The Way of the Cross
Kneeling before the altar or crucifix, make an act of Contrition, and form the intention of gaining the indulgences, whether for yourself or for the souls in Purgatory.
Then say:
My Lord Jesus Christ, You have made this journey to die for me with love unutterable, and I have so many times unworthily abandoned You; but now I love You with my whole heart, and because I love You, I repent sincerely for ever having offended You. Pardon me, my God, and permit me to accompany You on this journey. You go to die for love of me; I wish also, my beloved Redeemer, to die for love of You. My Jesus, I will live and die always united to You.
Dear Jesus, You go to die
For very love of me:
Ah! let me bear You company;
I wish to die with You.
I. The First Station: Jesus is Condemned to Death
V: We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You. (Genuflect)
R: Because by Your holy Cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
V: Consider how Jesus, after having been scourged and crowned with thorns, was unjustly condemned by Pilate to die on the Cross. (Kneel)
B: My adorable Jesus, it was not Pilate, no, it was my sins that condemned You to die. I beseech You, by the merits of this sorrowful journey, to assist my soul in its journey towards eternity. I love You, my beloved Jesus; I love You more than myself; I repent with my whole heart for having offended You. Never permit me to separate myself from You again. Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me what You will. (Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.)
At the Cross her station keeping,
Stood the mournful Mother weeping,
Close to Jesus to the last.
II. The Second Station: Jesus Carries His Cross
V: We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You. (Genuflect)
R: Because by Your holy Cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
V: Consider how Jesus, in making this journey with the Cross on His shoulders thought of us, and offered for us to His Father the death He was about to undergo. (Kneel)
R: My most beloved Jesus, I embrace all the tribulations You have destined for me until death. I beseech You, by the merits of the pain You suffered in carrying Thy Cross, to give me the necessary help to carry mine with perfect patience and resignation. I love You, Jesus my love; I love You more than myself; I repent of having offended You. Never permit me to separate myself from You again. Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me what You will. (Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.)
Through her heart, His sorrow sharing,
All his bitter anguish bearing,
now at length the sword has passed.
III. The Third Station: Jesus Falls the First Time
V: We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You. (Genuflect)
R: Because by Your holy Cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
V: Consider this first fall of Jesus under His Cross. His flesh was torn by the scourges. His head crowned with thorns and He had lost a great quantity of blood. He was so weakened that he could scarcely walk, and yet he had to carry this great load upon His shoulders. The soldiers struck Him rudely, and thus He fell several times in His journey. (Kneel)
R: My beloved Jesus, it is not the weight of the Cross, but my sins, which have made You suffer so much pain. By the merits of this first fall, deliver me from the misfortune of falling into mortal sin. I love You, O my Jesus, with my whole heart; I repent of having offended You. Never permit me to separate myself from You again. Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me what You will. (Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.)
O how sad, and sore distressed,
was that Mother, highly blest,
of the sole-begotten One.
IV. The Fourth Station: Jesus Meets His Sorrowful Mother
V: We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You. (Genuflect)
R: Because by Your holy Cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
V: Consider the meeting of the Son and the Mother, which took place on this journey. Jesus and Mary looked at each other, and their looks became as so many arrows to wound those hearts which loved each other so tenderly. (Kneel)
R: My most loving Jesus, by the sorrow You experienced in this meeting, grant me the grace of a truly devoted love for You most holy Mother. And You, my Queen, who was overwhelmed with sorrow, obtain for me by thy intercession a continual and tender remembrance of the Passion of your Son. I love You, Jesus my love; I repent of ever having offended You. Never permit me to offend You again. Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me what You will. (Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.)
Woe-begone, with heart’s prostration,
mother meek, the bitter Passion
saw she of her glorious son.
