OPENING PRAYER
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You;
R. Because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world.
LET US PRAY
Look down, O Lord, we beseech You, upon this Your family, for which Our Lord Jesus Christ did not refuse to be delivered into the hands of wicked men, and to endure the torments of the Cross. We make our prayer through Christ our Lord Who lives and reigns with You for ever and ever.
R. Amen
ACT OF CONTRITION
My Redeemer and my God, behold me at Thy feet, repenting of my sins with all my heart, because they are an offence to Thine infinite goodness; I would rather die than offend Thee again, because I love Thee above all things.
V. Lord Jesus, crucified,
R. Have mercy on us!
Holy Mother, pierce me through,
In my heart each wound renew,
Of my Saviour crucified.
Sing: At the cross her station keeping,
Stood the mournful Mother weeping,
Close to Jesus to the last.
The First Station
JESUS IS CONDEMNED TO DEATH
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You;
R. Because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world.
Priest: Consider that Jesus, after having scourged and crowned with thorns, was unjustly condemned by Pilate to die on the cross.
People: 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.
Prayer: I love You, my beloved Jesus; I love You more than myself; I repent with my whole heart 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.
V. Lord Jesus, crucified,
R. Have mercy on us!
Holy Mother, pierce me through,
In my heart each wound renew,
Of my Saviour crucified.
Sing: Through her heart, His Sorrow sharing,
All His bitter anguish bearing,
Now at length the sword has passed.
The Second Station
JESUS IS MADE TO CARRY HIS CROSS
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You;
R. Because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world.
Priest: Consider that Jesus, in making this journey with the cross on His shoulders, thought of us and offered for us to His Father the death that He was about to undergo.
People: My most beloved Jesus, I accept all the tribulations that You have destined for me until death. I beseech You, by the merits of the pain You did suffer in carrying Your cross, to give me the necessary help to carry mine with perfect patience and resignation.
Prayer: I love You, Jesus my love; 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.
V. Lord Jesus, crucified,
R. Have mercy on us!
Holy Mother, pierce me through,
In my heart each wound renew,
Of my Saviour crucified.
Sing: Oh, how sad and sore distressed
Was that Mother highly blessed
Of the sole-begotten One!
The Third Station
JESUS FALLS THE FIRST TIME
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You;
R. Because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world.
Priest: 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.
People: My beloved Jesus, it is not the weight of the cross, but of 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 sin.
Prayer: I love You, O my 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.
V. Lord Jesus, crucified,
R. Have mercy on us!
Holy Mother, pierce me through,
In my heart each wound renew,
Of my Saviour crucified.
Sing: Christ above in torment hangs,
She beneath beholds the pangs
Of her dying, glorious Son.
The Fourth Station
JESUS MEETS HIS SORROWFUL MOTHER
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You;
R. Because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world.
Priest: 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 so many arrows to wound those hearts which loved each other so tenderly.
People: My most loving Jesus, by the sorrow You did experience in this meeting, grant me the grace of a truly devoted love for Your most holy Mother. And you, my Queen, who was overwhelmed with sorrow, obtain for me by your intercession a continual and tender remembrance of the passion of your Son.
Prayer: 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.
V. Lord Jesus, crucified,
R. Have mercy on us!
Holy Mother, pierce me through,
In my heart each wound renew,
Of my Saviour crucified.
Sing: Is there one who would not weep
Whelmed in miseries so deep
Christ’s dear Mother to Behold?
The Fifth Station
SIMON OF CYRENE HELPS JESUS TO CARRY HIS CROSS
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You;
R. Because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world.
Priest: Consider that 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 ignominious death of the cross, constrained Simon, the Cyrenian to carry the cross behind our Lord.
People: My most sweet Jesus, I will not refuse the cross as the Cyrenian did; I accept it, I embrace it. I accept in particular the death that You have destined for me, with all the pains which 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.
Prayer: 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.
V. Lord Jesus, crucified,
R. Have mercy on us!
Holy Mother, pierce me through,
In my heart each wound renew,
Of my Saviour crucified.
Sing: Can the human heart refrain
From partaking in her pain,
In that Mother’s pain untold?
The Sixth Station
VERONICA WIPES THE FACE OF JESUS
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You;
R. Because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world.
Priest: Consider that 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.
People: 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 by my sins. You alone, my Redeemer, can restore it to its former beauty. Do this by Your Passion, O Jesus.
Prayer: 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.
V. Lord Jesus, crucified,
R. Have mercy on us!
Holy Mother, pierce me through,
In my heart each wound renew,
Of my Saviour crucified.
Sing: Bruised derided, cursed, defiled,
She beheld her tender child,
All with blood scourges rent,
The Seventh Station
JESUS FALLS THE SECOND TIME
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You;
R. Because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world.
Priest: Consider the second fall of Jesus under the cross-a fall which renews the pains of all the wounds of our afflicted Lord.
People: My most gentle Jesus, how many times You have 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 helps to persevere in Your grace until death. Grant that in all temptations which assail me I may always commend myself to You.
Prayer: I love You, Jesus, my love, 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.
V. Lord Jesus, crucified,
R. Have mercy on us!
Holy Mother, pierce me through,
In my heart each wound renew,
Of my Saviour crucified.
Sing: For the sins of His own nation
Saw Him hang in desolation
Till His spirit forth He sent.
