The Way of the Cross (StT2)
8 February 2021
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St. Thomas’ #2: Perfect Love
adapted from a printed booklet found at St. Thomas’, Glassboro
Stations: Opening 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Before Stations of the Cross
It is appropriate to sit in quiet meditation prior to the beginning of the Stations of the cross. During this time you may:
- Meditate on a passage of scripture
- Pray for Christ’s church and the world
- Confession of Sins
Opening Devotions
Introduction (said at the foot of the altar)
Leader:
Let us pray the Way of the Cross with a humble and contrite heart, after all it is because of our sins that Jesus had to die for us. Every step of the way to death was made in agony of pain, and every step made in ecstasy of love.
All:
Lord Jesus Christ, take me along that holy way you once took to your death. Take my mind, my memory, above all my reluctant heart, and let me see what once you did for love of me and all the world. The Son of God died the criminal’s death in love, that we may live in God’s mercy, that we may die in His Eternal love. Amen.
As you process between stations say:
Leader:
Lord, have mercy.
People:
Christ, have mercy.
Leader:
Lord, have mercy.
First Station
Leader:
Jesus, You stood before Pilate in great physical weakness, yet with divine strength and dignity. To the question “What is truth?” you answered not a word because You are Truth itself.
People:
Jesus, help me to be true to Your love for me and true to those I love. Amen.
As you process between stations say:
Leader:
Lord, have mercy.
People:
Christ, have mercy.
Leader:
Lord, have mercy.
Second Station
Leader:
Jesus, was the weight of the terrible Cross on Your wounded shoulder heavier to bear that our sin? Only Your love can tell us, only Your merciful love can bring us to true sorrow for our sin.
People:
Jesus, help me to know that Your love is greater than my sin. Amen.
As you process between stations say:
Leader:
Lord, have mercy.
People:
Christ, have mercy.
Leader:
Lord, have mercy.
Third Station
Leader:
Jesus, You fell from sheer weakness and the weight of the Cross, but love made You rise again to continue with each painful step, the way of sorrow.
Jesus, was there any sorrow like unto Your sorrow, any love like unto Your love?
People:
Jesus, be my strength to bear the sorrows of this life with love. Amen.
As you process between stations say:
Leader:
Lord, have mercy.
People:
Christ, have mercy.
Leader:
Lord, have mercy.
Fourth Station
Leader:
Jesus, your dearest Mother, held out her hands to Yours, her love like a Celtic cord, woven into Your love, sharing Your heartache and passion, to become our Mother of Sorrows.
People:
Jesus, Your mother was the perfection of our humanity, she was Your solace. Strengthen our fallen humanity with Your love, that we may be Your solace as you sorrow for those who continue to sin in the world. Amen.
As you process between stations say:
Leader:
Lord, have mercy.
People:
Christ, have mercy.
Leader:
Lord, have mercy.
Fifth Station
Leader:
Jesus, Your Cross of shame became a Cross of love and changed the life of Simon. He was Your reluctant helper on the way to the sacrifice of Your life.
People:
Jesus, please help us to accept the cross You give us for ourselves and for others and Your love will change our lives. Amen.
As you process between stations say:
Leader:
Lord, have mercy.
People:
Christ, have mercy.
Leader:
Lord, have mercy.
Sixth Station
Leader:
Jesus, You so lovingly responded to Veronica’s compassion, by letting the Image of Your Holy Face remain on her veil. The Image revealed such suffering of pain and such beauty of love!
People:
Jesus, impress upon my soul the image of Your Holy Face, may the beauty penetrate my life and take away any ugliness within me. Amen.
As you process between stations say:
Leader:
Lord, have mercy.
People:
Christ, have mercy.
Leader:
Lord, have mercy.
Seventh Station
Leader:
Jesus, You were so weak you fell again on Your poor knees and hand already grazed and bleeding. Then You were pulled up and pushed on, still with that terrible Cross, yet You made it a Cross of love and bore such weakness for us.
People:
Jesus, Your weakness then is now our strength; our hearts are made strong in faith and hope, because of Your love for us. Amen.
As you process between stations say:
Leader:
Lord, have mercy.
People:
Christ, have mercy.
Leader:
Lord, have mercy.
Eighth Station
Leader:
Jesus, You remembered the children whom You loved to come to You, as You raised Your aching head and looked with compassion on mothers of little ones - the women of Jerusalem, who wept for You. You blessed them and told them to weep only for themselves and for their children.
