Stations Of The Cross

The Stations of the Cross ancient Christian practices series.

“And whoever does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.” - Matthew 10:38

The Stations of the Cross History of the Stations of the Cross Ever since Christ’s death on the cross, scores of Christians have traveled to Jerusalem to retrace his steps as He carried His cross from Pilate’s home to Golgotha.1 Each station is a different moment in Christ’s journey to His crucifixion. The number of stations range from 7 to 37; however, there is no established number of stations. To this day, there are 14 stations around the walls of almost every Catholic sanctuary. This particular version of the Stations of the Cross removes the non-biblical traditional stations and adds other biblical moments in Christ’s crucifixion. The Stations of the Cross are typically practiced during Lent, but can be practiced any day of the year.

4. Recite the Lord’s Prayer - “Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.]” 5. Journal your experience - When you complete the sixteenth station – take a few moments to journal your thoughts, ideas, questions, and meditations – and most importantly thank Jesus for the sacrifice He paid for all mankind.

The Stations Stations of the Cross… Jesus is condemned to death

Purpose

When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. "I am innocent of this man's blood," he said. "It is your responsibility!" All the people answered, "Let his blood be on us and on our children!" Then he released Barabbas to them. (Matthew 27:24-26a) [Mark 15:6-15; Luke 22:18-25; John 19:1-16]

To prayerfully reflect on the suffering of Christ and how Christ’s crucifixion impacts our lives today. Practice The Stations of the Cross trace the journey taken by Jesus from the moment He was condemned to death to the victorious moment of His resurrection.2 There are sixteen stations along the way for you to stop, read, pray, and contemplate Christ’s sacrifice for all humanity. 1. Find a quiet place and establish a sense of inner peace and tranquility – Put away all worries, concerns, aimless thoughts, etc

O Lord, may I be moved by this journey. May I make this journey with you and you with me. Do not leave me alone on this way, even though your own followers abandoned you at your hour of need. You were without sin, yet they released a criminal that you might die. We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world. Amem.3

2. Pray - Ask God to be present during this time, to reveal His Word to you in a powerful way, and to remove any remaining distractions that would hinder you from fully experiencing the Stations of the Cross. 3. Read and pray through the Stations of the Cross – Take time to consider each station. Allow the Scripture passages and prayers to resonate deep within you. 1 2

Tony Jones, The Sacred Way, 137 (2005). Jones, 139

Jesus is scourged [Pilate] had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified. (Mark 15:15b) [Matthew 27:26] All loving God, you endured such pain that we might not have to endure eternal pain. You were wounded for our transgressions and 3

Jones, 139

and made him carry it behind Jesus. (Luke 23:26) [Matthew 27:32; Mark 15:21]

by your stripes we are healed. We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world. Amen.4 Jesus is mocked Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. "Hail, king of the Jews!" they said. They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. (Matthew 27:27-31) [Mark 15:16-20]

Dear Lord, teach me to suffer with you, make it pleasant for me to suffer for your sake. And when my time comes to bear the cross, give me the courage and strength of Simon to step forward and do my part. We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world. Amen.7 The women mourn for Jesus A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him. Jesus turned and said to them, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. For the time will come when you will say, 'Blessed are the barren women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!' Then " 'they will say to the mountains, "Fall on us!" and to the hills, "Cover us!" ' For if men do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?" (Luke 23:2731)

Lord of hosts, you could have called down chariots of fire from heaven to destroy the soldiers that mocked you. Yet you opened not your mouth and endured utter humiliation. We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world. Amen.5 Jesus receives His cross Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). (John 19:17) O Lord God Almighty, you bear the weight of the whole world – you bore the weight of all my sins, and, though they wearied you, you carried them all the way to your death. We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world. Amen.6

O Jesus, the cross is so commonplace in our world – around necks, hanging on walls, in cemeteries. Remind me what an awful torture you had to endure, so that I, too, might weep over your death when I see a cross. We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world. Amen.8 Jesus is offered wine with myrrh There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. (Matthew 22:34) [Mark 15:23]

Simon helps Jesus carry the cross As they led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him

O Faithful Lord, you refused the soldiers attempts to poison you that you might not have to endure the cross. At many points you could have evaded the horrendous pain of the cross – yet endured it for all

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Adapted from Tony Jones The Sacred Way Adapted from Tony Jones The Sacred Way 6 Jones, 139 5

