The Stations of the Cross is an annual Lenten observance at Queen of Peace Catholic Community during the Lenten Season. This year is no different. But rather than have booklets to pass out each week and collected at the end of the observance, the online version are suitable for both mobile and to print at home. If you print one at home, bring it with you to church and be sure to take it home with you. Any copies remaining will be properly disposed by the cleaning personnel.
The Way of the Cross
Reflections on
The Passion and Death
of
Our Lord Jesus Christ
by Thomas Wichert
Compiled and arranged for
Queen of Peace Catholic Community
March 2003
Wichert meditations and prayers © Copyright 1983, 1987 by Barton-Cotton, Inc.
Bible Verses taken from The New American Bible translation
“Stabat Mater” text 66 7; Stabat Mater dolorosa; Jacopone da Todi, 1230-1306;
- by Edward Caswall, 1814-1878, alt. as published in Unidos En Cristo
by Oregon Catholic Press
THE WAY OF THE CROSS
Introductory Prayer
My people, I am Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God. I am always with you. You approach me now to pray, to reflect, to find meaning for your life from my experience with death. You do me honor.
My friends, fear not my agony … it will help you cope with yours. Pity not my hurting … I know that you hurt too. Mourn not my death … for it brings us all to life.
Let me call you “Everyone.”
Prologue
Everyone, come with me across the valley to the Garden. Pray with me as I collect my thoughts and prepare myself for what will be a turning point in human history.
Please do not interpret my desire for your company as a sign of weakness. I want you to witness and share my agony so that when our walk along the way of the cross is completed, you will better comprehend the meaning of my victory. This victory is the basis of your hope in me.
To you, Father, I say firmly but with understandable apprehension, “Thy will be done!” I will drink from this cup for Everyone in your name.
To you, Everyone, I say do not make promises of faithfulness to me just yet. Judas has his mind made up as he approaches with the crowd. Even Peter and the sons of Zebedee, my dear friends, are hasty to swear their fidelity and equally quick to bend with the pressure of the crowd. No, Everyone, walk thoughtfully along the way with me. Weigh carefully your decision. Then at the end of our walk, be prepared to pledge to me your fidelity and commitment to love. I promise you reason to hope.
Come now. It is time to go. Walk close to me.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
THE FIRST STATION
Jesus is Condemned to Death by Pilate
Priest: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
Everyone: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
Lector:
Again the high priest asked him and said to him, “Are you the Messiah, the son of the Blessed One?” Then Jesus answered, “I am; and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power and coming with the clouds of heaven.” At that the high priest tore his garments and said, “What further need do we have of witnesses? You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?” They all condemned him as deserving to die. (Mark 14:61b-64)
CHRIST:
Since we left the garden together last night, I have been accused by the scribes and elders, and I have been brought before the high priest. I have been mocked and spat upon by the soldier. They want me to die. “What need do we have of witnesses?” they asked.
Already I have been denied by my friends. Peter said, “I do not know the man!”, while Judas called out weakly, “I have betrayed innocent blood.”
I now stand before Pilate, governor from Rome, awaiting his sentence upon my life. “Are you the King of the Jews?” he asks. “Do you not hear the charges?” Too weak to decide for himself, he turns me over to the crowd. “Let him be crucified!” they cry. A judgment has been made. The stage is set for evil to run its course upon me, the Son of God made man.
EVERYONE:
We beg you, Lord Jesus, to forgive the careless judgments we have made in the courtrooms of our minds. Help us understand that while we are entitled to our opinions, the world is not always anxious for us to express them. The words of Scripture, “But Jesus remained silent,” and “Judge not that you may not be judged,” ring now in our ears. Following your example, we resolve never to betray innocent blood by our judgment of others.
At the cross her station keeping,
Stood the mournful Mother weeping,
Close to Jesus to the last.
THE SECOND STATION
Jesus Accepts His Cross
Priest: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
Everyone: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
Lector:
And [Pilate] said to the Jews, “Behold, your king!” They cried out, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your king?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” Then he handed him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus, and carrying the cross himself he went out to what is called the Place of the Skull, in Hebrew, Golgotha. (John 19:14b-17)
CHRIST:
Everyone, you have witnessed this mockery of justice incited by the leaders of the people. You have heard the verdict of “Death by crucifixion” rendered by the crowd. Water does not easily wash away stains like these. Stripping and scourging and crowning with thorns do not make a true King less a king any more than they make a cross less a throne for the Savior of the world. Therefore, knowing what my destiny and purpose are, I willingly accept this cross as proof of my love for you. But as I do so, Everyone, I challenge you in turn to take up your cross daily and follow me.
