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Stations
of the Cross FOR YOUR MEDITATION PRAYER O Christ, you who accepted an unjust condemnation, do not let us be untruthful to you and to others out of fear. Grant us, and to all human beings of our times, the strength to be faithful to the truth. To you, Jesus, our just judge, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen. ACCLAMATIONS -Jesus of Nazareth, condemned to
death on the Cross,faithful witness to the love of the Father. Kyrie,
eleison. |
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Second station : Jesus takes up his Cross “Jesus, carrying his own cross, went out to the Place of the Skull or, as it is called in Hebrew, Golgotha” (Jn 19: 17). “Yet ours were the sufferings he was bearing, ours the sorrow he was carrying, while we thought of him as someone being punished and struck with affliction by God… After the ordeal he has endured, he will see the light and be content. By his knowledge the upright one, my servant will justify many by taking their guilt on himself” (Is 53: 4, 11) FOR YOUR MEDITATION v We contemplate Jesus carrying the heavy burden of the sins of the world, of our sins. He accepts this suffering out of love for us, for all men and women. He is the man Pilate pointed to when he said: “This is the man” “Ecce homo” - …and in what a state! It is Jesus who calls upon our faith, upon our love.v What is our relationship of faith and love with the Lord Jesus?v Do we faithfully nourish and deepen our faith in Christ our Redeemer? PRAYER Lord, you who carry the cross, you who heal the wounds of sin, we ask forgiveness of you. Look on us with compassion. Forgive our lack of faith, our superficial love, our lukewarm generosity, our lack of authenticity, the weakness of our witness, our slowness to serve, all that blurs your image from us. Bring us back to the straight path, we who stray along doubtful ways in our earthly pilgrimage [by the Armenian Patriarch karekine].. ACCLAMATIONS - Christ, Son of God, you reveal
to man the mystery of himself.Christe, eleison. |
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Third station : Jesus falls under the cross “The soldiers led him away to be crucified (Mt 27: 31).“I
have forgotten what happiness is and thought: ‘My lasting hope
in Yahweh is lost’” (Lm 3: 17-18) FOR YOUR MEDITATION Jesus is weakened, he falls to
the ground. In fact, on his way to the Cross, he comes to us, he joins
us when we are overburdened, or simply
weak as we face our human tasks, in the face of the demands of married
life.v In our turn, are we understanding and supportive of the weakness
of our spouse, of our children, of others around us? Do we bear one another’s
burdens? Their suffering, their trials? May the mercy of God permit me to
progress further, to dare place one foot ahead of the other – not into the unknown – but in forgiveness.
May the Spirit who sustained you, Jesus, when you went freely to Calvary,
give me the yoke of true freedom that makes me responsible for the other:
a yoke both heavy and light. Then we will knead the dust to give men
bread, meaning, beauty, Eucharistic bread, the meaning of crucified Wisdom,
of beauty that, through death, becomes a source of communion. [by Denis
the Areopagite in “Divine Names”, quoted by Olivier Clément
in the Stations of the Cross of the Coliseum, 1998] - Jesus, meek lamb, Redeemer, you
bear the sin of the world. Kyrie, eleison. |
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Fourth Station : Jesus meets his Mother “Near the Cross of Jesus stood his mother (Jn 19: 25)“Look, he is destined for the fall and for the rise of many in Israel, destined to be a sign that is opposed - and a sword will pierce your soul too” (Lk 2: 34-35) FOR YOUR MEDITATION v Mary suffers with her Son. She had given him to the world in faith;
she sees him handed over for the salvation of the world, bearing the
weight of the sufferings and sins of humanity. v Mother of sorrows, Mother
full of compassion, help us to understand the mystery of the suffering
of Jesus. You who shared intimately the way of the Cross of Jesus our
Saviour, and became our Mother, we beseech you to obtain forgiveness
for our indifference to the suffering we see around us and which we sometimes
cause. Teach us to share your compassion for all human pain. “Gentle Mother, grant that we may also think of you when we think of Jesus. And, when we pray to him, help us always by your powerful intercession” [Cardinal John Henry Newman] ACCLAMATIONS - Holy Mary, our Mother and Sister
in the journey of faith,with you we call upon your Son Jesus. Kyrie,
eleison. |
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Fifth station : Simon carries the cross