7 8

Jones, 140 Jones, 142

protested to Pilate, "Do not write 'The King of the Jews,' but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews." Pilate answered, "What I have written, I have written." (John 19:1922) [Matthew 27:37; Mark 15:26; Luke 23:38]

of mankind. We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world. Amen.9 Jesus is nailed to the cross And they crucified him. (Mark 15:24) [Matthew 27:35; Luke 23:33; John 19:18] O Jesus, dear Jesus, though you never sinned, you hang there on the cross. I should be there, not you. You hang there in my place. We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world. Amen.10

King of Kings and Lord of Lords, you truly are the King, O Jesus! Though others denied your authority may I recognize it and submit wholeheartedly to you. We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world. Amen.12 Jesus is mocked from the cross Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, "So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, come down from the cross and save yourself!" In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. "He saved others," they said, "but he can't save himself! Let this Christ, this King of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe." Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him. (Mark 15:29-32) [Matthew 27:38-44; Luke 23:34-43]

Jesus is stripped of His garments When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. "Let's not tear it," they said to one another. "Let's decide by lot who will get it." This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled which said, "They divided my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing." So this is what the soldiers did. (John 19:23-24) [Matthew 27:35; Mark 15:24; Luke 23:34] Lord Jesus, you withstood the mocking and derision heaped upon you, and you faced your fate with dignity. May I, too, stand with courage when all is stripped from me. We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world. Amen.11

O Jesus, on every level you experienced such pain – physically, emotionally, and spiritually – forgive me for all the times I mock you by willfully sinning and resubmitting you to the pain of the cross. We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world. Amen.13 Jesus speaks to His mother

Pilate declares Jesus is King of the Jews Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son," and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. (John 19:25-27)

Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. The chief priests of the Jews 9

Adapted from Tony Jones The Sacred Way Jones, 143 11 Jones, 142 10

12 13

Adapted from Tony Jones The Sacred Way Adapted from Tony Jones The Sacred Way

One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!" But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise." (Luke 23:39-43)

Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jews did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: "Not one of his bones will be broken," and, as another scripture says, "They will look on the one they have pierced." (John 19:28-37)

Jesus, even in the midst of pain there is joy and hope. One criminal turned to you and repented of his sin and is now with you for eternity. O Lord, help me to see hope in the midst of pain. We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world. Amen.15

Father in Heaven, what did you feel as your Son died upon that cruel piece of wood? As Jesus descended into hell for three days – what did it feel like to experience separation from your Son for the first time? We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world. Amen.16

Dear Jesus, what did you think when you saw your mother there? Give me the steadfast faith she had, and the courage to stay by your side, even when others abandoned you. We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world. Amen.14 One criminal turns to Jesus

Jesus is laid in the tomb

Jesus dies on the cross It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this, he breathed his last. The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, "Surely this was a righteous man." When all the people who had gathered to witness this sight saw what took place, they beat their breasts and went away. But all those who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things. (Luke 23:44-49) [Matthew 27:45-56; Mark 15:33-41]

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Adapted from Tony Jones The Sacred Way Adapted from Tony Jones The Sacred Way

As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus' body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb. (Matthew 27:57-61) [Mark 15:42-47; Luke 23:50-56; John 19:38-42] Give me the trust, O Christ, that your plans are higher than mine. For even when all seems lost, you’re still at work. Death is not the final word for you, Son of Life. We adore you, O Christ, and we bless 16

Jones, 143

you because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world. Amen.17 The tomb is empty Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him!" So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. (John 20:1-8) [Matthew 28:1-10; Mark 16:113; Luke 24:1-12] My heart rejoices, Jesus, that the tomb could not hold you. You burst forth with new life, and you give me new life. I accept the gift you’ve given me – help me never to take it for granted! We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world. Amen.18

Date: ___/___/______

The Stations of the Cross You have walked with Jesus from Pilate’s house, along the Via Dolorosa, to the top of Mt. Calvary. You have seen him crucified, dead, and laid in a tomb. And, finally, you have visited his empty tomb, so you know that his victory is complete. How will you respond to this ultimate gift given on your behalf?

Were you able to slow down and draw near to Jesus? Did God speak to you or was it a time of quietness? What did He say?

Which Station of the Cross meant the most to you? Why?

Thoughts, ideas, prayers, etc. you want to remember from this experience….

