THE STATIONS OF THE CROSS
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Station I – Jesus is Condemned to Death:
The innocent Jesus accepts the unjust sentence of death pronounced against Him by Pilate.
Lord, grant me the ability to accept my sorrows and, ultimately, my own death by following the example You have shown…
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Station II – Jesus is Made to Bear the Cross:
Jesus takes the cross upon His shoulders and invites us: “If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me.”
Draw me to Yourself, O Lord. The road is narrow, but it leads to heaven. On the way, I will lean on You, my comfort and my guide.
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Station III – Jesus Falls the First Time under His Cross:
Wearied by the agony of Gethsemane, tortured by the scourging and the crowning with thorns, exhausted by fasting, Jesus falls for the first time beneath the enormous weight of the cross.
You fell, O Lord, to sustain us who fall. Help us to resist temptation; Keep us faithful as we follow You.
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Station IV – Jesus Meets His Afflicted Mother:
Carrying the cross, Jesus meets His Mother, whose soul is pierced by a sword of sorrow. The hearts of Jesus and Mary are united in the same suffering.
Help me to remember that the love carried in those two hearts enfolds me in my journey. I offer my heart in return.
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Station V – The Cyrenian Helps Jesus Carry His Cross:
With false compassion, “they forced a certain passer-by, Simon of Cyrene, to take up the cross of Jesus.
YPerhaps Simon had no idea of the remarkable task set before him. Help me to remember that, every time I help another, I help You.
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Station VI – Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus:
With devout compassion, Veronica wipes the face of Jesus, who rewards her by leaving the impression of His face on the towel.
What courage it must have taken for Veronica to step out from the crowd, defying the soldiers and public opinion. Grant me the valor to be true to my beliefs no matter how great the pressure to betray them.
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Station VII – Jesus Falls the Second Time:
A second time, Jesus’ strength fails Him, and He who was “spurned and avoided by men” (Isaiah 53:3) falls again beneath the cross..
Despite my good intentions, Lord, how often I fall. As You pull Yourself up this second time, You show me determination and belief in Yourself. You can make it…so can I..
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Station VIII – Jesus Speaks to the Women of Jerusalem:
A large crowd, and many women who were weeping for Him, followed Jesus. He said to them: “Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me but for yourselves and for your children.”
You understood the difficulties of our fallen human nature and could anticipate that all would not be easy as we make our way to You. Help me, keep me strong…be with me in this journey.
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Station IX – Jesus Falls the Third Time:
Jesus falls the third time beneath the cross, drained and weary from it all.
The road has been long and the demands many… and I am remembering not that You fell a third time but that You got up a third time. You teach me the lesson of sheer grit from the text of never give up. Inspire in me that kind of spiritual courage as I make my way through this life to You.
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Station X – Jesus is Stripped of His Garments:
Having reached Calvary, Jesus is stripped of His garments and given a bitter mixture of gall and myrrh to drink.
You remind me that, in the end, we shed our trappings and our pleasures. Help me to detach from preoccupations of the body and be more mindful of my soul.
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Station XI – Jesus is Nailed to the Cross:
The executioners nail Jesus to the cross, there to hang in the company of two thieves.
I can’t imagine the pain of nails piercing skin and breaking bone, nor the anguish of seeing your own mother suffering silently at the foot of your cross. That You so loved me staggers my mind, Lord. Thank You.
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Station XII – Jesus Dies on the Cross:
Jesus suffers for three hours and then dies on the cross for our sins.
There can be no greater love than this, that You would lay down Your life for me.
Help me to remember that Your death is renewed every day on our altars; make me ever attentive as I celebrate Your Mass..
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Station XIII – Jesus is Taken Down from the Cross:
The sorrowful Mary receives her Son into her arms, after He is taken down from the cross.
While Christ’s suffering is finally over, Mary’s will continue. Society, at large, will not be sympathetic. Her innocent, beautiful Jesus, misunderstood by most, was likened to a criminal and violently killed. Yet her faith was unshaken, her purpose never doubted. Guide me, gentle Mary, to share in such abundant trust which steadied you as you held your bruised and battered Son that day…
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Station XIV – Jesus is Placed in the Sepulcher:
The body of Jesus, anointed with spices, is brought to the sepulcher. With strong faith Mary awaited the resurrection of her Son, as He had foretold.
It is over…the price of our redemption has been paid. But, while this seems an ending, it is really the beginning. In three days, the prophecy of old will be realized. On Easter - by conquering death – the Son of Man will be truly recognized as the Son of God. We are a saved and sacred people.
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