Stations of the Cross
Click here for the WYD 2002 Stations of the Cross Script (pdf)

The Stations of the Cross is a devotion in which participants focus their prayer on pictorial representations of fourteen scenes of Christ’s passion. In the twentieth century a fifteenth station commemorating the Resurrection is often added, acknowledging that devotion to the Passion is incomplete without it.

At the High Altar

In the name of the Father, Son, X and the Holy Spirit. Amen

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, who did not spare your only Son but freely gave him up for the life of the world, be present with us here as we prepare to remember your Son’s terrible sufferings, undergone for our salvation. Do not let such labour go in vain, but touch our hearts, that we may be moved to sincere repentance for those sins that made our redeemer undergo such a sorrowful sacrifice.

I. Jesus comes before Pilate and is condemned to death.

Call: We adore You, 0 Christ, and we praise You.

Response: Because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world.

Consider how Jesus, after having been scourged and crowned with thorns, was unjustly condemned by Pilate to die on the cross. (Matthew 27:24-26)

When morning came, all the Chief Priests and the Elders of the people met in Council to bring about the death of Jesus. They had him bound, and led him away to hand Him over to Pilate the Governor. Pilate knew that it was out of jealousy that they handed Him over. Pilate took some water, washed his hands in front of the crowd, and said, "I am innocent of this Man's blood; it is your concern."

Let us pray: 0 God, judgment is Yours alone to render. Grant that we never bring condemnation on ourselves by the judgment we make of others. We make our prayer through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

II. Jesus is made to bear His Cross.

Call: We adore You, 0 Christ, and we praise You

Response: Because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world.

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. (Matthew 27:27-31)

The Governor's soldiers took Jesus with them into the Prematorium and collected the whole cohort around him. Then they stripped Him and made Him wear a scarlet cloak, and having twisted some thorns into a crown they put this on His Head and placed a reed in His right hand. To make fun of Him, they knelt to Him and said, “Hail King of the Jews," and laughed. When they had finished making fun of Him, they dressed Him in His own clothes again and led Him away to crucify Him.

Let us pray : 0 God, too often what is good and holy is mocked by us who are Your followers. May we always show respect for every human life. We make our prayer through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

III. Jesus falls the first time under his Cross.

Call: We adore You, 0 Christ, and we praise You.

Response: Because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world.

Consider this first fall of Jesus under his cross. His flesh was torn by the scourges, his head was crowned with thorns, and he had lost a great quantity of blood. he was so weakened he could scarcely walk, yet he had to carry this great load upon his shoulders. The soldiers struck him rudely, and he fell several times.

“Surely he has borne our infirmities
and carried our diseases;
yet we accounted him stricken,
struck down by God, and afflicted.
But he was wounded for our transgressions,
crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the punishment that made us whole,
and by his bruises we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have all turned to our own way,
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of all.
He was oppressed, and he as afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
Like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,
and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent
so he did not open his mouth.”
(Isaiah 53:4-7)

Let us pray: O God, Father of us all, we often fall and become discouraged; help us to know that we represent You before men and must lead them to praise Your Name. We make our prayer through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

IV. Jesus meets His sorrowful Mother.

Call: We adore You, 0 Christ and we praise You.

Response: Because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world.

Consider the meeting of the Son and the mother that took place on this journey. Their looks became like so many arrows, to wound those hearts that loved each other so tenderly.

“Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed – and a sword will pierce your own soul too.” (Luke 2:34-35)

Let us pray: 0 God, Mary the Mother of Your Son was wounded and afflicted with each blow that struck Jesus. May we always turn sorrow to joy, so that we may pray like Simeon, 'Now, Lord, You may dismiss Your servant in peace.' We make our prayer through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

V. Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry his Cross.

Call: We adore You, 0 Christ, and we praise You.

Response: Because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world.

Consider how his executioners, seeing that at each step Jesus was on the point of expiring, and fearing that he would die on the way, whereas they wished him to die the disgraceful death of the cross, made Simeon the Cyrenian to carry the cross behind our Lord. (Mark 15:21)

On their way out, they came across a man from Cyrene. Simon by name, and enlisted him to carry His Cross.

Let us pray: 0 God, not only do we receive Your Blessing by carrying our crosses courageously, but even more do You bless us when we help others carry theirs. May we never shrink from the needs around us. We make our prayer through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

VI. Jesus meets Veronica.

Call: We adore You, 0 Christ, and we praise You.

Response: Because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world.

Consider how the holy woman named Veronica, seeing Jesus so ill-used, and his face bathed in sweat and blood, presented him with a towel, with which he wiped his face, leaving on it the impression of his holy countenance.

“he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
He was despised and rejected by others;
a man of suffering and acquainted with infirmity;
and as one from whom other hide their faces
he was despised, and we held him of no account.
Surely he has borne our infirmities
and carried our diseases;
yet we accounted him stricken,
struck down by God, and afflicted.
But he was wounded for our transgressions,
crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the punishment that made us whole,
and by his bruises we are healed.”
(Isaiah 53:2b-5)

Let us pray: 0 God, we know You call us in the torment of others. May we always see your holy face in the image of those who suffer. We make our prayer through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

VII. Jesus falls again under his Cross.

Call: We adore You, 0 Christ, and we praise You.

Response: Because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world.

Consider the second fall of Jesus under the cross, a fall that renews the pain of his head and members.