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Jones, 144 Jones, 144

Date: ___/___/______

The Stations of the Cross

Date: ___/___/______

The Stations of the Cross

You have walked with Jesus from Pilate’s house, along the Via Dolorosa, to the top of Mt. Calvary. You have seen him crucified, dead, and laid in a tomb. And, finally, you have visited his empty tomb, so you know that his victory is complete. How will you respond to this ultimate gift given on your behalf?

You have walked with Jesus from Pilate’s house, along the Via Dolorosa, to the top of Mt. Calvary. You have seen him crucified, dead, and laid in a tomb. And, finally, you have visited his empty tomb, so you know that his victory is complete. How will you respond to this ultimate gift given on your behalf?

Were you able to slow down and draw near to Jesus? Did God speak to you or was it a time of quietness? What did He say?

Were you able to slow down and draw near to Jesus? Did God speak to you or was it a time of quietness? What did He say?

Which Station of the Cross meant the most to you? Why?

Which Station of the Cross meant the most to you? Why?

Thoughts, ideas, prayers, etc. you want to remember from this experience….

Thoughts, ideas, prayers, etc. you want to remember from this experience….

Date: ___/___/______

The Stations of the Cross

Date: ___/___/______

The Stations of the Cross

You have walked with Jesus from Pilate’s house, along the Via Dolorosa, to the top of Mt. Calvary. You have seen him crucified, dead, and laid in a tomb. And, finally, you have visited his empty tomb, so you know that his victory is complete. How will you respond to this ultimate gift given on your behalf?

You have walked with Jesus from Pilate’s house, along the Via Dolorosa, to the top of Mt. Calvary. You have seen him crucified, dead, and laid in a tomb. And, finally, you have visited his empty tomb, so you know that his victory is complete. How will you respond to this ultimate gift given on your behalf?

Were you able to slow down and draw near to Jesus? Did God speak to you or was it a time of quietness? What did He say?

Were you able to slow down and draw near to Jesus? Did God speak to you or was it a time of quietness? What did He say?

Which Station of the Cross meant the most to you? Why?

Which Station of the Cross meant the most to you? Why?

Thoughts, ideas, prayers, etc. you want to remember from this experience….

Thoughts, ideas, prayers, etc. you want to remember from this experience….

Date: ___/___/______

The Stations of the Cross

Date: ___/___/______

The Stations of the Cross

You have walked with Jesus from Pilate’s house, along the Via Dolorosa, to the top of Mt. Calvary. You have seen him crucified, dead, and laid in a tomb. And, finally, you have visited his empty tomb, so you know that his victory is complete. How will you respond to this ultimate gift given on your behalf?

You have walked with Jesus from Pilate’s house, along the Via Dolorosa, to the top of Mt. Calvary. You have seen him crucified, dead, and laid in a tomb. And, finally, you have visited his empty tomb, so you know that his victory is complete. How will you respond to this ultimate gift given on your behalf?

Were you able to slow down and draw near to Jesus? Did God speak to you or was it a time of quietness? What did He say?

Were you able to slow down and draw near to Jesus? Did God speak to you or was it a time of quietness? What did He say?

Which Station of the Cross meant the most to you? Why?

Which Station of the Cross meant the most to you? Why?

Thoughts, ideas, prayers, etc. you want to remember from this experience….

Thoughts, ideas, prayers, etc. you want to remember from this experience….

Date: ___/___/______

The Stations of the Cross

Date: ___/___/______

The Stations of the Cross

You have walked with Jesus from Pilate’s house, along the Via Dolorosa, to the top of Mt. Calvary. You have seen him crucified, dead, and laid in a tomb. And, finally, you have visited his empty tomb, so you know that his victory is complete. How will you respond to this ultimate gift given on your behalf?

You have walked with Jesus from Pilate’s house, along the Via Dolorosa, to the top of Mt. Calvary. You have seen him crucified, dead, and laid in a tomb. And, finally, you have visited his empty tomb, so you know that his victory is complete. How will you respond to this ultimate gift given on your behalf?

Were you able to slow down and draw near to Jesus? Did God speak to you or was it a time of quietness? What did He say?

Were you able to slow down and draw near to Jesus? Did God speak to you or was it a time of quietness? What did He say?

Which Station of the Cross meant the most to you? Why?

Which Station of the Cross meant the most to you? Why?

Thoughts, ideas, prayers, etc. you want to remember from this experience….

Thoughts, ideas, prayers, etc. you want to remember from this experience….