Stations of the Cross

The Stations of the Cross

In the Name of the Father + and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Kyrie eleison,

Christe eleison,

Kyrie eleison.

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your Name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial, and deliver us from evil.

We will glory in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ:

In whom is our salvation, our life and resurrection.

Let us pray.

There is silence for a time, then:

Assist us mercifully with your help, O Lord God of our salvation, that we may enter with joy upon the contemplation of those mighty acts, whereby you have given us life and immortality; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The First Station – Jesus is condemned to death.

 

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you:

Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

The chief priests and the entire Sanhedrin^* kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus in order to put him to death, but they found none, though many false witnesses came forward. Finally two^*came forwardwho stated, “This man said, ‘I can destroy the temple of God and within three days rebuild it.’” The high priest rose and addressed him, “Have you no answer? What are these men testifying against you?” But Jesus was silent.^* Then the high priest said to him, “I order you to tell us under oath before the living God whether you are the Messiah, the Son of God.” Jesus said to him in reply, “You have said so. But I tell you: From now on you will see ‘the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power’ and ‘coming on the clouds of heaven.’” Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has blasphemed!^* What further need have we of witnesses? You have now heard the blasphemy;66what is your opinion?” They said in reply, “He deserves to die!”

God did not spare God’s own Son:

But delivered the Son up for us all.

Let us pray.

There is silence for a time, then:

Almighty God, whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified: mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross, may find it none other than the way of life and peace; through Jesus Christ your Son, our Lord. Amen.

Holy God, 

Holy and Mighty

Holy Immortal One,

Have mercy upon us.

Second Station: Jesus takes up his Cross

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you:

Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus inside the praetorium^* and gathered the whole cohort around him. They stripped off his clothes and threw a scarlet military cloak^* about him. Weaving a crown out of thorns,^* they placed it on his head, and a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” They spat upon him^* and took the reed and kept striking him on the head.And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the cloak, dressed him in his own clothes, and led him off to crucify him.

The Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all:

For the transgression of my people was he stricken.

Let us pray.

There is silence for a time, then:

Almighty God, whose beloved Son willingly endured the agony and shame of the cross for our redemption: Give us courage to take up our cross and follow him; who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.

Holy God, 

Holy and Mighty

Holy Immortal One,

Have mercy upon us.

Third Station: Jesus falls the first time

Note: the image and text display a metaphor of falling – here the seed cast on different soils.

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you:

Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

And he spoke to them at length in parables,^* saying: “A sower went out to sow.4And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep, and when the sun rose it was scorched, and it withered for lack of roots. Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it. But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold. Whoever has ears ought to hear.”

Surely he has borne our griefs:

And carried our sorrows.

Let us pray.

There is silence for a time, then:

Almighty God, whose beloved Son willingly endured the agony and shame of the cross for our redemption: Give us courage to take up our cross and follow him; who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.

Holy God, 

Holy and Mighty

Holy Immortal One,

Have mercy upon us.

Fourth Station: Jesus meets his afflicted mother.

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you:

Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

To what can I compare you^*—to what can I liken you—

O daughter Jerusalem?

What example can I give in order to comfort you,

virgin daughter Zion?

For your breach is vast as the sea;

who could heal you?

A sword will pierce your own soul also:

And fill your heart with bitter pain.

Let us pray.

There is silence for a time, then:

O God, who willed that in the passion of your Son a sword of grief should pierce the soul of the Blessed Virgin Mary his mother: Mercifully grant that your Church, having shared with her in his passion, may be made worthy to share in the joys of his resurrection; who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.

Holy God, 

Holy and Mighty

Holy Immortal One,

Have mercy upon us.

Fifth Station: The Cross is laid on Simon of Cyrene

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you:

Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

As they were going out, they met a Cyrenian named Simon; this man they pressed into service to carry his cross.

Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me:

Cannot be my disciple.

Let us pray.

