From Sr. Bernadette Duffy

 

Please click on the picture for Stations of the Cross

AN INTRODUCTION:

In the midst of our busy lives we pause to pray as we reflect on the suffering journey of Christ on the road to Calvary.  Let us take a moment to remember how difficult that journey was.The journey that Jesus made on that day remains a symbol of Christianity in the world, as it struggles with its own crosses and failures, and the challenges of modern life. The streets of our towns are filled with people who carry their personal crosses, who are bruised, battered and broken. Through these Stations of the Cross, Jesus is inviting us to journey with him and to reflect on his suffering as it continues in the lives of his people. In solidarity with all who suffer, let us pray that we will be open to whatever he wants us to see, hear and understand.

THE FIRST STATION: JESUS IS CONDEMNED TO DEATH. 

We adore you O Christ and we bless you.

R. Because by your holy Cross you have redeemed the world.

Reading:

We pause a moment.  Where in my life and in the lives of my family and friends do I feel condemned?  Where have I condemned others by my use of words and behaviour? 

For the times we have condemned others  - R. Lord show us your love and mercy.

Pray Our Father

Hymn 57. 

THE SECOND STATION: JESUS RECEIVES HIS CROSS.

We adore you O Christ and we bless you.

R. Because by your holy Cross you have redeemed the world.

Reading:

There are burdens that we all carry.  The burdens of illness, pain and disability, of old age, dependence, and caring for someone who no longer knows who we are. There are the burdens of constant fear, of loneliness and of isolation. The invitation of Jesus on the cross is to hand over these burdens to him.

For the times we have refused to carry our crosses - R. Lord show us your love and mercy.

Pray Hail Mary

Hymn 57. 

THE THIRD STATION: JESUS FALLS THE FIRST TIME BENEATH HIS CROSS.

We adore you O Christ and we bless you.

R. Because by your holy Cross you have redeemed the world.

Reading:

Like the crowd, we often have only judgement and rejection for those we see as sinners. We judge them without knowing about their personal reality and circumstances. 

For the times we have failed to be compassionate towards the limitations and sinfulness of others - R. Lord show us your love and mercy.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit…

Hymn 57. 

THE FOURTH STATION: JESUS MEETS HIS MOTHER

We adore you O Christ and we bless you.

R. Because by your holy Cross you have redeemed the world.

Reading:

The violence inflicted upon Jesus ate into the very heart of his mother, as she watched the agony of her son. We see Mary’s pain today in the mothers and fathers who watch their children giving up their life to drugs, addictions and suicide, in the women and men who suffer violence and the ongoing threat of violence in their home from spouse or child. We see Mary’s pain in the child coping with the breakdown of a parent’s marriage, in the couple trying desperately to rebuild their relationship and family anew.

For the times we have failed to respect those closest to us, our parents and family members. When through our own pain we have turned away from their needs - R. Lord show us your love and mercy.

Our Father

Hymn 57. 

THE FIFTH STATION: SIMON OF CYRENE HELPS  JESUS TO CARRY THE CROSS

We adore you O Christ and we bless you.

R. Because by your holy Cross you have redeemed the world.

Reading:

Across our world we see human suffering in the faces of strangers, in the faces of those struggling for freedom and human rights.  People we know of, but do not know, must live with the aftermath of the ravages and destructive forces of nature – coping with floods and drought, with the devastating effects of climate change, suffering diseases and today in our midst the coronavirus.

For the times we have failed to be a Simon in our world reaching out in moments of need - R. Lord show us your love and mercy.

Pray Hail Mary

Hymn 57. 

THE SIXTH STATION: JESUS AND VERONICA

We adore you O Christ and we bless you.

R. Because by your holy Cross you have redeemed the world.

Reading:

Veronica was so moved by the suffering of Jesus that she courageously moved out from the crowd to wipe the blood and sweat from his face with a towel.

When faced with challenges and injustices in my workplace, school, church or at home do I stand out from the crowd and make a difference or do I hide behind others for fear of being labelled for doing what I know is right? 

For the times we have failed to be a Veronica and didn’t live from our deepest conviction for what is right - R. Lord show us your love and mercy.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and the Holy Spirit

Hymn 57. 

THE SEVENTH STATION: JESUS FALLS THE SECOND TIME

We adore you O Christ and we bless you.

R. Because by your holy Cross you have redeemed the world.

Reading:

All around us people are overburdened by the crosses they they carry; they struggle and sometimes fall. There are those who have lost their jobs and feel that they have little hope of finding another, those who live with the prospect of unemployment, and those who struggle to keep others in work. There are those who suffer because of failures in our financial, health and political systems.

For the times we have lacked the courage, hope and strength to get up after we have fallen through our neglect or human limitations - R. Lord show us your love and mercy.

Our Father

Hymn 57. 

