Howdy and welcome back to Beyond the Pew. I’m Taylor and I want to talk to you about one of my favorite prayers that we pray throughout the year. We always celebrate it throughout the Lenten Season and that is the Stations of the Cross. The reason I love this prayer is because it helps me to stay focused every time I pray. Just on my own I’ll be praying and I pray for my wife and my kids and myself and before I know it I’m scrolling through Twitter and I have no idea how I got there. I like things that are able to guide my prayer, whether that’s the Mass or the Divine Office or Stations of the Cross. So that’s what I want to talk with you about today.
The Stations of the Cross walks you through the death of Jesus. We pray this on Fridays during Lent because that was the day that He died for us, on Good Friday. Vatican 2 said that every time we pray it should be accompanied by the reading of the Scriptures and every time we read the Scriptures it should be accompanied by prayer. So the Stations of the Cross does this perfectly! It goes through all the Stations and meditations that go with them. You can pray along like you are present at Jesus’ crucifixion, putting yourself in the scenario and evoking those feelings of what it would be like to be there. Also, realizing what happened and the reality of the sacrifice He made for us.
What does this mean for you in the middle of your Lent? You might be having the best Lent ever. You might have fallen off your Lenten commitments like me. I want to equip you with this prayer, not only for you but also for your families. In college, my buddy and a meditation of the Stations of the Cross that you can find below. These are geared towards young people, so you can pray these with your family in your home or you can join your parish community and pray the Stations on Fridays at your local church. I pray that these will be helpful for you and your family!
Reader: Please join us in our opening prayer, an Act of Contrition. In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
All: O my God, my Redeemer, behold me here at Your feet. From the bottom of my heart I am sorry for all my sins, because by them I have offended You, Who are infinitely good. I will die rather than offend You again.
Reader: The First Station: Jesus is condemned to death
Priest: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (genuflect)
All: Because by Your holy cross You have redeemed the world.
Reader: Standing before Pilate, Jesus, the ultimate Judge, is being put on trial for crimes he did not commit. Look at how dignified he remains amidst the false claims. The crowds, who just a week earlier welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem with praise and shouts of “Hosanna” now clamor for his death. How must he have felt? They have turned on Him so quickly. How often have I praised and welcomed Jesus into my life at one moment and so quickly turned my back on Him the next?
Pilate understands the predicament he is in. He finds no fault in Jesus, but the people are insistent on his death. He begins by standing up for Jesus but the consistent pestering of the crowds chisel away at him until he finally gives in to the pressure. How often have I done the same exact thing by putting my own reputation and desires before those of God or others?
Priest-Lord Jesus, help me to stay calm when being wrongly accused, stay focused on you no matter the circumstances and find my ultimate joy in following Your will for my life.
“Jesus Remember Me, When You Come into Your Kingdom” (2x)
Reader: The Second Station: Jesus carries His cross
Priest: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you. (genuflect)
All: Because by your holy cross You have redeemed the world.
Reader: When Christ carries the cross He carries you and me and all of humanity from the dawn of creation up to the present and through the future. He embraced the cross; the cross that would consummate his sacrifice to redeem the world. And as Christ assumed the cross for our salvation, we are called in the same way to “deny” ourselves, take up our cross to unite our suffering with His and follow Him in our journey into Heaven. And as we carry our cross He will carry us, uniting us to His sacrifice and renewing our strength to continue forward. The cross is the outward sign of our surrender to Christ. We live this when we deny ourselves and follow him. It is also a manifestation of Victory in Christ who conquered sin and death by and through the cross.
Priest-Lord Jesus, help me to always live in the victory that you brought through Your Passion.
“Jesus Remember Me, When You Come into Your Kingdom” (2x)
Reader: The Third Station: Jesus falls the first time
Priest: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you. (genuflect)
All: Because by your holy cross You have redeemed the world.
Reader: After all the beating, whipping, mocking and torment, Jesus eventually stumbles and falls to the ground. The wooden cross falls hard and the rough ground is unforgiving. His body is a mix of sweat, blood and dirt. The king and creator of the world, who 33 years earlier, had humbled himself to become a man, feels the human pain physically, the mental pain of betrayal and humiliation, and the spiritual pain of knowing that as His tormenters and the crowds beat and mock Him, He is giving His life up for them.