of Jesus FOR YOUR MEDITATION v For Simon, returning from work, it was unexpected. But he accepted to lend his strength to someone worn out by the weight of the cross.v Are we supportive of those near or far who are sick in body or spirit, of those who suffer from spiritual hunger who do not find meaning in their life and are unable to hope? In our world, do we know how to respond to the calls of the poor, the marginalized, the exiles, on our doorstep as well as in countries less favoured than ours? PRAYER Jesus, when you were worn out and broken, Simon of Cyrene came to your help: he walked behind you carrying your cross. But your are, Lord, the true Cyrenean of all times. It is you who calls: “Come to me, all you who labour and are heavy burdened” (Mt 11: 28). It is you who conforts us: “My yoke is easy and my burden light” (Mt 11: 30). In you, with you, through you, the weight of life becomes a light burden. Teach us, good Master, to look with love at the suffering of human beings, to carry our brother’s load, to share the sufferings of life.To you, Jesus, power and strength of the universe, be all honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen. [Cardinal Vinko Puljic, archbishop of Sarajevo]
- Christ, Good Samaritan, neighbour to
the poor, the sick, the lowly. Christe, eleison. |
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Sixth station : Veronica wipes the face of Jesus He had no form or comeliness that we should look at him, and no beauty
that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men; a man
of sorrows, and acquainted with grief and as one from whom men hide their
faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.(Isaiah 53, 2-3)
To reflect the face of Christ is the wish of our couples; it is the meaning of marriage, this great sacrament. When Veronica courageously drew close to Jesus, the condemned man, was she not “seeking the face of the Lord” as it says in Ps 26 [27]: 8-9? v May Veronica show us that, by every act of love, we cause the face of Jesus to imprint itself on our hearts! May she make us experience how divine Love, source of our love, of all love, permeates our life! Do we know how to welcome the presence of this love in our married life? PRAYER Lord, give us an impatient heart that seeks your face. Protect us from the blurring of the heart that sees only the appearance of things. Give us the sincerity and purity that makes it possible for us to see your presence in the world. When we are not able to do great things, give us the courage of a humble goodness. Imprint your face in our hearts so that we may meet you and show your face to the world. [Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger] ACCLAMATIONS - Face of the Lord Jesus, disfigured
by pain, resplendent with God's glory.Kyrie, eleison.
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Seventh station : Jesus falls the second time “They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha” (Mk 15:
22).“He said,’Abba, Father, for you all things are possible;
remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want but what you want’” Mk
14: 36). “I was thrust down, thrust down and falling, but the Lord
was my helper. The Lord is my strength and my song; and has been my saviour.
(Ps 117: 13-14) Jesus, who is the way, the trust and the life (cf. Jn 14: 6), lets himself be crushed on the way to Golgotha by the sin of humanity. He participates in our own fall. Innocent though he is, he lets himself be affected by acts of rejection of the promise of new life. Under the weight of the cross, he lets himself be overwhelmed by refusal to respect life to its appointed end.v He falls so as to pick us up, to forgive our hesitations, our fears or our falls in the service of life.May he give us the courage to support and love always the weakest around us or, more widely, in our present society. May he forgive us for all attacks, directly or indirectly, on life given by God. PRAYER Lord Jesus, your weakness is our support. Help us to rise from our own
falls. Help us to give a hand to those close to us when they succumb
under the weight of trials or temptations. You who, when we were baptised,
opened us to the new life of the resurrection, give us the strength always
to respect living beings, especially when they are weak and defenceless. - Jesus of Nazareth, you became
an outcast among men,in order to ennoble all creatures. Kyrie, eleison.
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Eighth station : Jesus speaks to the women of Jerusalem And there followed him a great multitude of the people, and of women who bewailed and lamented him. But Jesus turning to them said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For behold the days are coming when they will say, 'Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never gave suck!’ 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). FOR YOUR MEDITATION v Yes, Jesus does not ask us to weep for him, but for all sinners because they have a part in the sufferings he bears, he the innocent green tree, condemned for sinners. We must listen to his words to the women of Jerusalem: “weep for yourselves”. Are we truly sorry for our sins? Do we even have an awareness of sin, of being sinners? v But are we also aware that our repentance is itself a gift of divine mercy for which we must give thanks? PRAYER Lord, on your way to the cross, look down on us
from the summit of your love and forgiveness. Forgive our sins that
we may be able to understand
your commandments and abide by them. Deliver us from the temptation to
sudden actions and ill-considered decisions. Enlighten and calm our mind
by your grace and wisdom. Your goodness is boundless. Purify our heart
that we may be able to ask you sincerely: “Forgive our offenses”.