THE EIGHTH STATION: JESUS COMFORTS THE WOMEMN OF JERUSALEM

We adore you O Christ and we bless you.

R. Because by your holy Cross you have redeemed the world.

Reading:

Jesus through your own suffering and pain you reach out to all who suffer and give comfort to those who weep.  With you we weep for anyone who is in trouble this night, for anyone who is homeless, for the elderly who feel forgotten and unloved, for the unemployed, for those seeking refuge, for the hungry, abused and victimised. 

For the times we have failed to open our hearts and comfort others in their brokenness  - R. Lord show us your love and mercy.

Hail Mary

Hymn 57. 

THE NINTH STATION: JESUS FALLS FOR THE THIRD TIME

We adore you O Christ and we bless you.

R. Because by your holy Cross you have redeemed the world.

Reading:

We think of people or ourselves at times when the challenges we face are so heavy that we feel we cannot bear them any more. When under the weight of life’s crosses, we feel we cannot get up and go on and we turn for relief in addictions of all sorts. We pray for hope in the hearts of anyone feeling so desperate, depressed or suicidal tonight. 

For the times we have failed to put our unbounded trust in you Lord as the source of our strength - R. Lord show us your love and mercy.

Glory be to the Fr, the Son and Holy Spirit

Hymn 57. 

THE TENTH STATION: JESUS IS STRIPPED OF HIS CLOTHING

We adore you O Christ and we bless you.

R. Because by your holy Cross you have redeemed the world.

Reading:

Tonight we think of people we know or ourselves who feel stripped of our dignity when our good name is violated and we are exposed for what we have done or failed to do.

For the times we have stripped others of their dignity when we have gossiped against them for personal gain and recognition - R. Lord show us your love and mercy.

Our Father

Hymn 57. 

THE ELEVENTH STATION: JESUS IS NAILED TO THE CROSS

We adore you O Christ and we bless you.

R. Because by your holy Cross you have redeemed the world.

Reading:

When we look around us and listen to social media, we constantly see Jesus nailed to the cross in those who die of hunger and cold, in all who are maimed, injured and displaced because of war. Jesus is nailed to the cross in all who are marginalised in our society because of their race, disabilities, social status and gender. He is crucified in those who are abused physically, sexually or emotionally. He is crucified in those who are trafficked across the world. He is crucified in the exploitation of the earth and its resources.

For the times we have been indifferent to those nailed to the cross because we are too busy and self-absorbed - R. Lord show us your love and mercy.

Pray Hail Mary

Hymn 57. 

THE TWELFTH STATION: JESUS DIES ON THE CROSS

We adore you O Christ and we bless you.

R. Because by your holy Cross you have redeemed the world.

Reading:

As Jesus dies on Calvary, he challenges us to love our enemies, to let go of hurt, to ask for forgiveness and when we cannot find it in our hearts to forgive, to ask God to do it for us. We ask for strength to die to ourselves (personal preferences and opinions, so that we might with all humility accept others as they are. 

For the times we have failed to forgive those who hurt us and for the times we have not accepted forgiven from others - R. Lord show us your love and mercy.

Glory be to the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit

Hymn 57. 

THE THIRTEENTH STATION: JESUS IS TAKEN DOWN FROM THE CROSS AND LAID IN HIS MOTHER’S ARMS

We adore you O Christ and we bless you.

R. Because by your holy Cross you have redeemed the world.

Reading:

Mary’s grief is our grief too. As Mary cradles the lifeless body of her son and offers him back to the Father, she stands with all parents who have held their children close to them in death: those lost through accidents or acts of violence, those who have died by suicide, those who died suddenly or after illness. Mary grieves with all who sorrow for loved ones: parents, siblings, family members, friends.

For the times we have felt helpless and lonely in the face of the death of those we love so much and have given in to anger, fear and despair rather than hope –

R. Lord show us your love and mercy.

Our Father

Hymn 57. 

THE FOURTEENTH STATION: JESUS IS LAID IN THE TOMB

We adore you O Christ and we bless you.

R. Because by your holy Cross you have redeemed the world.

Reading:

We are invited this evening to lay to rest anything in our lives that robs us of inner peace and joy.  We think for a moment of someone or something that we need to say good-bye to and let go (it can be a loved one who has died, a broken relationship, an addition,  any bitterness, jealousy, fear of the unknown… whatever let it go now into the tomb).    

We pray that we may have eyes to see the promise of new life that the darkness can hold.  We pray for all those we have known who have died, and for those who have no one to pray for them.

Lord show us your love and mercy.

Hail Mary

Hymn 57. 

Concluding prayer: 

Lord we pray that we will feel your presence as we continue our journey through Lent. We ask for strength when we are overcome with temptations and weakness.  Let us be filled with knowing you are our Savi