There is silence for a time, then:

Heavenly Father, whose blessed Son came not to be served but to serve: Bless all who , following in his steps, give themselves to the service of others; that with wisdom, patience, and courage, they may minister in his Name to the suffering, the friendless, the needy, and the ill; for the love of him who laid down his life for us, you Son our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Holy God, 

Holy and Mighty

Holy Immortal One,

Have mercy upon us.

Sixth Station: A woman wipes the face of Jesus

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you:

Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

He grew up like a sapling before him, 

like a shoot from the parched earth;

He had no majestic bearing to catch our eye,

no beauty to draw us to him.

He was spurned and avoided by men,

a man of suffering, knowing pain,

Like one from whom you turn your face,

spurned, and we held him in no esteem. 

Yet it was our pain that he bore,

our sufferings he endured.

We thought of him as stricken,

struck down by God^* and afflicted, 

But he was pierced for our sins,

crushed for our iniquity.

He bore the punishment that makes us whole,

by his wounds we were healed. 

Restore us, O Lord God of hosts:

Show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.

Let us pray.

There is silence for a time, then:

O God, who before the passion of your only-begotten Son revealed his glory upon the holy mountain: Grant to us that we, beholding by faith the light of his countenance, may be strengthened to bear our cross, and be changed into his likeness form glory to glory; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Holy God, 

Holy and Mighty

Holy Immortal One,

Have mercy upon us.

Seventh Station: Jesus falls a second time.

Note: the image and text display a metaphor of falling – here the prayer in the garden

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you:

Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane,^* and he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took along Peter and the two sons of Zebedee,^* and began to feel sorrow and distress.Then he said to them, “My soul is sorrowful even to death.^* Remain here and keep watch with me.” He advanced a little and fell prostrate in prayer, saying, “My Father,^* if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet, not as I will, but as you will.”

But as for me, I am a worm and no man:

Scorned by all and despised by the people.

Let us pray.

There is silence for a time, then:

Almighty and everliving God, in your tender love for the human race you sent your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ to take upon him our nature, and to suffer death upon the cross, giving us the example of his great humility: Mercifully grant that we may walk in the way of his suffering, and also share in his resurrection; who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.

Holy God, 

Holy and Mighty

Holy Immortal One,

Have mercy upon us.

Eighth Station: Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you:

Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

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, for indeed, the days are coming when people will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed.’ At that time people will say to the mountains, ‘Fall upon us!’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us!’ for if these things are done when the wood is green what will happen when it is dry?

Those who sowed with tears:

Will reap with songs of joy.

Let us pray.

There is silence for a time, then:

Teach your Church, O Lord, to mourn the sins of which it is guilty, and to repent and forsake them; that, by your pardoning grace, the results of our iniquities may not be visited upon our children and our children’s children; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Holy God, 

Holy and Mighty

Holy Immortal One,

Have mercy upon us.

Ninth Station: Jesus falls a third time

Note: the image and text display a metaphor of falling – here the seed buried in the soil.

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you:

Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. Whoever loves his life^* loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life.Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be. The Father will honor whoever serves me.I am troubled^* now. Yet what should I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But it was for this purpose that I came to this hour. 

He was led like a lamb to the slaughter

And like a sheep that before its shearers is mute, so he opened not his mouth.

Let us pray.

There is silence for a time, then:

O God, by the passion of your blessed Son you made and instrument of shameful death to be for us the means of life: Grant us so to glory in the cross of Christ, that we may gladly suffer shame and loss for the sake of your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Holy God, 

Holy and Mighty

Holy Immortal One,

Have mercy upon us.

Tenth Station: Jesus is stripped of his garments

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you:

Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of the Skull), 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; then they sat down and kept watch over him there. And they placed over his head the written charge^* against him: This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.

They gave me gall to eat:

And when I was thirsty, they gave me vinegar to drink.

Let us pray.