V. The Fifth Station: Simon of Cyrene Helps Jesus to Carry the Cross
V: We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You. (Genuflect)
R: Because by Your holy Cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
V: Consider how the Jews, seeing that at each step Jesus from weakness was on the point of expiring, and fearing that He would die on the way, when they wished Him to die the shameful death of the Cross, constrained Simon the Cyrenian to carry the Cross behind our Lord. (Kneel)
R: My most beloved Jesus, I will not refuse the Cross, as the Cyrenian did; I accept it; I embrace it. I accept in particular the death You have destined for me; with all the pains that may accompany it; I unite it to Your death, I offer it to You. You have died for love of me; I will die for love of You, and to please You. Help me by Your grace. I love You, Jesus my love; I repent of having offended You. Never permit me to offend You again. Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me what You will. (Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.)
Who could mark, from tears refraining,
Christ’s dear mother uncomplaining,
in so great a sorrow bowed!
VI. The Sixth Station: Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus
V: We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You. (Genuflect)
R: Because by Your holy Cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
V: Consider how the holy woman named Veronica, seeing Jesus so afflicted, and His face bathed in sweat and blood, presented Him with a towel, with which He wiped His adorable face, leaving on it the impression of His holy countenance. (Kneel)
R: My most beloved Jesus, Your face was beautiful before, but in this journey it has lost all its beauty, and wounds and blood have disfigured it. Alas, my soul also was once beautiful, when it received Your grace in Baptism; but I have disfigured it since by my sins; You alone, my Redeemer, can restore it to its former beauty. Do this by Your Passion; O Jesus. I repent of having offended You. Never permit me to offend You again. Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me what You will. (Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.)
Who, unmoved, behold her languish,
underneath His cross of anguish,
‘mid the fierce, unpitying crowd?
VII. The Seventh Station: Jesus Falls the Second Time
V: We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You. (Genuflect)
R: Because by Your holy Cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
V: Consider the second fall of Jesus under the Cross – a fall which renews the pain of all the wounds of the head and members of our afflicted Lord. (Kneel)
R: My most gentle Jesus, how many times You hast pardoned me, and how many times have I fallen again, and begun again to offend You! Oh, by the merits of this new fall, give me the necessary help to persevere in Your grace until death. Grant that in all temptations which assail me, I may always commend myself to You. I love You, Jesus my love; I repent of having offended You. Never permit me to offend You again. Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me what You will. (Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.)
“For His people’s sins rejected,
she her Jesus, unprotected,
saw with thorns, with scourges rent.”
VIII. The Eighth Station: The Women of Jerusalem Weep over Jesus
V: We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You. (Genuflect)
R: Because by Your holy Cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
V: Consider how those women wept with compassion at seeing Jesus in such a pitiable state, streaming with blood, as He walked along. But Jesus said to them: Weep not for Me, but for your children. (Kneel)
R: My Jesus, laden with sorrows, I weep for the offenses I have committed against You, because of the pains they have deserved, and still more because of the displeasure they have caused You, who hast loved me so much. It is You love, more than the fear of hell, which causes me to weep for my sins. My Jesus, I love You more than myself; I repent of having offended You. Never permit me to offend You again. Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me what You will. (Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.)
Saw her son from judgment taken,
her belov’d in death forsaken
till His spirit forth He sent.
IX. The Ninth Station: Jesus Falls the Third Time
V: We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee. (Genuflect)
R: Because by Thy holy Cross, Thou hast redeemed the world. (Rise)
V: Consider the third fall of Jesus Christ. His weakness was extreme, and the cruelty of His executioners was excessive, who tried to hasten His steps when He had scarcely strength to move. (Kneel)
R: My outraged Jesus, by the merits of the weakness You suffered in going to Calvary, give me strength sufficient to conquer all human respect, and all my wicked passions, which have led me to despise You friendship. I love Thee, Jesus my love, with my whole heart; I repent of having offended Thee. Never permit me to offend You again. Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me what Thou wilt. (Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.)
Fount of love and holy sorrow,
Mother, may my borrow
Somewhat of your woe profound.
X. The Tenth Station: Jesus is Stripped of His Garments
V: We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You. (Genuflect)
R: Because by Your holy Cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
V: Consider the violence with which the executioners stripped Jesus. His inner garments adhered to His torn flesh, and they dragged them off so roughly that the skin came with them. Compassionate your Savior thus cruelly treated, and say to Him:(Kneel)
R: My innocent Jesus, by the merits of the torment You have felt, help me to strip myself of all affection to things of earth, in order that I may place all my love in You, who are so worthy of my love. I love You, O Jesus, with my whole heart; I repent of having offended You. Never permit me to offend You again. Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me what You will. (Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.)