EVERYONE:
We, too, have been mocked and spat upon, stripped and scourged, crowned and crucified in untold ways. We appreciate your anxiety because it is our anxiety. We feel your cries because they are our cries. We will take up our crosses and follow you. We ask only that you forgive us Lord for adding weight to the crosses of others by our willful or thoughtless behavior in our homes, in our work and in our play.
Through her heart, His sorrow sharing
All His bitter anguish bearing,
Now at length the sword has passed.
THE THIRD STATION
Jesus Falls for the First Time
Priest: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
Everyone: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
Lector:
Jesus said: “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how many times I yearned to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her young under her wings, but you were unwilling! Behold, your house will be abandoned, desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’” (Matthew 23:37-39)
CHRIST:
This crossbeam is so heavy and painful. Am I already so weak, or is this burden just too heavy for me to bear? As I stumble to the ground beneath its weight, my immediate urge is to call out to you, Everyone, for help. But let me not call you too quickly before I have tried and tested my own strength to bear my appointed cross.
EVERYONE:
Lord, we see you stand again and move forward to your Calvary. We sense the challenge of your example to help ourselves, to push beyond, to extend our endurance. Perhaps we run too quickly from our pain, call too desperately for help, depend too easily upon another before we have tried our best. Through your fall you have told us that self-help, guided by your example and supported by your grace, is our first source of strength.
O, how sad and sore distressed
Was that Mother highly blest
Of the sole begotten One!
THE FOURTH STATION
Jesus Meets His Mother
Priest: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
Everyone: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
Lector:
Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved he said to his mother, “Woman, behold your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home. (John 19:25-27)
CHRIST:
As I make my way along the road, I notice your faces, Everyone, telling me your inner story, even as you react to mine. On some faces I read pity and anger; on others blank stares of disbelief. Some eyes seem dull and uncaring, while others appear nervous and turn away as if afraid to look at me. Many are the faces I see along this road – as many are the stories they tell. Then I see my mother, one among you, yet special beyond all. Our glances meet and blend. We have no need for words.
EVERYONE:
Jesus, Savior, and brother, we are grateful for the caring look you give to each of us, no matter who we are or what we have done. But that reverent glance you gave your mother carried a special message for us. In that moment, it became clear that your commandment to “Honor your father and your mother!” is not for young children alone. It is surely for adults as well, who see their parents growing old, deserving honor, and needing care. Even as we are busy carrying our own crosses in life, we, like you, will care for them and do them honor.
Christ above in torment hangs,
She beneath beholds the pangs,
Of her dying, glorious Son.
THE FIFTH STATION
Simon Helps Carry the Cross
Priest: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
Everyone: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
Lector:
[The soldiers] began to salute [Jesus] with, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and kept striking his head with a reed and spitting upon him. They knelt before him in homage. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak, dressed him in his own clothes, and led him out to crucify him. As they led him away they took hold of a certain Simon, a Cyrenian, who was coming in from the country; and after laying the cross on him, they made him carry it behind Jesus. (Mark 15: 18-20; Luke 23:26)CHRIST:
In the confusion, Simon of Cyrene appears at my side, as if to represent you, Everyone. He reaches out to assist me with my burden. I do not have the energy to talk with you, Simon. However, I do wonder what is going on in your mind as we struggle together with this cross. Are you doing this willingly or only because you were forced? Are you angry or embarrassed? Do you find my burden heavy or light? Are you more concerned with what the crowds are thinking or are you filled with concern for me? I know that you were just a passerby, perhaps totally unaware of what was taking place. Whatever your answer to my questions, please know that I am grateful for what you have done for me.
EVERYONE:
Lord Jesus, each of us is thrown into unexpected situations in life. Knowing what to do, how to react, and when to become involved is most difficult. We pray now for your guidance through the Holy Spirit and the courage to do your will. Then, Lord, when we do respond in actual life situations, let us never look back with doubt. Let us rest in the comfort that we have sought to do your holy will.