[by the Armenian Patriarch Karekine I] - Lord Jesus, knowing and merciful,
the Truth leading us to life. Kyrie, eleison.Ø |
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Ninth station : Jesus falls
the third time FOR YOUR MEDITATION In this new fall, Jesus is again subjected to the violence of men. It is to this depth that he has taken on human vulnerability, that he has assumed the conditon of a slave.v Can we resist all temptations to violence within ourselves, between ourselves, towards those around us, in the world? Do we dare call on the Passion of Christ in turning away from all involvement in violence and hatred? PRAYER Lord Jesus Christ, you who, by your humiliation on the cross, have revealed
to the world the price of redemption, give men and women of this third
millennium the light of faith, so that, recognising in you the suffering
Servant of God and of humanity, they may have the courage to follow the
same path that, through the cross and self-denial, leads to eternal life.
To you, Jesus, support of our weakness, be honour and glory for ever
and ever. Amen [John Paul II] - Jesus Christ, you tasted the bitterness of the
earth in order to turn our cries of pain into a song of joy. Christe,
eleison.
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Tenth station : Jesus is stripped of his garments “When the soldiers had finished crucifying Jesus they took his
clothing and divided it into four shares, one for each soldier. His undergarment
was seamless, woven in one piece fom neck to hem; so they said to one
another: ‘Instead of tearing it, let’s throw dice to decide
who is to have it’. In this way the words of scripture were fulfilled” (Jn
19: 23-24)“You were taught to put away your former way of life,
your old self, corrupt and deluded by its lusts, and to be renewed in
the spirit of your mind, and to clothe yourself with the new self, created
according to the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ep
4: 22-24) Behold the body of Jesus stripped naked. Stripped in front of the crowd, he is numbered among the excluded; his dignity is scorned. But his body displayed is the pure humanity he has assumed up to now. v What do we do with our body, with our senses, with our instincts? How do we respect other peoples’ bodies? PRAYER Lord Jesus, you were stripped of your garments, exposed to shame, excluded
from society. You took upon yourself the shame of Adam and healed him.
You took upon yourself the sufferings and needs of the poor, those who
are excluded from society. But it was thus that the words of the prophets
were fulfilled. It was thus that you gave meaning to what seems devoid
of meaning. It was thus that you made us see that your Father holds you
in his hands as he does us and the world. Give us a deep respect of human
beings at every stage of their existence and in all the situations in
which we find them. Give us the garment of the light of your grace. [Cardinal
J. Ratzinger] - Jesus, sacred body, still violated
in your living members. Kyrie, eleison.
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Eleventh station : Jesus
is nailed to the Cross v Lifted up on the cross, Jesus draws, as he had said, all men to himself. “As he was about to reconcile everything to himself by the blood of his cross, his arms stretched out are an indelible sign of the Covenant between heaven and earth (cf. Eucharistic Prayer for reconciliation). v Are we ready to let ourselves be reconciled by God? Are we ready to reconcile ourselves, in the name of the Lord, with those we have wounded or who have wounded us? Are we workers of peace? PRAYER Jesus Christ, our brother, born of the Virgin Mary: On the cross, we
recognise in you the Son of God. We proclaim that you are the author
of the reconciliation between heaven and earth. We invoke in you our
Saviour and Redeemer. Listen to the prayer of your Church, born from
your pierced side. Renew its life, make her mission fruitful so that
she may help you to proclaim to the world the hope of the Kingdom to
come. [Ignacio M. Calabuig Adan and Silvano Maggiani] - Christ, crucified by hatred, made
by love a sign of reconciliation and peace. Christe, eleison.
