The New Way of The Cross

THE NEW WAY OF THE CROSS
(make the sign of the cross)
Opening Prayer
Leader: Lord Jesus Christ, as we gather here to meditate on your Paschal Mystery, grant us all the grace to
detest sin as you did, and to spend our life for our neighbour as you taught us through your example. Thus shall
we be able to share not only in your sufferings but also in your resurrection. You who live and reign forever and
ever.
All: Amen!
THE FIRST STATION – The Last Supper
Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
All: Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world. (genuflect)
The Lord Jesus on the night in which he was betrayed took bread, and after he had given thanks, broke
it and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after the
supper, he took the cup saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, whenever you drink it, in
remembrance of me.” Every time, then, you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the death of the
Lord until he comes! (1 Cor 11:23:26)
(Pause for silent reflection)
Prayer (ALL)
Lord Jesus, you loved us to the utmost. You loved us to the end. You remain in the Eucharist to be for
us the food and drink that give eternal life. You remain with us to be the continuous sign of God’s saving
presence in all circumstances of life. Forgive us, Lord, for the times we have failed to appreciate your gift of self
to us and your loving presence in the Eucharist.
Our Father | Hail Mary | Glory Be
Leader: Jesus Christ, Crucified.
All: Have Mercy on us.
Leader: May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
All: Amen.
THE SECOND STATION – The Agony in Gethsemane

Jesus went out and made his way, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives. His disciples accompanied
him. On reaching the place he said to them, “Pray that you may not be out to the test.” He withdrew from
them about a stone’s throw, then went down on his knees and prayed in these words: “Father, if it is your will,
take this cup from me; yet not my will but yours be done.” In his anguish he prayed with even greater intensity,
and his sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground. Then he rose from prayer and came to his
disciples, only to find them asleep, exhausted with grief. (Lk 22:39-42.44-45)
Prayer (ALL)
It was a long, terrible night, Lord. And not one of your disciples found the strength to keep you
company in your agony. Your only strength was your determination to do the Father’s will at all costs. And
your solitary agony continues, even to this day, in the loneliness of those who have no friends, no home, no
hope, no future …Our society is filled with them, but we pretend not to know, and slumber noisily while they
die victims of neglect.
All: Amen.
THE THIRD STATION – Jesus Before The Sanhedrin

The high priest stood up before the court and interrogated Jesus: “ Are you the Messiah, the Son of the
Blessed One?” Then Jesus answered: “I am. And you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the
Almighty and coming with the clouds of heaven.” At that the high priest tore his robes and said: “What further
need do we have of witnesses? You have heard the blasphemy. What is your verdict?” They all concurred in the
verdict “guilty,” with its sentence of death. As soon as it was daybreak the chief priests, with the elders and
scribes bound Jesus, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate.(Mk 14:60-64.15:1)
Prayer (ALL)
Lord Jesus, you are the judge of all human beings, yet you accepted to be judged by biased judges. You
are the all-holy, the only innocent on earth, yet you endured the condemnation of obstinate sinners … And the
unfair trial goes on, duplicated in all the unjust sentences through which innocent people are condemned and
rascals are acquitted. You are still the victim of these injustices perpetuated against the weak, the defenseless,
the voiceless of our society, in whom you continue to live and suffer.
All: Amen.
THE FOURTH STATION – The Scourging and Crowning with Thorns

Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you. (genuflect)
All: Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Pilate asked the crowd: “What am I to do with Jesus, the so-called Messiah?” They all shouted, “Crucify
him!” He said, “Why, what crime has he committed?” But they shouted louder, “Crucify him!” After having
Jesus scourged, Pilate delivered him to be crucified. Then the soldiers, weaving a crown out of thorns, fixed it
on his head, and stuck a reed in his right hand. Then they began to mock him by dropping to their knees before
him, saying, “ Hail, king of the Jews!”(Mt 27:22-20)
Prayer (ALL)
Instigated by your enemies, the mob wanted you dead, dear Jesus, and Pilate didn’t think it was
worthwhile to uphold justice and protect your innocence. So the mad mob had its way. The Roman soldiers had
their way as they reduced your body to a bleeding wound and crowned your head with thorns and mockery.
And you didn’t open your mouth in protest. You endured it all, meek, like a lamb to be slaughtered; silent, like
the millions of exploited simple people, oppressed by the ruthless, while many of us turn a blind eye to such
blatant injustices …
All: Amen.
THE FIFTH STATION – Jesus Receives the Cross