Unto Christ, with pure emotion,
Raise my contrite heart’s devotion,
Love to read in every wound.
XI. The Eleventh Station: Jesus is Nailed to the Cross
V: We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You. (Genuflect)
R: Because by Your holy Cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
V: Consider how Jesus, after being thrown on the Cross, extended His hands, and offered to His Eternal Father the sacrifice of His death for our salvation. These barbarians fastened Him with nails, and then, raising the Cross, allowed Him to die with anguish on this infamous gibbet. (Kneel)
R: My Jesus! loaded with contempt, nail my heart to Your feet, that it may ever remain there, to love You, and never leave You again. I love You more than myself; I repent of having offended You. Never permit me to offend You again. Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me what You will. (Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.)
Those five wounds on Jesus smitten,
Mother! in my heart be written,
Deep as in your own they be.
XII. The Twelfth Station: Jesus Dies Upon the Cross
V: We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You. (Genuflect)
R: Because by Your holy Cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
V: Consider how Your Jesus, after three hours of agony on the cross, is finally overwhelmed with suffering and, abandoning Himself to the weight of His body, bows His head and dies (Kneel)
R: My dying Jesus, I devoutly kiss the cross on which You would die for love of me. I deserve, because of my sins, to die a terrible death; but Your death is my hope. By the merits of Your death, give me the grace to die embracing Your feet and burning with love of You. I yield my soul into Your hands. I love You with my whole heart. I am sorry that I have offended You. Never let me offend You again. Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will. (Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.)
You, my savior’s cross who bear,
and your son’s rebuke who share,
let me share them both with you!
XIII. The Thirteenth Station: Jesus is Taken Down from the Cross
V: We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You. (Genuflect)
R: Because by Your holy Cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
V: Consider how, after the death of our Lord, two of His disciples, Joseph and Nicodemus, took Him down from the Cross, and placed Him in the arms of His afflicted Mother, who received Him with unutterable tenderness, and pressed Him to her bosom. (Kneel)
R: O Mother of sorrows, for the love of this Son, accept me for your servant, and pray to Him for me. And You, my Redeemer, since You have died for me, permit me to love You; for I wish only You, and nothing more. I love You, my Jesus, and I repent of ever having offended You. Never permit me to offend You again. Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me what You will. (Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.)
In the Passion of my Maker,
Be my sinful soul partaker,
Weep till death, and keep with you.
XIV. The Fourteenth Station: Jesus is Laid in the Sepulcher
V: We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You. (Genuflect)
R: Because by Your holy Cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
V: Consider how the disciples carried the body of Jesus to bury it, accompanied by His holy Mother, who arranged it in the sepulcher with her own hands. They then closed the tomb, and all withdrew. (Kneel)
R: Oh, my buried Jesus, I kiss the stone that encloses You. But You rose again the third day. I beg You, by Your resurrection, make me rise glorious with You at the last day, to be always united with You in heaven, to praise You and love You forever. I love You, and I repent of ever having offended You. Never permit me to offend You again. Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me what You will. (Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.)
“Mine with you be that sad station,
there to watch the great salvation wrought upon th’ atoning tree
After the Stations, say the “Our Father,” the “Hail Mary,” and the “Glory be,” five times, in honor of the Passion fo Jesus Christ, and once for the intention of the Holy Father.
By the Cross with you to stay,
there with thee to weep and pray,
is all I ask of you to give.Virgin of all virgins blest!,
Listen to my fond request:
let me share your grief divine;Let me, to my latest breath,
in my body bear the death
of your dying Son divine.Wounded with His every wound,
steep my soul till it have swooned,
in His very Blood away;Be to me, O Virgin, nigh,
lest in flames I burn and die,
in His awful Judgment Day.Christ, when You shall call me hence,
by Your Mother my defense,
by Your Cross my victory;While my body here decays,
may my soul Your goodness praise,
safe in paradise with You. Amen.