But just when you think he is going to give up with all the struggles, He rises to His feet, takes the cross and presses forward. How many times have I given up when everything seems to be going wrong?
Priest-Lord Jesus, I look to you to learn and receive the fortitude and strength I need to press forward in doing what I know you are calling me to do, especially when it is hard. I humbly admit that I cannot do it on my own and I pray that I always seek your guidance and be willing to ask for help from You and Your body here on earth when I am struggling.
“Jesus Remember Me, When You Come into Your Kingdom” (2x)
Reader: The Fourth Station: Jesus meets His Mother.
Priest: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you. (genuflect)
All: Because by your holy cross You have redeemed the world.
Reader: It is incomprehensible to try and understand the totality and fullness of the suffering Christ endured for us and the complete misery our Blessed Mother experienced in watching. One of the greatest moments of grief our Savior encountered on the path of his crucifixion was the sight of his sorrowful mother. An exchange of extreme hurt and sadness with floods of tears pierced the hearts of our Savior and Blessed Mother. Our Mother was shattered and broken at the sight of her perfect son being tormented by our sin and the sin of the world. In the same way that she expressed great sorrow for her son, we too should imitate that sorrow for our sin that placed this cross on Jesus’ back. Sin distorts the truth in our lives and in several ways brings “sorrow” and misery upon us and our brothers and sisters. How am I then called to act toward offenses against God? Have I portrayed deep sincere sorrow for our sins that nailed Christ to the Cross?
Priest-Lord Jesus, grant me the grace to trust that You are in control of not only my life, but all of creation. Help me to see Mary’s example of trusting Your divine plan, even when it looks hard and heartbreaking at times. Help me to trust You and let You have Your way.
“Jesus Remember Me, When You Come into Your Kingdom” (2x)
Reader: The Fifth Station: Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus to carry His Cross
Priest: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you. (genuflect)
All: Because by your holy cross You have redeemed the world.
Reader: Jesus once said, “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest….for My yoke is easy and my burden is light.” It didn’t seem too easy and light to Simon, who was pressed into service of a man he didn’t know while going about his daily business.
I often don’t see how Jesus is making my burden light and easy. It seems that times are just as hard, just as often. But what can I learn from this situation? Would I rather have the burden and punishment of my sin that Jesus has taken off my shoulders or the burdens of stress I feel from time pressures, school, work, family or anything else that I often complain about? Thank you Jesus for showing me that You don’t mean that my life will not present troubles, but that you remind us that You have taken and defeated the burden of my sin and offer me life and life more abundantly in following you.
Priest-Lord Jesus, help me to mold my will with yours so that I can link my sufferings with yours and take joy in the toughest times in the fact that You are “always with me until the end of the age.”
“Jesus Remember Me, When You Come into Your Kingdom” (2x)
Reader: The Sixth Station: Veronica wipes the face of Jesus
Priest: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you. (genuflect)
All: Because by your holy cross You have redeemed the world.
Reader: Seraphia was deeply moved by the sight of Christ agony that she offered her veil to bring relief to Jesus in the midst of his torture. She gave what she had in that exact moment. She wanted to see Christ to bless Him as best as she possibly could. She put aside all fear and all human considerations as she broke through the crowds and fell prostrate before our Lord. In all that I have been given have I blessed the Lord even in suffering as Seraphia did? In return of her fearless deed, she received back her veil to behold imprinted on it the face of the Son of Man. From then on she earned her new name Veronica which means “true image”. As Christ imprinted his face on Veronica’s veil, He does so in the depth of each of our hearts.
Priest-Lord Jesus, help me to come to You in prayer, the Eucharist and Your Word and leave with Your image on my face and heart to share with all that I meet.
“Jesus Remember Me, When You Come into Your Kingdom” (2x)
Reader: The Seventh Station: Jesus falls the second time
Priest: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you. (genuflect)
All: Because by your holy cross You have redeemed the world.