All: Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.(genuflect)
When they had finished mocking Jesus, they stripped him of the cloak, dressed him in his own clothes,
and led him off to crucify him.(Mt 27:31)
Prayer (ALL)
Dear Lord, the cross was the punishment for criminals and insurgents. Who could believe that it was
placed on the shoulders of the Son of God, the source of all holiness and goodness? And yet, you accepted it in
all humility because you knew that such was the condition to save us from eternal damnation. The cross you
accepted to carry was our cross – the cross of our sins, the cross of our weaknesses, our discouragements, our
failures, our wickedness … To this very day, innocent men, women and children are made to bear the cross of
other people’s faults, greed, pride, lust… Grant us the grace, dear Lord, never to burden others with our moral
defects, and bravely to carry with you the cross of our daily duty.
All: Amen.
THE SIXTH STATION – Jesus Falls Under the Weight of the Cross
As he staggered along the road to Calvary, Jesus felt crushed by the cross he was carrying on his
shoulders. Much more, perhaps, he felt overwhelmed by the savage jeering of the mob that kept insulting him
as if he were a criminal… Exhausted by the sleepless night and the tortures he had already endured, Jesus fell
to the ground under the weight of the cross and the moral tortures he had suffered.
Prayer (ALL)
The distance from the Praetorium to Calvary was not long – just a few hundred meters. But it took you
long, Lord, to walk that stretch, staggering painfully and groping in vain for help … Your strength had long
deserted you. The road was uneven. The crowd was merciless. The cross was becoming heavier and heavier, till
it weighed you down… down to the dust! Like you, Lord, so many of us stagger and fall along the hard way of
the cross that life becomes when trials and failures overwhelm us and crush us to the ground. When we
stumble and fall, Lord, be our support! And when our brothers and sisters seem unable to carry the burden of
their trials, Lord, give us a compassionate heart, that we may not add insult to injury.
All: Amen.
THE SEVENTH STATION – Simon of Cyrene Carries the Cross of Jesus

A man named Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was coming in from the fields. The
soldiers pressed him into service to carry the cross of Jesus. (Mk 15:21)
Prayer (ALL)
Simon just happened to pass there on his way home from the fields. He was forced to make a detour –
a detour that changed the course if his life. Forced to carry your cross, Lord Jesus, he himself became a victim
of oppression and injustice. He experienced a share of your pain, Lord, and thus discovered what life can be if
one wants to help others. Send us more Simon of Cyrene, Lord. Send us people who have the courage to
shoulder the crosses of others in brotherly solidarity and patience. Make us like Simon, Lord. Grant us the
strength and generosity to carry one another’s burden, for our society is crowded with poor Christs crushed by
crosses of all shapes and weights.
All: Amen.
THE EIGHT STATION – Jesus Meets the Pious Women of Jerusalem