Is there one who would not weep
’Whelmed in miseries so deep
Christ’s dear Mother to Behold?
THE SIXTH STATION
Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus
Priest: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
Everyone: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
Lector:
Then the righteous will answer him and say, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?” And the king will say to them in reply, “Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of the least brothers of mine, you did it for me.” (Matthew 25:37-40)
CHRIST:
Veronica, you extend your veil to refresh me. I welcome your gesture of care. It is by such actions that I know mine and mine know me – feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, healing the sick, making peace, wiping the face of the weary. It may challenge your faith as you gaze upon me now, Everyone. But I invite you to come to me, all you who labor and are burdened. I promise that I will, in turn, refresh you. I am your faithful Lord. I keep my promises.
EVERYONE:
Your invitation, Lord Jesus, includes each of us. As we struggle with the crosses of life, our worries and cares, our doubts and fears, our uncertainties and limitations hide within our souls. You invite us to come to you and you heal us, comfort us, and refresh us without exposing our inner struggles. You also invite us to join you in your comforting mission. “Do unto others as you would have them do for you!” We, like Veronica, accept your invitation, aware that we do not have to look far to find the weary, the burdened, the poor and the lonely. They are everywhere. They are always with us.
Can the human heart refrain
From partaking in her pain,
In that Mother’s pain untold?
THE SEVENTH STATION
Jesus Falls for the Second
Priest: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
Everyone: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
Lector:
Time Yet it was our infirmities that he bore, our sufferings that he endured, while we thought of him as stricken, as one smitten by God and afflicted. But he was pierced for our offenses, crushed for our sins, upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole, by his stripes we were healed. We had all gone astray like sheep, each following his own way; but the Lord laid upon him the guilt of us all. (Isaiah 53:4-6)
CHRIST:
Since my first fall, Everyone, I have met you in the company of my mother, Simon, and Veronica, who have supported and comforted me. In spite of your refreshing care, I stumble and fall again. I am not ashamed to tell you that I hurt. Physically I am near exhaustion. Psychologically I am humiliated. Emotionally I am drained. More and more my tormentors wear me down. But, I must stand again and press on. I must bring forgiveness to all.
EVERYONE:
Jesus, reconciling Lord, your endurance along the way of the cross demonstrates your tireless love for both saints and sinners. You invite us to share in your healing and forgiving grace. You make it possible for us to stand up and approach you with dignity and say, “Lord, we’re sorry!” Knowing this, we ask your forgiveness for our sins of commission and omission. With new understanding we dare to pray, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us!
Bruised, derided, cursed, defiled,
She beheld her tender child,
All with bloody scourges rent.
THE EIGHTH STATION
Jesus Speaks to the Women
Priest: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
Everyone: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
Lector:
A large crowd of people followed Jesus, including many women who mourned and lamented him. Jesus turned to them and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep instead for yourselves and for your children.” (Luke 23: 27-28)
CHRIST:
Women of Jerusalem, I see you weeping. Let me pause for a moment to acknowledge your concern for me. Please tell me that your tears stem not from guilt. Guilt is neither a virtue nor a gift of the Spirit of God. Rather assure me that they are tears of compassion, sorrow and repentance. Weep, too, for your children tugging at your skirts and struggling in your arms. They are shaken and confused by my pain. Tell them as they grow what my suffering means. Tell them that they were there when I was crucified. Assure them, though, that when their time comes for tears, I will be there with them. Now, however, I must move on.
EVERYONE:
How kind of you, Lord Jesus, to pause to talk to us. How often we say to one another, “I don’t have the time!” We say to our children when they ask, to the needy when they beg, to neighbors when they seek our help, “I don’t have time.” Yet, time is really all we have. We cannot make it or demand it. Time is your gift, Lord, but we can waste it. When it is past, we cannot replace it. So, before we move on, Christ Jesus, help us embrace time and share it with others in your love.
For the sins of His own nation
Saw Him hang in desolation
Till His Spirit forth He sent.