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Twelfth station : Jesus
dies on the Cross FOR YOUR MEDITATION On the cross, Jesus is fully united to the Father: he forgives; he entrust his disciples to his Mother; he gives salvation to the repentant thief. Jesus offers his life for the whole of humanity. He fulfils to the end the commandment of love he gave to his disciples.v As we contemplate Jesus’ total gift of himself and the wonder of his Word, let us ask ourselves what response we give him day by day. What place do we give to prayer, to meditating the Word of God? Do we dare share its riches as a couple, as a family, as a team? PRAYER Jesus, our brother, by your death you have reopened for us the way blocked by the sin of Adam. You have gone before us on the road that leads from death to life (Heb 6:20). You have taken upon yourself the fear and the torments of death, changing radically their meaning: you have turned around the despair that they provoke, changing death into an encounter of love. Comfort those who today are setting out on your same road. Reassure those who strive to divert their minds from the thought of death. And when that dramatic and blessed hour should come for us, receive us into your eternal joy, not because of our merits, but in virtue of the marvellous things your grace works in us. [Dom André Louf] ACCLAMATIONS - Son
of God, remember us, at the hour of death. Kyrie, eleison. |
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Thirteenth station : Jesus is taken down from the cross “It was the Day of Preparation, and to avoid the bodies’ remaining on the cross during the Sabbath - since that Sabbath was a day of special solemnity - the Jews asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken away. When they came to Jesus, they saw he was already dead, and so instead of breaking his legs one of the soldiers pierced his side with a lance; and immediately there came out blood and water.After this, Joseph of Arimathaea, who was a disciple of Jesus - though a secret one because he was afraid of the Jews - asked Pilate to let him remove the body of Jesus. Pilate gave permission, so they came and took it away.” (Jn 19: 31-38)His mother treasured all these things in her heart (Lk 2: 51) FOR YOUR MEDITATION Mary receives the broken, surrendered body – the body she willingly gave to the worldv We invoke her maternal intercession in the face of all life’s separations and of our sins. v Am I tempted to resolve by myself the problems that affect me? or am I ready to turn to others, to accept the help of my spouse, of my friends, of a priest, of competent people, as we accept Mary’s intercession for us with her Son? PRAYER He had not been in your arms, O Mother of God, since his childhood; but you can claim your right over him, now that the world has done its worst. Since you are richly endowed with divine favours, you the most blessed, full of grace, Mother of the Most High, we rejoice in this great mystery. He dwelt hidden in your womb, he slept on your bosom, he was nourished at your breasts and carried in your arms. And now that he is dead, he is laid on your knees. Virgin, Mother of God, intercede for us! [Cardinal John Henry Newman] ACCLAMATIONS - Holy Mary, Mother of inexpressible
sorrow, with you we open our arms to Life himself, and humbly beseech
him: Kyrie eleison. |
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Fourteenth Station:
Jesus is laid in the tomb FOR YOUR MEDITATION PRAYER ACCLAMATIONS |
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Fifteenth station : Jesus rose from the dead on Easter morning “But the angel said to the women: ‘Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said he would. Come and see the place where he lay, then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has risen from the dead…” (Mt 28: 6-7)But we believe that, if we died with Christ, then we shall live with him too. We know that Christ has been raised from the dead and will never die again. Death has no power over him any more. In the same way, you must see yourselves as being dead to sin but alive for God in Christ Jesus. (Rm 6: 8-9.11) FOR YOUR MEDITATION Through Christ, risen from the tomb on Easter morning, we are freed of all imprisonment to sin, healed of our wounds and returned to our occasionally broken fraternal communion. As St Paul said, we are “dead to sin and alive in God”. The Church calls us to new life through sacramental reconciliation. Let us respond with confidence! Jesus is “the head of the Body, that is, the Church. He is… the first-born from the dead… because God wanted all fulness to be found in him and through him to reconcile all things to him… by making peace through his death on the cross”. (Col 1:18-20) PRAYER Lord Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit, you were drawn by the Father from the darkness of death to the light of a new life in glory. Grant that the sign of the empty tomb may speak to us and to future generations and become a wellspring of living faith, generous love, and unshakeable hope. To you, O Jesus, whose presence, hidden and victorious, fills the history of the world, be honour and glory for ever and ever. [John-Paul II, at the Colosseum in 2000] ACCLAMATIONS - Lord Jesus, your light
shone on the people redeemed by your blood. Kyrie, eleison.
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