“If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it.” (Mark 8:34b-35)

Let us pray : 0 God, as Christ falls to the ground, all seems to be in vain; yet He is the one Who brings us to fulfillment. May we always rise again when life seems to be lost and have no meaning. We make our prayer through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

VIII. Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem

Call: We adore You, 0 Christ, and we praise You.

Response: Because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world.

Consider how these women wept with compassion at seeing Jesus in such a pitiable state, streaming with blood as he walked along.

“A great number of the people followed him, and among them were women who were beating their breasts and wailing for him. But Jesus turned to them and said, ‘Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For the days are surely coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.’” (Luke 23:27-30)

Let us pray: 0 God, Jesus did not look for the sympathy and attention of the crowd. May we also come to our fulfillment giving attention to others. We make our prayer through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

IX. Jesus falls a third time

Call: We adore You, 0 Christ, and we praise You.

Response: Because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world.

Consider the third fall of Jesus Christ. His weakness was extreme, and the cruelty of his executioners excessive, who tried to hurry him when he could scarcely move.

“My soul clings to the dust;
revive me according to your word.
When I told of my ways, you answered me;
teach me your statutes.
Make me understand the way of your precepts,
and I will meditate on your wondrous works.
My soul melts away for sorrow;
strengthen me according to your word.”
(Psalm 119:25-28)

Let us pray: 0 God, we know that if a grain of wheat does not die it remains only a single grain, that eternal life is the fulfillment of our difficult life on earth. May we always rise to the vision of eternity when we fall under sin. We make our prayer through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

X. Jesus is stripped of his clothes

Call: We adore You, 0 Christ, and we praise You.

Response: Because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world.

Consider the violence with which Jesus was stripped by his executioners. His inner garments adhered to his torn flesh and were dragged off so roughly that the skin came with them.

The soldiers brought Jesus to Golgotha (which means place of the skull). The soldiers, ”took his clothes and divided them into four parts, one for each soldier. They also took his tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from the top. So they said to one another, ‘Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see who will get it.’” (John 19:23-24a).

Let us pray: 0 God, Christ is mocked even disgraced in His Body, with soldiers throwing dice for His clothes. May we, in all the advances against the dignity and purity of our bodies, keep -our eyes firmly fixed on the beauty of our destiny. We make our prayer through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

XI. Jesus is nailed to the Cross

Call: We adore You, 0 Christ, and we praise You.

Response: Because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world.

Consider how Jesus, having been placed upon the cross, extended his hands and offered to his eternal Father the sacrifice of his life for our salvation. He was fastened with nails and then, secured on the cross, was allowed to die.

“When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.’ One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, ‘Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!’ But the other rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we inteed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.’ Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ He replied, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.’” (Luke 23:33-34, 39-43)

Let us pray: 0 God, we long to be with You when our time on earth is done. May we stay close to you by our virtuous living. We make our prayer through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

XII. Jesus dies on the Cross for our Salvation

Call: We adore You, 0 Christ, and we praise You.

Response: Because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world.

Consider how Jesus, after three hours’ agony on the cross, being consumed with anguish, abandoned himself to the weight of his body, bowed his head, and died.

“When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. At three o’clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lema’ sabach’thani?’ which means, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, ‘Listen, he is calling for Elijah.’ And someone ran, filled a sponge with sour win, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, saying, ‘Wait let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.’ Then Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last.” (Mark 15:33-37)

Let us pray: 0 God, your son died because of his perfect love for others. May we share that love each day of our lives. We make our prayer through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

XIII. Jesus is taken down from the Cross

Call: We adore You, 0 Christ, and we praise You.

Response: Because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world.

Consider how, after our Lord had died, 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 and pressed him to her.

“Since it was the day of Preparation, the Jews did not want the bodies left on the cross during the Sabbath, especially because that Sabbath was a day of great solemnity. So they asked Pilate to have the legs of the crucified men broken and the bodies removed. Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who had been crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once blood and water came out. These things occurred so that the scripture might be fulfilled, ‘None of his bones shall be broken.’ And again another passage of scripture says, ‘They will look on the one whom they have pierced.’ After these things, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, though a secret one because of his fear of the Jews, asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission; so he came and removed his body.” (John 19:31-34,36-38)

Let us pray: 0 God, Jesus' sad death reminds us of the sadness and suffering in our world. May we always be compassionate with those in pain. We make our prayer through Christ Our Lord. Amen

XIV. Jesus is laid in the tomb.

Call: We adore You, 0 Christ, and we praise You.
Response: Because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world.

Consider how the disciples carried the body of Jesus to bury it, accompanied by his mother. Then they closed the tomb, and all withdrew.

Joseph of Arimathea was joined by Nicodemus who brought “a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about a hundred pounds. They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths, according to the burial custom of the Jews. Now there was a garden in the place where he was crucified, and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid. And so, because it was the Jewish day of Preparation, and the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.” (John 19:39-42)

Let us pray: 0 God, as Jesus is laid in the tomb we are reminded that in death life is changed not ended. May we build our lives on values, which have no end. We make our prayer through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

XV. Before the altar: Jesus rises gloriously from the tomb.

Call: We adore You, 0 Christ, and we praise You.

Response: Because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world.

Consider how on the third day our Blessed Saviour, treading death underfoot, rose gloriously form the grave where he had been laid and appeared to his mother and his beloved disciples.

“But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in, they did not find the body. While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them, The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, ‘Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.’ Then they remembered his words, and returning from the tomb, they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles. But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw linen cloths by themselves; then he went home, amazed at what had happened.” (Luke 24:1-12)