THE NINTH STATION
Jesus Falls for the Third Time
Priest: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
Everyone: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
Lector:
Be gracious to me, Lord, for I am in distress; with grief my eyes are wasted, my soul and body spent. My strength fails in affliction; my bones are consumed. To all my foes I am a thing of scorn, to my neighbors, a dreaded sight, and a horror to my friends. When they see me in the street, they quickly shy away. I hear the whispers of the crowd; terrors are all around me. But I trust in you, Lord; I say, “You are my God.” (Psalm 31:10, 11b-12, 14a, 15)
CHRIST:
For the third time, I fall to the ground. My sweat and blood and tears blend with the dust of the earth. The weight and oppression are unbearable. An inner temptation urges me to give up, to lie here and welcome death as blessed relief. But to do so would leave all my striving incomplete and unfulfilled. I am so close to my goal – so near to my Calvary. Please lift me up, my friends. Stay close to me, Everyone. Support me carefully to Golgotha where my death will lead to resurrection and victory over sin.
EVERYONE:
It is time, Suffering Servant of God, for us to refresh our memories. In the garden you urged us not to make hasty promises. However, now that we have walked prayerfully with you along the way, we sense that the moment of decision is near. We like you, are faced with the choice of giving up or going on. “Come follow me” you faintly call. There is no longer an option to be lukewarm. Hot or cold, for you or against you – we must choose now. Relying on your grace, we accept your call for help and choose to follow wherever you may lead.
O thou Mother! Font of love,
Touch my spirit from above.
Make my heart with thine accord.
THE TENTH STATION
Jesus is Stripped of His Clothing
Priest: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
Everyone: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
Lector:
They gave Jesus wine to drink mixed with gall. But when he had tasted it, he refused to drink. After they had crucified him, they divided his garments by casting lots; in order that the passage of scripture might be fulfilled that says: “They divided my garments among them, and for my vesture they cast lots.” (Matthew 27: 34-35; John 19:24b)
CHRIST:
Golgotha is my place. Now is my time. It is a comfort to have you at my side. They wish to strip me now, strip me of everything I possess. Do not stop them. I endure this stripping that I may experience in my flesh and share in my soul what the sick feel when they are stripped of health, what the sorrowing endure when they lose joy, what the separated experience when their unions rupture, what widows and widowers suffer when loving companionship vanishes. I want to be with the young when life begins to test them and with the aged as their strength fades. Like all who suffer, I could now ask, “Why?” But I won’t.
EVERYONE:
Gentle Jesus, you have brought us face to face with the mystery of life’s suffering. With sensitivity, you show your love for all who suffer. Humble, you ask us not to question, “Why?” It is not for us to rob this mystery of its secret. Just forgive our lack of understanding.
Make me feel as thou hast felt;
Make my soul to glow and melt
With the love of Christ, my Lord.
THE ELEVENTH STATION
Jesus is Nailed to the Cross
Priest: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
Everyone: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
Lector:
When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified [Jesus] and the criminals there, one on his right and the other on his left. Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.” Pilate also had an inscription written and put on the cross. It read, “Jesus the Nazorean, the King of the Jews.” (Luke 23:33-34a; John 19:19)
CHRIST:
As I am nailed to the cross, the nails piercing my feet and hands become my only means of support. Your hands, my friends, reach out to help me in this final hour. If you, Everyone, wish to extend your helping hands to me, lend them to others. “What you do to the least of them,” I tell you, “that you do unto me.” Remember these words! Soon, my Father’s hands will welcome me. Into His hands I will commend my spirit. I will not, however, forget you. I will not abandon you. I will return to you.
EVERYONE:
In this final moment we pledge our fidelity to you, Son of God made man. To tell you that we believe is easy. To prove our belief is hard. As you leave us, we thank you for commending us to the care of each other. Out mutual love will prove our love for you.
Holy Mother, pierce me through!
In my heart, each wound renew
Of my Savior crucified.
THE TWELFTH STATION
Jesus Dies Upon the Cross
Priest: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
Everyone: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
Lector:
At three o’clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi lema sabachthani?” Which is translated, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Some of the bystanders who heard it said, “Look, he is calling Elijah.” One of them ran, soaked a sponge with wine, put it on a reed, and gave it to Jesus to drink, saying, “wait, and let us see if Elijah comes to take him down.” Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last. The veil of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom. (Mark 15:33b-38)
CHRIST:
As I hang suspended between heaven and earth, my mind and vision clear for one final look at my creation. I see you, Mother. I love you with a special love. I see you, John. Please care for my mother. I see you, crucified thieves and cruel soldiers. I see you, weeping friends and faithful followers. I see you, Everyone, and I love you with an everlasting love. Remember me. Remember that I love you even unto my death upon the cross.