People:
Jesus, bless us as we weep for those who suffer for their children and for the children who suffer without love. Amen.
As you process between stations say:
Leader:
Lord, have mercy.
People:
Christ, have mercy.
Leader:
Lord, have mercy.
Ninth Station
Leader:
Jesus, how terrible must have been Your last fall, the whole of Your Body in pain and all Your strength gone. Simon needed all his strength to stop the cross falling on You. Though numbed with exhaustion the fire of Your love for us was unquenched and with utmost giving You made the last painful steps of Your human life.
People:
Jesus, Your love was and is more than all the suffering and sorrow. This is the sign of hope to those who are in despair. Amen.
As you process between stations say:
Leader:
Lord, have mercy.
People:
Christ, have mercy.
Leader:
Lord, have mercy.
Tenth Station
Leader:
Jesus, how great must have been the agony when Your garment was pulled from Your back, raw and bleeding from the scourging. To add to the shame of the Cross You were made naked for us.
People:
Jesus, our souls are naked before God, no adornment can hide our sins. Our only clothing is Your merciful love, our only hope of dignity is in Your sacrifice for us. Amen
As you process between stations say:
Leader:
Lord, have mercy.
People:
Christ, have mercy.
Leader:
Lord, have mercy.
Eleventh Station
Leader:
Jesus, Your hands that blessed and healed and fed the hungry were nailed to the Cross. Your feet that walked so many weary miles to preach the Divine Word, were nailed to the Cross. But You did not need to be nailed, You stretched out Your aching limbs on the hard wood and they were held there by love.
People:
Jesus, help us to feel not bound but only held in love to the cross- es of this life. Amen.
As you process between stations say:
Leader:
Lord, have mercy.
People:
Christ, have mercy.
Leader:
Lord, have mercy.
Twelfth Station
Leader:
Jesus, as the Cross was raised Your poor body sank and every nerve-ending in Your hands and feet were torn by the nails. You were alone in the terrible darkness with only the tear stained face of Your agonized Mother to comfort You. Your disciple standing by was numbed and bewildered. Even their comfort You gave away in love, asking them to care for each other. Your terrible cry “It is finished” completed the sacrifice.
People:
Jesus, how can I recompense such rejection? How can I show enough gratitude for such love? but it is enough that I know, to let you just hold my life in Your love. Amen.
As you process between stations say:
Leader:
Lord, have mercy.
People:
Christ, have mercy.
Leader:
Lord, have mercy.
Thirteenth Station
Leader:
Jesus, as Your sorrowing Mother received Your body from the Cross, the sword of old Simeon’s prophecy pierced the depths of her being. As she tenderly held Your wounded body, did she not remember You as the Babe in her womb, her Infant Child, and her Boy growing up? Mary must have remembered the crowds following You for Your teaching but through her sobbing remembered the crowds that cried “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!"
People:
Jesus, may the merits of Your dear Mother’s deep sorrow help us as we pray for all mothers who sorrow for their children, for all who lose dear ones through violence. Amen.
As you process between stations say:
Leader:
Lord, have mercy.
People:
Christ, have mercy.
Leader:
Lord, have mercy.
Fourteenth Station
Leader:
Jesus Your body was laid in the tomb, no longer treated cruelly but handled with reverence and love. Your holy limbs shrouded lay waiting for the new dawn.
People:
Jesus, all Your life here on earth was spent in perfect obedience to Your Father’s will even unto death. Please help me to always be obedient to Your law of love. Strengthen me to face the daily dying to myself. Amen
As you process between stations say:
Leader:
Lord, have mercy.
People:
Christ, have mercy.
Leader:
Lord, have mercy.
Fifteenth Station
Leader:
Jesus, after all Your Passion and agony came Your wonderful Resurrection. You took on our lowly life and gave us Your eternal life. The criminal’s cross is now the sign of our salvation.
People:
Jesus You give us Your Resurrection Joy, You give us Your love and the promise of eternal peace.
Jesus I thank You
Jesus I praise You
Jesus I love You Amen
Leader:
Every step of the way to death was made in agony of pain, and every step made in ecstasy of love. Jesus who is perfect love loves us perfectly.
People:
The Son of God died the criminal’s death in love, that we may live in God’s mercy, that we may die in His Eternal love. We have walked the way of perfect love.
Leader:
Let us say the prayer our Lord Jesus taught us…..
People:
Our Father….
Leader:
Let us go now to share this Perfect Love with all God’s children