: he gives us two faces. Or rather, it is one face: that of God that is reflected in the faces of so many, because in the face of every brother and sister, especially the least, the fragile, the helpless and the needy, the very image of God is present.
- Pope Frances, Angelus, October 26, 2014
Reflection
Do you honour the dignity of others by truly listening to what is being said? Pray for the grace to be a good listener.
Moment of silent reflection
Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
SEVENTH STATION
Jesus falls for the Second Time
V. We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
R. Because by your holy Cross you have redeemed the world.
Scripture- Pope Francis, Palm Sunday Homily, March 24, 2013
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
- Hebrews 4:15-16
Meditation
Jesus on the Cross feels the whole weight of the evil, and with the force of God’s love he conquers it, he defeats it with his resurrection. This is the good Jesus does for us on the throne of the Cross. Christ’s Cross embraced with love never leads to sadness, but to joy, to the joy of having been saved and of doing what he did on the day of his death.
Reflection
Are you a joyful follower of Jesus always giving thanks for your faith in the way you live? Prayer for the grace to live a joyful life as a follower of Jesus Christ.
Moment of silent reflection
Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
EIGHTH STATION
Jesus speaks to the Women
V. We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
R. Because by your holy Cross you have redeemed the world.
Scripture- Pope Francis, February 7, 2015
A great number of the people followed him, and among them were women who were beating their breasts and wailing for him. But Jesus turned to them and said, ‘Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For the days are surely coming when they will say, “Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.” Then they will begin to say to the mountains, “Fall on us”; and to the hills, “Cover us.” For if they do this when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?’
- Luke 23:27-31
Meditation
Speaking to women directly, the Pope said they know “how to show the tender face of God, his mercy, which translates in the availability to give time more than to occupy spaces, to welcome rather than to exclude.”
Reflection
How do you show the tender face of God’s mercy to others? Pray for the grace to welcome all people whom you encounter.
Moment of silent reflection
Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
NINTH STATION
Jesus falls for the Third Time
V. We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
R. Because by your holy Cross you have redeemed the world.
Scripture- Pope Francis, Lumen fidei, 20, 21
Then many will fall away, and they will betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because of the increase of lawlessness, the love of many will grow cold. But anyone who endures to the end will be saved.
- Matthew 24:10-13
Meditation
Faith‘s new way of seeing things is centered on Christ.
Faith knows that God has drawn close to us, that Christ has given to us a great gift which inwardly transforms us, dwells within us and thus bestows on us the light that illumines the origin and the end of life.
We come to see the difference, then, which faith makes for us. Those who believe are transformed by the love to which they opened their hearts in faith.
Reflection
How strong is your faith when challenged by adversity? Pray for the grace of courage to act in the name of Jesus when you perceive injustice.
Moment of silent reflection
Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
TENTH STATION
Jesus is Stripped
V. We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
R. Because by your holy Cross you have redeemed the world.
Scripture- Pope Francis, Homily, July 27, 2013
Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole cohort around him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on his head. They put a reed in his right hand and knelt before him and mocked him, saying, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ They spat on him, and took the reed and struck him on the head.
- Matthew 27:27-30
Meditation
Have the courage to go against the tide of this culture of efficiency, this culture of waste. Encountering and welcoming everyone, building solidarity – a word that is being hidden by this culture, as if it were a bad word – solidarity and fraternity: these are what make our society truly human.
Reflection
Are you a welcoming person to the stranger in your community? Pray for the grace to be part of building a positive community of love and acceptance.
Moment of silent reflection
Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
ELEVENTH STATION
Jesus is nailed to the Cross
V. We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
R. Because by your holy Cross you have redeemed the world.
Scripture- Pope Francis, Way of the Cross, World Youth Day, July 26, 2013
And when they had crucified him, they divided his clothes among themselves by casting lots; then they sat down there and kept watch over him. Over his head they put the charge against him, which read, ‘This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.’
Then two bandits were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by derided him, shaking their heads and saying, ‘You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.’
- Matthew 27:35-40
Meditation
On the Cross, Jesus is united with those who are persecuted for their religion, for their beliefs, or simply for the colour of their skin.
The Cross of Christ bears the suffering and the sin of humankind, including our own. Jesus accepts all this with open arms, bearing on his shoulders our crosses and saying to us: “Have courage! You do not carry your cross alone! I carry it with you. I have overcome death and I have come to give you hope, to give you life.”
Reflection
Do I love unconditionally as Jesus did? Pray the grace to love without counting the costs.
Moment of silent reflection
Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
TWELFTH STATION
Jesus dies on the Cross
V. We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
R. Because by your holy Cross you have redeemed the world.
Scripture- Pope Francis, Way of the Cross, World Youth Day, July 26, 2013
When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. At three o’clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?’ which means, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, ‘Listen, he is calling for Elijah.’ And someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, saying, ‘Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.’
- Mark 15:33-36
Meditation
Dear friends, let us bring to Christ’s Cross our joys, our sufferings and our failures. There we will find a Heart that is open to us and understands us, forgives us, loves us, and calls us to bear this love in our lives, to love each person, each brother and sister, with the same love. Amen!
Reflection
Where in your life do I need to be more open to God working in you and through you? Pray for the grace of openness to God’s absolute love for you.
Moment of silent reflection
Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
THIRTEENTH STATION
Jesus is taken down from the Cross
V. We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
R. Because by your holy Cross you have redeemed the world.
Scripture- Pope Francis, Evangelli Gaudium, 3
They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths, according to the burial custom of the Jews. Now there was a garden in the place where he was crucified, and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid. And so, because it was the Jewish day of Preparation, and the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.
- John 19:40-42
Meditation
Time and time again Jesus bears us on his shoulders. No one can strip us of the dignity bestowed upon us by his boundless and unfailing love.
Reflection
When have you felt carried by both the physical and spiritual love of someone? Pray for the grace to live in the knowledge of God’s boundless and unfailing love.
Moment of silent reflection
Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
FOURTEENTH STATION
Jesus is Buried
V. We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
R. Because by your holy Cross you have redeemed the world.
Scripture- Matthew 27:57-66
When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who was also a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus; then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. So Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock. He then rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.
The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, ‘Sir, we remember what that impostor said while he was still alive, “After three days I will rise again.” Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day […] Pilate said to them, ‘You have a guard of soldiers; go, make it as secure as you can.’ So they went with the guard and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone.
Meditation- Pope Francis, Homily, April 6, 2014
“Take away the stone of shame” that is keeping you trapped inside a life that is dead or painful and be raised up again by Christ. Christ doesn’t give up in front of the tombs we have built by our choosing evil and death, by our mistakes, our sins,” the Pope said. “Jesus calls us incessantly to get out of the darkness of the prison we’ve locked ourselves into by making do with a false, egotistical mediocre life.”
Reflection
Do you live life with a joyful heart knowing that God’s love is never ending? Pray for the grace to roll away your stone of shame.
Moment of silent reflection
Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
CONCLUSION
Scripture
When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. They had been saying to one another, ‘Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?’ When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back.
- Mark 16:1-3
Final Meditation
What was a simple act, done surely out of love – going to the tomb – has now turned into an event, a truly life-changing event. Nothing remains as it was before, not only in the lives of those women, but also in our own lives and in the history of humankind. Jesus is not dead, he has risen, he is alive! He does not simply return to life; rather, he is life itself, because he is the Son of God, the living God. Jesus no longer belongs to the past, but lives in the present and is projected towards the future; he is the everlasting “today” of God.- Pope Francis, Easter Vigil Homily, March 30, 2013
-
-