Opening Prayer (Leader)*
God of power and mercy,
in love you sent your Son
that we might be cleansed of sin
and live with you forever.
Bless us as we gather to reflect
on his suffering and death
that we may learn from his example
the way we should go.
We ask this through that same Christ, our Lord.
The following prayers and reflections have been taken and adapted from the "Reflections on the Stations of the Cross" by the Alliance for Catholic Education from the University of Notre Dame. The link to this website can be found by clicking here.
The First Station: Jesus is Condemned to Death
Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
Everyone (Genuflecting): Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Leader: [Pilate brought Jesus outside and said to the people], “What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?” “Crucify him!” they shouted. “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!” (Mark 15:12-14)
Jesus stands before Pilate, accused of crimes he hasn’t committed, and He Who is Without Sin mutely accepts the blame for the sin of all. Trust allows for this, Jesus’ full trust in God’s plan—the promise of resurrection and salvation. This was the light that led him through the darkness.
Prayer (Everyone): Jesus, help us to see your acceptance of blame not as weakness or resignation but as the ultimate example of self-sacrificing trust in God. Give us that same trust so that we may step in to offer your healing, comfort, and hope to those around us.
The Second Station: Jesus Takes Up His Cross
Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
Everyone (Genuflecting): Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Leader: The soldiers took charge of Jesus. Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha) (John 19:16-17).
Scholars generally agree that Jesus carried just the horizontal beam of the cross, which weighed about 125 pounds. We can only imagine the pain he endured as he walked, the beam chafing his flesh-torn back. Steadfast acceptance of God’s will allowed him to put one foot in front of the other.
Prayer (Everyone): Jesus, we avoid adversity. We fear humiliation and run from suffering. But you chose to take up the cross, a symbol of humiliation and suffering, and did so with steadfast acceptance. Teach us, we pray, to carry our burdens with the same grace, remembering that you will never leave or forsake us.
The Third Station: Jesus Falls the First Time
Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
Everyone (Genuflecting): Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Leader: And being found in human form, Jesus humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:8)
At the time of Jesus’ death, crucifixion was the punishment reserved for the lowest of society’s low, the prevailing method employed to publicly dishonor a person. Jesus’ brutal flogging was part of the practice, and as it sent his body into shock from pain and blood loss, it was likely the cause of his fall. Consider Christ’s humility, then: “God Made Flesh” succumbed to the ultimate display of human degradation and assumed the physical vulnerabilities of the human body.
Prayer (Everyone): Jesus, teach us your humility today. Fill us with your Spirit so that, in our workplaces and families, we may become conduits of your self-giving love. Through your example, may our weaknesses make us stronger, more accepting of the weaknesses of others, and increasingly humble.
The Fourth Station: Jesus Meets His Sorrowful Mother
Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
Everyone (Genuflecting): Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Leader: Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, Jesus’ mother: "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too." (Luke 2:34-35)
Face to face, Jesus and the Blessed Mother meet. Jesus is covered in blood, sweat, and spit, bent under the weight of the cross and subjected to angry shouts of hatred. And Mary, experiencing every mother’s worst nightmare that her child will suffer harm, feels the sword pierce her soul. Moving with fiercely protective love, she offers her son the little she can: the comfort of her presence.
Prayer (Everyone): Jesus, thank you for the gift of Mary, who models perfect love for us. In our love for you, make us fiercely protective of you. And help us remember that when we are present to those who are hungry, tired, and sad, those who are difficult, stubborn, and forgetful, we are loving you.
The Fifth Station: Simon of Cyrene Helps Jesus Carry the Cross
Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
Everyone (Genuflecting): Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Leader: As they led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. (Luke 23:26)
Simon of Cyrene is pressed into service “on his way in from the country”; it’s an unexpected detour from his plan for the day. Scripture doesn’t tell us why he is appointed for the task or how he reacts. The point, it seems, is simply what he does. He serves a man in the hour of his greatest need. Here we remember that our acts of service—expected or not, appointed or not, eagerly shared or not—carry great weight in the kingdom of God.
Prayer (Everyone): Jesus, thank you for this tiny glimpse of Simon from Cyrene, who shows us the cosmic impact of service. Please give us the eyes to see when, where, and whom we can serve and the strength to step into that call even when it causes a detour. Show us, too, how to let others help us. By your Spirit, help us to share our service generously and accept it from others graciously.
The Sixth Station: Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus
Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
Everyone (Genuflecting): Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Leader: He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me. And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward." (Matthew 10:40, 42)
As Jesus stumbles down the road to Golgotha, Veronica takes her veil to gently wipe the sweat and blood from his face. In return, Jesus leaves the imprint of his image on the cloth. “He who receives me receives the one who sent me.” Jesus meets her kindness with kindness, blessing her with an imprinted veil—a lasting reminder that God is with us.
Prayer (Everyone): Jesus, through the example of Veronica, open our eyes to the suffering that many people around us endure. By your Spirit, help us comfort them in your name, reminding us that in every such action, you are with us.
The Seventh Station: Jesus Falls the Second Time
Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
Everyone (Genuflecting): Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Leader: But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people. All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads. (Psalm 22:6-7)
Earlier in the Gospels, we see images of Jesus as the center of attention: some climbed trees to see him; others reached out simply to touch his garments; still others dismantled a roof to lower their sick friend down to Jesus. Jesus had once been surrounded with love and acclaim; now he is rejected and scorned.
Prayer (Everyone): Jesus, give us the grace to identify with those who are rejected. Inspire us to feel compassion for our neighbors who are cast aside and marginalized. May our love for you become a force that heals and unifies the world.
The Eighth Station: Jesus Meets the Women of Jerusalem
Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
Everyone: Amen.