The Eighth Station
THE WOMEN OF JERUSALEM WEEP OVER JESUS
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You;
R. Because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world.
Priest: Consider that those women wept with compassion at seeing Jesus in so pitiable a state, streaming with blood, as He walked along. But Jesus said to them “Weep not for Me but for your children.”
People: My Jesus, laden with sorrow, I weep for the offences that I have committed against You, because of the pains which they have deserved, and still more because of the displeasure which they have caused You, Who have loved me so much. It is Your love, more than the fear of hell, which causes me to weep for my sins.
Prayer: 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.
V. Lord Jesus, crucified,
R. Have mercy on us!
Holy Mother, pierce me through,
In my heart each wound renew,
Of my Saviour crucified.
Sing: O thou Mother! Fount of love,
Touch my spirit from above,
Make my heart with thine accord;
The Ninth Station
JESUS FALLS THE THIRD TIME
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You;
R. Because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world.
Priest: Consider the third fall of Jesus Christ; His weakness was extreme, and the cruelty of His executioners excessive, who tried to hasten His steps when He had no strength to move.
People: My outraged Jesus; by the merits of the weakness that You did suffer in going to Calvary, give me strength sufficient to conquer all human respect and all my passions, which have led me to despise Your friendship.
Prayer: I love You, Jesus my love, 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.
V. Lord Jesus, crucified,
R. Have mercy on us!
Holy Mother, pierce me through,
In my heart each wound renew,
Of my Saviour crucified.
Sing: Make me feel as thou hast felt;
Make my soul to glow and melt
With the love of Christ, my Lord.
The Tenth Station
JESUS IS STRIPPED OF HIS GARMENTS
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You;
R. Because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world.
Priest: 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 Saviour thus cruelly treated, and say to Him.”
People: My innocent Jesus, by the merits of the torment which 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.
Prayer: 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.
V. Lord Jesus, crucified,
R. Have mercy on us!
Holy Mother, pierce me through,
In my heart each wound renew,
Of my Saviour crucified.
Sing: Holy Mother, Pierce me through
In my heart each wound renew
Of my Saviour crucified.
The Eleventh Station
JESUS IS NAILED TO THE CROSS
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You;
R. Because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world.
Priest: Consider that Jesus, after being thrown on the cross, extended His hands, and offered to His eternal Father the sacrifice of His life for our salvation. The Cruel soldiers fastened Him with nails, and then, raising the cross, left Him to die with anguish on this infamous gibbet.
People: My Jesus, loaded with contempt, nail my heart to Your feet, that it may ever remain there to love You and never quit You again.
Prayer: 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.
V. Lord Jesus, crucified,
R. Have mercy on us!
Holy Mother, pierce me through,
In my heart each wound renew,
Of my Saviour crucified.
Sing: Let me share with thee His pain,
Who for all our sins was slain,
Who for me in torments died.
The Twelfth Station
JESUS IS RAISED UPON THE CROSS AND DIES
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You;
R. Because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world.
Priest: Consider how Jesus, after three hours of agony on the cross, consumed at length with anguish, abandons Himself to the weight of His body, bows His head, and dies.
People: O my dying Jesus, I kiss devoutly the cross on which You died for love of me. I have merited by my sins to die a miserable death, but Your death is my hope. By the merits of Your death, give me grace to die, embracing Your feet and burning with love for You. I commit my soul into Your hands.
Prayer: I love You, 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.
V. Lord Jesus, crucified,
R. Have mercy on us!
Holy Mother, pierce me through,
In my heart each wound renew,
Of my Saviour crucified.
Sing: Let me mingle tears with thee,
Mourning Him who mourned for me,
All the days that I may live.
The Thirteenth Station
JESUS IS TAKEN DOWN FROM THE CROSS AND PLACED IN THE ARMS OF HIS MOTHER
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You;
R. Because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world.
Priest: Consider that Our Lord having expired, 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.
People: O Mother of Sorrow, for the love of Your 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 but You, my Jesus.
Prayer: 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.
V. Lord Jesus, crucified,
R. Have mercy on us!
Holy Mother, pierce me through,
In my heart each wound renew,
Of my Saviour crucified.
Sing: By the cross with thee to stay,
There with thee to weep and pray,
Is all I ask of thee to give.
The Fourteenth Station
JESUS IS LAID IN THE SEPULCHER
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You;
R. Because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world.
Priest: Consider that 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.
People: Ah, my buried Jesus, I kiss the stone that encloses You. But You did rise again the third day. I beseech You, by Your resurrection, make me rise glorious with You at the Last Day, to praise You and love You forever.
Prayer: I love You, and 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.
V. Lord Jesus, crucified,
R. Have mercy on us!
Holy Mother, pierce me through,
In my heart each wound renew,
Of my Saviour crucified.
Sing: While my body here decays
May my soul your goodness praise
Safe in Paradise with you.
V. Save us, O Christ, by Your Cross
R. You Who have saved Peter from the sea, have mercy on us.
LET US PRAY
O God, Who has willed by the Precious Blood of You only-begotten Son to sanctify the standard of the life-giving Cross, grant, we beseech You, that those who rejoice in honouring the same Holy Cross, may every where also enjoy Your protection, through the same Christ our Lord.
R. Amen
One our Father, Hail May and Glory be – recited for the intention of the Holy Father in order to gain the Indulgence.
V. May the divine assistance remain always with us.
R. Amen.