EVERYONE:
Forgive us our trespasses, Jesus of Nazareth. You are King of all creation and truly Son of God. As you hang before us in the silence of death, our minds also clear. We see a sudden light upon the cross and sense its deepest meaning. It is not a silent symbol hung for centuries in loving memory. It is life-giving to us who have walked the way of the cross. It is a throne of strength, not a glorification of weakness. It is a sign of love and a font of grace. It is redeeming sacrament.
Let me share with thee His pain,
Who for all our sins was slain,
Who for me in torment died.
THE THIRTEENTH STATION
Jesus is Taken Down From the Cross
Priest: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
Everyone: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
Lector:
When [the soldiers] came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs, but one soldier thrust his lance into his side, and immediately blood and water flowed out. After this, Joseph of Arimathea, secretly a disciple of Jesus for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate if he could remove the body of Jesus. And Pilate permitted it. So he came and took his body. (John 19:33-34, 38)
CHRIST:
Resting in my mother’s arms, I wonder what you, Everyone, are thinking. I suspect that you are confused. You have high expectations of me because I frequently made promises along the way. You want to hope in me, but I am dead. You call me “Savior” and so I am. Yet, you are uncertain. Faith and doubt struggle within you. Hope encourages your believing, then fades as doubt returns. Even your love fears that my death will be just a memory. In the end, Everyone, you will come to know that your wondering is not in vain.
EVERYONE:
Mary, allow us to lift Jesus from your aching arms and bear him to a resting place. We are unsure of what the death of your son means. We see it’s meaning vaguely. Faith still wrestles with doubt. Hope still challenges despair. Love still suffers from Sin. Mary, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.
Let me mingle tears with thee,
Mourning Him who mourned for me,
All the days that I may live.
THE FOURTEENTH STATION
Jesus is Placed in the Tomb
Priest: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
Everyone: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
Lector:
Taking the body, Joseph wrapped it in clean linen and laid it in his new tomb that he had hewn in the rock. Then he rolled a huge stone across the entrance to the tomb and departed. (Matthew 27:59-60)
CHRIST:
At last my place of rest is reached. You have kindly wrapped my body with a shroud and placed it in the tomb of Joseph. Pilate is assured that I am dead. The chief priests and Pharisees are nervous about my promise: “After three days, I shall rise again.” Guards are sent to insure against any fraud by you, my friends. As you secure the tomb with stone and seals, do not bury your hopes in my grave.
EVERYONE:
We have come to a moment when time meets eternity. Past, present, and future blend together. The past records memories of your passion and death. The present gives opportunities for loving and serving in your Church. The future promises a fuller life for having walked with you along the way of the cross. Now, Lord, we actively await the fulfillment of your promise with undying hope.
By the cross with thee to stay,
There with thee to weep and pray,
Is all I ask of thee to give.
Epilogue
CHRIST:
Everyone, our walk along the way of the cross is ended. We have experienced anew the memory of my death for your salvation.
I understand fully that death does violence to life. It is feared and hated. It tears love apart, arouses anger and grief, floods you with a sense of loss that seems so final. Even scripture says that if my death is final and I am not risen, my life is a hoax, my preaching is a fraud, and your faith is in vain.
But I am risen! My Resurrection, Everyone, is the fulfillment of my promise, the heart of my message, and the substance of your hope. I am alive! Soldiers and angels, women and men, doubting Thomas’s and disciples along the road proclaim the Good News that I am risen and with you. Victory over death and sin is mine and it is yours, my friends.
Understand clearly my dying and my rising, I did not die and rise only to die again. I am risen. I am on the other side of death. I am filled with new life to share with you. I hold you in the palm of my hand and lead you gently home.
Closing Prayer
CHRIST:
Father in Heaven, when I was in the midst of my agony, I prayed, “If it be your will, let this cup pass.” As I died upon the cross, it seemed that you did not hear my prayer. When I rose from the dead, I realized that you answered my prayer far beyond the limits of my request. It is best, Father, that our prayer be simply, “Thy will be done.” I ask you, Everyone, before you take your leave, to pray with me the prayer I taught you.
EVERYONE: “Our Father….”