A Short Stations of the Cross
2020
In the Christian West few devotional practices are as loved as the Way of the Cross, a devotion which recalls with mindful affection the last stage of the journey that Jesus walked in his earthly life: from when he and his disciples, ‘after psalms had been sung, left for the Mount of Olives’ (Mk 14, 26), ‘until the Lord was taken to the « place called Golgotha, The Skull’ (Mk 15, 22), to be crucified and then buried in a garden nearby, in a new tomb hewn out of the rock.
Let us pray
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
We live in a land far away from Jerusalem,
Nevertheless,
today we walk with your Son, Jesus, on his Way of the Cross
to have some share in his generous self-giving,
so that we may live life more fully,
and finally share in his resurrection.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
The First Station: Jesus is condemned to death
Leader 1:
Jesus, unjustly condemned, accepted this out of love for us.
pause
ALL: Help us, Lord,to accept what we find hard in life, as a share in your self-sacrifice
and to offer our lives in love for you and each other.
The Second Station: Jesus takes up his cross
We praise you, O Christ, and we bless you because by your holy cross:
You have redeemed the world.
Leader 1: With great courage Jesus took up his cross.
Pause
ALL: Help us, Lord, to follow your example
and to walk together as we follow you.
The Third Station: Jesus falls the first time
We praise you, O Christ, and we bless you because by your holy cross: You have redeemed the world.
Leader 1: Jesus became like us in human weakness and frailty.
Pause
ALL: Support us Lord, when we stumble and fall,
and let us, and all your people, grow in patience with ourselves and each other.
The Fourth Station: Jesus meets his mother
We praise you, O Christ, and we bless you because by your holy cross: You have redeemed the world.
Leader 2: Mary your mother was always there for you.
Pause
ALL: Help us to be there for our families and friends,
and to work with our parishes for the common good.
Fifth Station: Simon of Cyrene helps carry the cross
We praise you, O Christ, and we bless you because by your holy cross: You have redeemed the world.
Leader 2: Simon shared the weight of your cross as you went forward
to lay down your life for us all.
Pause
ALL: Help us to walk with each other
and with anyone in our community
who struggle with hardship or pain.
Sixth Station: Veronica wipes the face of Jesus
We praise you, O Christ, and we bless you because by your holy cross: You have redeemed the world.
Leader 2: Veronica’s compassion for you in your hour of need
is a pale reflection of your great compassion for all of us.
Pause
All: Help us to show your love in kindness
to all we meet in our parishes & in the wider community.
Seventh Station: Jesus falls the second time
We praise you, O Christ, and we bless you because by your holy cross: You have redeemed the world.
Leader 3: With great courage you went on the road to Calvary.
Pause
ALL: Help us to be strong and to draw courage from you
In the hardships that affect us and those we love.
Eighth Station: Jesus speaks to the women of Jerusalem
We praise you, O Christ, and we bless you because by your holy cross: You have redeemed the world.
Leader 3: Jesus knew of the grief these women showed for him,
and he in turn showed great concern for them & their children.
Pause
ALL: When we hurt, help us to remember that we are loved
and to remain sympathetic to the pain of others.
Ninth Station: Jesus falls the third time
We praise you, O Christ, and we bless you because by your holy cross: You have redeemed the world.
Leader 3: When all seemed lost, Jesus persevered in doing the will of the Father, and drew strength from his Father.
Pause
ALL: Teach us how to draw strength from you
And from the faith and kindness of others
when we feel we cannot cope.
Tenth Station: Jesus is stripped of his garments
We praise you, O Christ, and we bless you because by your holy cross: You have redeemed the world.
Leader 4: Everything was taken from Jesus:
his human dignity and his very clothing.
Pause
ALL: Help us to recognise the dignity of a child of God
in ourselves and everyone we meet.
Eleventh Station: Jesus is nailed to the cross
We praise you, O Christ, and we bless you because by your holy cross: You have redeemed the world.
Leader 4: Nailed to the cross, Jesus freely offered his life for us
and for the whole human race.
Pause
ALL: When we feel trapped by confusion and fear, give us the grace of inner freedom
which sees your hand at work in all the circumstances of our lives.
Twelfth Station: Jesus dies on the cross
We praise you, O Christ, and we bless you because by your holy cross: You have redeemed the world.
Leader 4: With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last
and sent forth the Spirit.
Pause
We sing: Accepting death upon the cross: you gained us life.
Thirteenth Station: Jesus is taken down from the cross
We praise you, O Christ, and we bless you because by your holy cross: You have redeemed the world.
Leader 5: The small group of followers gave you in death
to Mary, your Mother, to hold you one last time.
Pause
ALL: May Mary, & all holy men and women throughout the ages
walk together with us and the people of our time
who follow Christ or who seek the face of God.
Fourteenth Station: Jesus is laid in the tomb
We praise you, O Christ, and we bless you because by your holy cross: You have redeemed the world.
Leader 5: The tomb accepts you but does not retain you,
and the witness of Mary and the disciples to your rising to new life
strengthens us in faith and in the hope of eternal life.
(Canticle from the Letter to the Philippians 2: 6-11)
Though Jesus Christ was in the form of God,
he did not count such equality to be grasped.
Instead, he freely emptied out himself,
and took the form of a servant, was born like us.
In human form he chose humility,
and gave himself up to dying upon a cross.
Because of this our God exalted him,
and raised him, gave him a name above every name.
At Jesus’ name now every knee should bow
be they in heav’n or on earth or creation’s depths.
May the Lord bless us, And keep us from all harm, and may he lead us to eternal life.
Words of the Stations: adapted from a set by Sr Pat Graham SND. Canticle : Though Jesus Christ (c) Stephen Eric Smyth from Philippians 2:6-11 Jesus, remember me (c) Taize. Graphic © Netta Ewing. Music recorded by The St Mungo Singers.
