Via Crucis

Begin with the Sign of the Cross, pray the Act of Contrition Act of Contrition, and follow with this Opening Prayer for the Stations: My Lord Jesus Christ, with infinite love Thou hast followed the Way to Calvary to redeem me from the sins with which I have offended Thee. Grant me, I beg Thee, the grace to meditate with true sorrow on all the sufferings Thou hast endured for me. Most Holy Mary, Mater Dolorosa, teach me to have the same feelings that thou hadst during the Passion of thy Son, that I may learn from the book of the Cross the art of loving God. Amen. For each station: The Station is announced. The following Verse and Response are said: V: We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee. R: Because by Thy holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world. Read the meditation text for that Station. Keep a brief moment of silence. The Our Father, the Hail Mary and the Glory Be may be prayed. The following Verse and Response are said: V: Lord, have mercy on us. R: Because we have sinned against Thee. First Station: Jesus is Condemned to Death Dear Jesus, Thou art unjustly condemned to die upon the Cross. It is Pilate’s fear of the Jews that condemns Thee. Lord, let me acknowledge Thee always before men! Do not allow me to condemn Thee anew out of a cowardly fear of what people might say! Second Station: Jesus Carries His Cross Lord, Thou hast carried the heavy Wood of the Cross to teach me to bear my own crosses each day. Grant me the grace to embrace with love, unto death, all the sufferings that Thou hast prepared for me! Third Station: Jesus Falls the First Time My Beloved Savior, it is the burden of my sins, more than the weight of the Cross, that makes Thee suffer so much pain. May the merits that Thou hast gained through this fall sustain me in my temptations! Fourth Station: Jesus Meets His Blessed Mother How painful was Thine encounter with Thy Blessed Mother in this way of bitter sorrow! Thy gaze was like another sword that pierced Mary’s heart. My Lord, grant me the grace to obtain true devotion to the Mater Dolorosa! Fifth Station: Simon of Cyrene Helps to Carry the Cross of the Lord Lord Jesus Christ, Simon of Cyrene is forced to help Thee bear the heavy Wood of the Cross that will cause Thy death. May I never refuse my cross! Instead, may I fulfill Thy Will each day without delay, unreservedly, forever, out of love! Sixth Station: Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus My dear Redeemer, imprint Thy divine Countenance—bathed in sweat and blood—upon the folds of my soul. May I never forget that my sins were the cause of Thy bitter pain. Seventh Station: Jesus Falls the Second Time Thou fallest once more, because I sin yet again. Thou hast forgiven me so many times and I have offended Thee time and again. By the merits of this new fall, help me Lord, to rise again each time I fall, and thus to persevere in Thy love until I die. Eighth Station: Jesus Meets the Women of Jerusalem “Do not weep for me; weep instead for yourselves and for your children.” My Lord, this is Thy last admonition on earth. With this warning, Thou hast indicated the great punishment that sin deserves. Grant me the grace of weeping for having offended Thee, tears out of love more than out of fear! Ninth Station: Jesus Falls the Third Time Great is Thy weakness, Lord, and excessive is the cruelty of Thine executioners that trample on and humiliate Thee. Teach me how to triumph over human respect and to profit from the humiliations that befall me! Tenth Station: Jesus is Stripped of His Garments With great violence, the soldiers tear away the garments attached to Thy body, exposing Thy nakedness before the crowd. Most innocent Jesus, help me to detach myself from the things of this earth. Grant me tears of sorrow on account of the impurities for which Thou hast paid such a high price. Eleventh Station: Jesus is Nailed to the Cross The hammer pounds and cruel nails pierce Thy hands and feet: hands that blessed and healed; feet that walked the earth’s paths to search for sinners. Lord, may I be nailed gladly to the Wood of the Cross and never again abandon Thee! Twelfth Station: Jesus Dies upon the Cross Behold the greatest proof of the love of my God! How much it cost Thee, my Savior, to conquer the heart of this worm! And after so much suffering, grant me the grace to die embracing Thee, consumed by Thy love. Thirteenth Station: The Body of Jesus is Taken Down from the Cross and Laid in the Arms of His Mother O Mary Most Holy, who art the most afflicted of all mothers, obtain for me true sorrow for my sins which were the cause of thy divine Son’s death and of the sword that pierced thine Immaculate Heart. Fourteenth Station: Jesus is Laid in the Sepulcher Now I realize, Lord, that Thou art the grain of wheat that falls into the earth to give me abundant life. Teach me to deny my own will and judgment daily so that I may yield fruits of sanctity for Thy greater glory. In order to gain the holy indulgences, pray the Our Father, the Hail Mary and the Glory Be for the intentions of the Holy Father. A plenary indulgence is granted the Christian faithful who devoutly make the Stations of the Cross before stations which have been lawfully erected.