A great crowd of people followed Jesus, including some women who beat their breasts and lamented
over him. Jesus turned to them and said: “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me. Weep for yourselves
and for your children. The days are coming when they will say, ‘Happy are the sterile, the wombs that never
bore and the breasts that never nursed.’ Then they will begin saying to the mountains, ‘Fall on us!’ and to the
hills, ‘Cover us!’ If they do these things in the green wood, what will happen in the dry?”(Lk 23:27-31)
Prayer (ALL)
Lord Jesus, those women of Jerusalem were surely sincere in their sorrow for you. They were brave
enough to follow you along the road to Calvary. But you directed their attention to the cause of your suffering –
SIN, and the punishment which unrepentance would bring down on all. We wish we were as sincere as they
were in lamenting the unfair treatment to which you were subjected. And we wish likewise, that we were
equally sensitive to the suffering of our neighbour – especially the squatters, the jobless, the homeless, and all
the other victims of human injustice and exploitation. For it is all these forms of sin which bring down God’s
well-deserved punishments on our society.
All: Amen.
THE NINTH STATION – Jesus is Nailed to the Cross
When they came to the place called “the Skull,” they crucified Jesus there together with the two
criminals. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; they do not know what they are doing.” The people stood there
watching and the leaders kept jeering at him, saying, “He saved others, Let him save himself if he is the
Messiah of God, the chosen one!”(Lk 23:33-35)
Prayer (ALL)
Lord, those hands of yours which caressed the children, blessed the sick and chased demons away are
now nailed mercilessly to the wood of the cross. Your feet which had taken you from village to village in an
effort to bring the Good News of the Kingdom to all, are now immobilized forever… your enemies dare you to
come down from the cross. But you don’t. Not because of the nails, but because of your love for us sinners. It
was love which brought you there. It is love that keeps you there. Lord Jesus, grant us the grace to do our
duties out of love and with love, even when all this resembles the pain of the crucifixion.
All: Amen.
THE TENTH STATION – The Repentant Thief

One of the criminals hanging in crucifixion blasphemed Jesus: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Then save
yourself and us!” But the other one rebuked him: “Have you no fear of God, seeing that you are under the
same sentence? We deserve it, after all. We are only paying the price for what we’ve done, but this man has
done nothing wrong.” He then said, “Jesus, remember me when you enter upon your reign.” And Jesus replied,
“I assure you: this day you will be with me in paradise.”(Lk 23:39-43)
Prayer (ALL)
Lord Jesus, there was so much sincerity in the public confession of the repentant thief… so much faith
and trust in the words he addressed to you. The man really believed in your mercy. He believed in your
kingdom. And you did not disappoint him. We often meet people who have done wrong and would like to
begin a new life. Lord, grant that we may always be as well disposed to them as you were to the repentant
thief. In this way, we, too, will end the course of our life sharing the faith and trust of the good thief, and
hearing your promise of eternal life.
All: Amen.
THE ELEVENTH STATION – Mary and John at the Foot of the Cross
All: Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.(genuflect)
Near the cross of Jesus there stood his mother, his mother’s sisters, Mary the wife of Cleopas, and
Mary Magdalene. Seeing his mother there with the disciple whom he loved, Jesus said to his mother, “Woman,
there is your son.” In turn he said to the disciple, “There is your mother.” From that hour onward, the disciple
took Mary into his care.(Jn 19:25-27)
Prayer (ALL)
“Suffering, like a sword, will pierce your heart,” had prophesied old Simeon. On Calvary, Mary
experienced the fulfilment of that prophesy in its fullness. And once again she said in her heart, “Let it be done
to me as you said.” No one on earth loved you as your Mother did, Lord; nor did you love any other person on
earth as you loved her. And she was there, witness and sharer of your redeeming suffering. By entrusting her to
John, you provided for the remaining days of your Mother. By entrusting John to her, you provided for all
mankind, for you gave us all your very own mother as our mother. May we be as loving children to her as you
were.
All: Amen.
THE TWELFTH STATION – Jesus Dies on the Cross