Reader: All of the physical strength in the world could not bear the load of carrying a cross the length of time that Jesus did after all of the torture beforehand without eventually falling. Jesus is tired, hurting and looks as though he is failing. The crowds had wanted a warrior Messiah; One who would overthrow Rome and make Israel a powerful nation again. They wanted the Messiah to put them in power and be a militant leader. How could this man being publicly humiliated and murdered possibly be the Messiah? To many, He is a failure.
But who do you say that He is? Do you trust Him? Trust that He will return in three days, give you life, joy, love, peace? Do I love Him for who He is, or like the crowds, do I selfishly want Him for the things he can give me?
Priest-Lord Jesus, in recognizing that You are showing that true power is not in physical strength, but in walking in Your Father’s will in faith, I ask that I may be more humble before you, love you for who you are and put You and the needs of others before myself. Thank you that our strength does not lie in our physical or mental prowess but that our strength comes from Our Creator protecting us with His rod and staff.
“Jesus Remember Me, When You Come into Your Kingdom” (2x)
Reader: The Eighth Station: Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem
Priest: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you. (genuflect)
All: Because by your holy cross You have redeemed the world.
Reader: Compassion and sensitivity moved the women in Jerusalem at the viewing of Christ affliction to tears. Just outside the city is where most of the women gathered. Some of them who wept did not know Jesus at all but it was out of their human pity that they cried. Some of them did not even believe in His divinity. They saw in Christ either an innocent man condemned to death, or a criminal who was punished unjustly. But yet their humanity moved their hearts with compassion for Jesus. Have I expressed compassion and mercy for those around me who are suffering today?
Priest-Lord Jesus, help me to be a vessel for change in the world for those suffering around me in my everyday life. Help me to notice the spiritual suffering and longing for You around me and be willing to help.
“Jesus Remember Me, When You Come into Your Kingdom” (2x)
Reader: The Ninth Station: Jesus falls a third time
Priest: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you. (genuflect)
All: Because by your holy cross You have redeemed the world.
Reader: It is almost the end. You can see Calvary’s hill up ahead. You are almost there. That place of destruction. That place of redemption. You know that you only have a little more to go, but you still fall. The weight of the world is bearing down on your shoulders even more. But with the knowledge that in a few hours you will say “It is finished,” You rise up quicker than the previous falls and continue on your way with the power of patience, endurance and trust providing all you need to push forward and finish what you have started.
Priest-Lord Jesus, Give me opportunities to grow in patience, not only with You but with all those that I encounter. Help me to grow in the gift of placing all my trust about my present and future in You.
“Jesus Remember Me, When You Come into Your Kingdom” (2x)
Reader: The Tenth Station: Jesus is stripped of His garments
Priest: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you. (genuflect)
All: Because by your holy cross You have redeemed the world.
Reader: The last disrobing of Christ was ever more painful than the first. It tore open new wounds and pulled flesh off his body, burning like fire. Christ then not only bore our sin but He also bore our shame and humiliation as he was stripped completely naked. The shame and humiliation that Adam and Eve brought into the world through the fall was first understood in their nakedness. When sin entered into the world Adam and Eve first saw their nakedness and hid themselves from God. Christ’s crucifixion was going back into that garden to replace what was stolen; our ability to be unashamed; Our ability to confess our sins, wrong doings, and faults and no longer walk in shame but to walk with God.
Priest-Lord Jesus, help me to be truly sorry for the times I hurt you and everyone around me through my sin. Help me to desire to be reconciled to You through a contrite heart and the sacrament of Confession.
“Jesus Remember Me, When You Come into Your Kingdom” (2x)
Reader: The Eleventh Station: Jesus is nailed to the cross
Priest: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you. (genuflect)
All: Because by your holy cross You have redeemed the world.
Reader: With three nails and a hammer, the Tree of Life is nailed to a tree that will bring about His death. It is sad how something as small as a nail can cause so much pain and death. Jesus, I want to be convicted of the small things I do that take me away from You. I want to be a loving, generous person in every little action, no matter what mood I am in.