There is silence for a time, then:

Lord God, whose blessed Son our Savior gave his body to whipped and his face to be spit upon: Give us grace to accept joyfully the sufferings of the present time, confident of the glory that shall be revealed; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Holy God, 

Holy and Mighty

Holy Immortal One,

Have mercy upon us.

Eleventh Station: Jesus is nailed to the Cross

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you:

Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

Two revolutionaries^* were crucified with him, one on his right and the other on his left. Those passing by reviled him, shaking their heads40^r and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself, if you are the Son of God, [and] come down from the cross!” Likewise the chief priests with the scribes and elders mocked him and said, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. So he is the king of Israel!^* Let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him.’ He trusted in God; let him deliver him now if he wants him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” The revolutionaries who were crucified with him also kept abusing him in the same way.

They pierce my hands and my feet:

They stare and gloat over me.

Let us pray.

There is silence for a time, then:

Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within the reach of your saving embrace: So clothe us in your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and love of You; for the honor of your Name. Amen.

Holy God, 

Holy and Mighty

Holy Immortal One,

Have mercy upon us.

Twelfth Station: Jesus dies on the cross

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you:

Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

From noon onward, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. And about three o’clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Some of the bystanders who heard it said, “This one is calling for Elijah.  Immediately one of them ran to get a sponge; he soaked it in wine, and putting it on a reed, gave it to him to drink. But the rest said, “Wait, let us see if Elijah comes to save him.” But Jesus cried out again in a loud voice, and gave up his spirit. And behold, the veil of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom.^* The earth quaked, rocks were split, tombs were opened, and the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep were raised. And coming forth from their tombs after his resurrection, they entered the holy city and appeared to many. The centurion and the men with him who were keeping watch over Jesus feared greatly when they saw the earthquake and all that was happening, and they said, “Truly, this was the Son of God!”

Christ for us became obedient unto death

Even death on a cross.

Let us pray.

There is silence for a time, then:

O God, who for our redemption gave your only-begotten Son to the death of the cross, and by his glorious resurrection delivered us from the power of our enemy: Grant us so to die daily to sin, that we may evermore live with him in the joy of his resurrection; who lives and reigns now and for ever. Amen.

Holy God, 

Holy and Mighty

Holy Immortal One,

Have mercy upon us.

Thirteenth Station: The body of Jesus is removed from the Cross.

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you:

Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph, who was himself a disciple of Jesus.He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus; then Pilate ordered it to be handed over.

Her tears run down he cheeks:

And she has none to comfort her.

Let us pray.

There is silence for a time, then:

Lord Jesus Christ, by your death you took away the sting of death: Grant to us your servants so to follow in faith where you have led the way, that we may at length fall asleep peacefully in you and wake up in your likeness; for your tender mercies’ sake. Amen.

Holy God, 

Holy and Mighty

Holy Immortal One,

Have mercy upon us.

Fourteenth Station: Jesus is laid in the tomb.

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you:

Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

Taking the body, Joseph wrapped it [in] clean linen60and 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. But Mary Magdalene and the other Mary remained sitting there, facing the tomb.

You will not abandon me to the grave:

Nor let your holy One see corruption.

Let us pray.

There is silence for a time, then:

O God, your blessed Son was laid in a tomb in a garden, and rested on the Sabbath day: Grant that we who have been buried with him in the waters of baptism may find our perfect rest in his eternal and glorious kingdom; where he lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen

Holy God, 

Holy and Mighty

Holy Immortal One,

Have mercy upon us.

Concluding Prayers:

Savior of the world, by your cross and precious blood you have redeemed us:

Save us, and help us, we humbly beseech you, O Lord.

Let us pray.

There is silence for a time, then:

We thank you, heavenly Father that you have delivered us from the dominion of sin and death and brought us into the kingdom of your Son; and we pray that, as by his death he has recalled us to life, so by his love he may raise us to eternal joys; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

To Christ our Lord who loves us, and washed us in his own blood, and made us a kingdom of priests to serve his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

All images are copyright © 2013, Michael T. Hiller