It was now around midday, and darkness came over the whole land until mid afternoon with an eclipse
of the sun. Jesus said: “I am thirsty.” They stuck a sponge soaked in wine on some hyssop and raised it to his
lips. When Jesus took the wine he said: “Now it is finished.” He uttered a loud cry and said, “Father, into your
hands I commend my spirit.” After he said this, he died.(Lk 23:44,46; Jn 19:28-30)
Prayer (ALL)
We were all condemned to die because of our sins, and you took upon yourself the death penalty that
you alone did not deserve. You had only one life, dear Lord, life all of us, and you gave it up of your own free
will, that we might live forever. It was our sins, it was your love for us that killed you, dearest Jesus.
Before you breathed your last you said you were thirsty – thirsty for love. Today we offer you the solace of our
repentant love, Lord. We want to love you also for the days when we failed to do so. We want to love you for
all those who refuse to love. And may we, at the end of our stormy life, die confidently pronouncing your last
words, “Father, into your hands I comment my spirit!”
All: Amen.
THE THIRTEENTH STATION – Jesus is Laid in the Tomb

When evening fell, a wealthy man – Joseph of Arimathea, arrived. He was another of Jesus’ disciples,
and had gone to request the body of Jesus. Thereupon Pilate issued an order for its release. Taking the body,
Joseph wrapped it in fresh linen, and laid it in his own tomb which had been hewn from a formation of rock.
Then he rolled a huge stone across the entrance of the tomb and went away. (Mt 27:57-60)
Prayer (ALL)
Lord Jesus, the dark night of death has engulfed you. The only bright lights are the tender love of your
Mother, the faithfulness of John and the friendship of Joseph of Arimathea and a few others. You are laid in the
tomb like a precious treasure placed in a chest; like a seed hidden in the soil. Your burial gives meaning and
hope to our burials. Thanks to you, they have become the tranquil sleep in the lap of mother earth, trustfully
awaiting the joyful awakening when the dawn of our resurrection will break the fetters of death forever.
All: Amen.
THE FOURTEENTH STATION – Jesus Rises from the Death

After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene came with the other
Mary to inspect the tomb. Suddenly there was a mighty earthquake, as the angel of the Lord descended from
heaven. He came to the stone, rolled it back, and sat on it. Then the angel spoke, addressing the women: “Do
not be frightened. I know you are looking for Jesus the crucified. He is not here. He has been raised, exactly as
he promised. Go quickly and tell his disciples, “He has been raised from the dead.’” (Mt 28:1-2, 5-6)
Prayer (ALL)
Jesus, your holy body could not undergo the corruption of the sepulcher. The tomb could not hold you
longer than it was needed to prove that your death was real. Now the shattered seals, the entrance stone
rolled back, the testimony of the angel prove that our resurrection is real. It also proves in advance that we too
shall rise. Your resurrection, Lord, is the pattern of our resurrection even now. It is a challenge to all of us to
rise, from the death of sin to the life of grace. Jesus, you are the Lord of the living. Thank you, Lord, for dying
for us. Thank you for rising for us.
All: Amen.
CHAPEL
Our Father… Hail Mary…Glory be…
Final Prayer
Leader: All-powerful and ever-living God, your only Son died for our sins and rose triumphantly from the dead.
In your goodness, raise up your faithful people to be one with him in the eternal life of heaven, where he lives
and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.
All: Amen!
Leader: And may the blessing of Almighty God: Father, Son and the Holy Spirit, descend upon us and with us
remain always.
All: Amen!

The New Way of The Cross

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

The New Way of The Cross

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

The New Way of The Cross

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

THE NEW WAY OF THE CROSS

(make the sign of the cross)

THE SECOND STATION – The Agony in Gethsemane

THE THIRD STATION – Jesus Before The Sanhedrin

THE FOURTH STATION – The Scourging and Crowning with Thorns

THE FIFTH STATION – Jesus Receives the Cross

THE SEVENTH STATION – Simon of Cyrene Carries the Cross of Jesus

THE EIGHT STATION – Jesus Meets the Pious Women of Jerusalem

THE TENTH STATION – The Repentant Thief

THE TWELFTH STATION – Jesus Dies on the Cross

THE THIRTEENTH STATION – Jesus is Laid in the Tomb

THE FOURTEENTH STATION – Jesus Rises from the Death

Our Father… Hail Mary…Glory be…

You might also like