As You are raised up, we remember how Your Father told Moses to raise up a serpent on a stick and all who looked upon it after sin or sickness would be healed. We thank you for the cross that defeats all evil and that the cross is where we look for redemption and healing. Thank you for doing what we couldn’t.
Priest-Lord Jesus, help me not drive the nails further by wandering away from You. Help me to recognize the power of my words and actions so that I do not drive nails into my friends and family with hurtful actions. Help me to be an agent of Your redemption and healing by leading people to the cross.
“Jesus Remember Me, When You Come into Your Kingdom” (2x)
Reader: The Twelfth Station: Jesus dies on the cross. Please Kneel
Priest: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
All: Because by your holy cross You have redeemed the world.
Reader: Jesus is dead. He has taken his last breath. His heart no longer beats. His body hangs there, lifeless. The Jewish leaders who stood and watched the death of Christ unfold were satisfied that finally “this rebel” was done away with because His teachings and those following Him would fade away. The Jewish leaders thought that they could finally get back to normal duties and comfortable lives. But… suddenly a darkness fell over the land. And the curtain that separated the Holy of Holies was torn in half. The earth shook violently. The veil was torn that separated God from his people. By Christ’s death He liberated us and made a way for all people to move from sin and death to everlasting life. What a gift to lay down one’s life for others. How will I respond to this ultimate gift?
Priest-Lord Jesus, send Your Holy Spirit to guide me in responding to You daily in prayer and worship and through my actions to Your people.
“Jesus Remember Me, When You Come into Your Kingdom” (2x)
Reader: Please Stand. The Thirteenth Station: The body of Jesus is taken down from the cross
Priest: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you. (genuflect)
All: Because by your holy cross You have redeemed the world.
Reader: Joseph of Arimethea responded to your death with bold faith. He approached Pilate to ask if He could have the body of Jesus. He put his reputation, finances and life on the line to give a gift to Jesus and His family and friends. Before Joseph was granted permission to take Jesus down, Pilate had to make sure the Lord was dead so he had a solider stab him in the side. As the spear pierced Jesus, the water and blood of mercy streamed out onto the ground. Thank you Jesus that even in the moment of death You poured out Your mercy upon our world. Your work was finished and this cleansing was a sign of hope in the world’s darkest moment.
Priest-Lord Jesus, help me to be as bold in my faith as Joseph. Help me to not back down from challenges to stand up for my faith and to stand up for those around me, especially the most vulnerable.
“Jesus Remember Me, When You Come into Your Kingdom” (2x)
Reader: The Fourteenth Station: Jesus is laid in the tomb
Priest: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you. (genuflect)
All: Because by your holy cross You have redeemed the world.
Reader: Right after the death of Christ, His closest followers are left all alone. For the past few years they gave up their livelihood and all they had to follow the Messiah. Now He is gone and almost everyone has either forgotten or lost hope in the Lord’s promise to return. The disciples during this time experienced an extreme feeling of being lost. Their future was unknown. They witnessed this Man heal people and perform miracles and all of a sudden He is gone. The combination of anxiety, fear, and loneliness was fully felt between the death of Christ and his resurrection. Have I allowed myself the time to be still and patient for God? In areas of my life that I am trying to find quick solutions for and easy paths around a situation, how can I instead wait and allow God to move in my life?
Priest-Lord Jesus, help me to find You in the stillness and quiet and await Your coming. Help us to live lives worthy of Our King. I lay my life before You. Thank you for finishing what You set out to do.
“Jesus Remember Me, When You Come into Your Kingdom” (2x)
Reflection
Reader: Following this last meditation and closing song, we ask that you dismiss yourselves from the Church in silence. Please be respectful of those who wish to stay and pray in the Church.
Reader: Jesus, you went to the tomb without a word of protest even though you were innocent. How many of us can say the same? All around us people suffer and we fail to reach out to them. We fail to reach out in love to those who are closest to us. Lord, help us to walk our way of the cross with a little more faithfulness. You said that in order to follow you we must pick up our cross daily. Help us to recognize our crosses with joy, because in accepting them we imitate your life. In imitating you we will eventually share in your death and resurrection. Amen.
Closing Song