We will be praying the Stations of the Cross on Friday, February 2021. Below is the narrative of the stations of the cross we will be using. Join us at 6:00 pm on Facebook Live on the St Jude Pearl Mississippi Facebook page.
Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, as we pray the stations of the cross, we pray that you fill our hearts with the light of the Holy Spirit, so that by following you on your final journey, we may come to know the price of our Redemption. May we become worthy to share in the fruits of your passion, death and resurrection. You who live and reign for ever and ever. AMEN.
1. First Station - Jesus is condemned to death.
- We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
- Because by your holy cross, you have redeemed the world.
Let us pray for those who have been condemned by others and for those who have been hurt in different ways. Let us pray for the unwanted and the lonely in this world and for those who are in pain right now. We lift them up to the Lord.
2. Second Station - Jesus carries the Cross.
- We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
- Because by your holy cross, you have redeemed the world.
Let us remember the times when we have had to carry our crosses in the form of sickness, pain, worry, despair, loneliness, guilt, the loss of loved ones, and financial problems. As Jesus bore his cross with patience, let us be patient with our crosses and ask for his help in carrying them.
3. Third Station - Jesus falls the first time.
- We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
- Because by your holy cross, you have redeemed the world.
We recall the ways we sin and give into temptation. When we sin, we move away from God. Let us hear Jesus call us to repentance and forgiveness. Let us hear Jesus calling us back to him and back to our faith.
4. Fourth Station - Jesus meets his mother.
- We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
- Because by your holy cross, you have redeemed the world.
Mary is not only the Heavenly Mother who gave birth to Jesus Christ and raised him during his life here on earth. She is also our Mother and the Mother of our Church. She intercedes on her behalf to her son. She helps us live in the light of God’s grace. May we allow our Mother Mary be our comfort and strength during this earthly journey. May Mary help us on our Lenten journey.
5. Fifth Station - Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus to carry his cross.
- We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
- Because by your holy cross, you have redeemed the world.
When we are burdened with our cross, when the cross seems too heavy for us to carry, Jesus sends others into our lives to help us carry the cross. It may be our spouse, our parents, our children, our friends or even a stranger. Jesus does not abandon us. Let us thank Jesus for all those people who give us hope and encouragement on our journey.
6. Sixth Station - Veronica wipes the face of Jesus.
- We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
- Because by your holy cross, you have redeemed the world.
We pray for our family members, our friends, and our loved ones who have been there with us in our struggles in life, who have been a comfort to us and who have helped us. We pray for those who have helped us on our journey of faith.
7. Seventh Station - Jesus falls for the second time.
- We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
- Because by your holy cross, you have redeemed the world.
Although we can feel sorry and repent for our sin, we can nevertheless fall back into temptation and fall again. We can sometimes fall into even greater sin. God calls us to open our hearts to him to be truly repentant and sorry. Let us hear his call to repentance and conversion on our Lenten journey.
8. Eight Station - Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem.
- We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
- Because by your holy cross, you have redeemed the world.
The example of the women of Jerusalem calls us to be compassionate and merciful to those around us, to open our eyes to those who are suffering in this world. As Jesus comforted the women of Jerusalem, let us be merciful to those in distress. Let us see ourselves as evangelizers who can bring others to Christ.
9. Ninth Station - Jesus falls the third time.
- We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
- Because by your holy cross, you have redeemed the world.
Although we try not to sin, we can give way to temptation. We pray that Jesus may make our hearts strong and give us strength to fight the temptations of the Devil. May we grow closer to God this Lenten season through fasting, prayer and almsgiving.
10. Tenth Station - Jesus is stripped of his clothes.
- We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
- Because by your holy cross, you have redeemed the world.
We are called to surrender those memories and experiences that hold us back on our journey. We may be holding onto a moment of embarrassment or shame or a moment when somebody insulted us or hurt us deeply. When Jesus was stripped of his clothes, he was ashamed and hurt, but he bore everything for our sins. Let us invite Jesus to heal our wounds and surrender all painful memories to him.
11. Eleventh Station - Jesus is nailed to the Cross.
- We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
- Because by your holy cross, you have redeemed the world.
Let us give up all that is holding us back. Let all our sins be nailed to the cross so that we can live a new life in Jesus. As Jesus endured unbearable pain while being nailed to the cross, let us bear our sorrows with patience and humility.
12. Twelfth Station - Jesus dies on the Cross.
- We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
- Because by your holy cross, you have redeemed the world.
Let all our sins die on the cross along with Jesus. Let us resolve to never sin again and avoid all temptation. Let us unite our crosses with Christ’s cross.
13. Thirteenth Station - The body of Jesus is taken down from the Cross.
- We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
- Because by your holy cross, you have redeemed the world.
Jesus, you died for our sins and you purchased for us the reward of eternal life. Let us always keep that in our minds and our hearst. Let us live this life with hope, place all of our hope in you.
14. Fourteenth Station - Jesus is laid in the tomb.
- We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
- Because by your holy cross, you have redeemed the world.
Jesus’ death on the cross was not the final story. His death on the cross gives way to his time in the tomb and his resurrection. Let us look forward to the eternal life that Jesus has offered us by giving his own life as ransom. Let us pray to Jesus for accompany us on our journey here on earth, to especially accompany us on our journey at the time of our earthly death.
Closing Prayer: My Jesus, I have traveled your way of the cross. It seems so real. I often complain of my own sufferings and find obedience to the Father’s will difficult. My mind bogged down by the poverty, sickness, starvation, greed and hatred in the world. Help me to see the Father’s will in every incident of my daily life. This is what you did – you saw the Father’s will in your persecutors, your enemies and your pain. Teach me the lessons contained in my crosses. Give the wisdom as I carry my crosses and the fortitude that accompanies even the smallest cross. May Mary, our Mother, obtain for me the grace to be Jesus to my neighbor and to see my neighbor in Jesus. Amen.
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