The Way of the Cross
These prayers are translated from those composed by St. Alphonsus Liguori
(These pictures are of the Stations of the Cross at St. Mary of the Angels)
These prayers are translated from those composed by St. Alphonsus Liguori
(These pictures are of the Stations of the Cross at St. Mary of the Angels)
In the name of the Father, ✠ and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Opening Prayer:
O JESUS CHRIST, my Lord, with what great love you passed over the painful road which led you to death; and I, how often have I abandoned you! But now I love you with my whole soul, and because I love you, I am sorry for having offended you. My Jesus, pardon me, and permit me to accompany you in this journey. You are going to die for love of me, and it is my wish also to die for love of you. My Jesus, in your love I wish to live, in your love I wish to die.
Opening Prayer:
O JESUS CHRIST, my Lord, with what great love you passed over the painful road which led you to death; and I, how often have I abandoned you! But now I love you with my whole soul, and because I love you, I am sorry for having offended you. My Jesus, pardon me, and permit me to accompany you in this journey. You are going to die for love of me, and it is my wish also to die for love of you. My Jesus, in your love I wish to live, in your love I wish to die.
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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. Consider how Jesus, after being scourged and crowned with thrones, was unjustly condemned by Pilate to die on the Cross. (Pause for silent prayer) My loving Jesus, it was not Pilate; no it was my sins that condemned you to die. I pray you, by the merits of this sorrowful journey, to assist my soul in her journey towards eternity. I love you, Jesus, my love above all things, and I am heartily sorry for having offended you. Never let me separate myself from you again. Grant that I may love you always, and then do with me what you will. Amen. |
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The Second Station: Jesus receives the cross.
V. We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you. R. Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world. Consider how Jesus, in making this journey with the cross on his shoulders, thought of us, and offered for us to his Father the death he was about to undergo. (Pause for silent prayer) My most beloved Jesus! I embrace all the tribulations you have destined for me until death. I pray you, by the merits of the pain you suffered in carrying your cross, to give me the help I need to carry mine with perfect patience and resignation. I love you, Jesus, my love above all things, and I am heartily sorry for having offended you. Never let me separate myself from you again. Grant that I may love you always, and then do with me what you will. Amen. |
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The Third Station: Jesus falls the first time under his cross.
V. We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you. R. Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world. Consider this first fall of Jesus under his cross. His flesh was torn by the scourges, his head was crowned with thorns; he had lost a great quantity of blood. So weakened he could scarcely walk, he yet had to carry this great load upon his shoulders. The soldiers struck him rudely, and he fell several times. (Pause for silent prayer) My Jesus, it is the weight, not of the cross, but of my sins, which has made you suffer so much pain. By the merits of this first fall, deliver me from the misfortune of falling into mortal sin. I love you, Jesus, my love above all things, and I am heartily sorry for having offended you. Never let me separate myself from you again. Grant that I may love you always, and then do with me what you will. Amen. |
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The Fourth Station: Jesus is met by his Blessed Mother.
V. We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you. R. Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world. Consider the meeting of the Son and the Mother, which took place on this journey. Their looks became like so many arrows to wound those hearts which loved each other so tenderly. (Pause for silent prayer) My sweet Jesus, by the sorrow you experienced in this meeting, grant me the grace of a devoted love for your holy Mother. And you, my Queen, who were overwhelmed with sorrow, obtain for me a continual and tender remembrance of the Passion of your Son. I love you, Jesus, my love above all things, and I am heartily sorry for having offended you. Never let me separate myself from you again. Grant that I may love you always, and then do with me what you will. Amen. |
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The Fifth Station: The cross is laid upon Simon of Cyrene.
V. We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you. R. Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world. Consider how the Jews, seeing that at each step Jesus was on the point of expiring, and fearing he would die on the way, whereas they wished him to die the shameful death of the cross, constrained Simon of Cyrene to carry the cross behind our Lord. (Pause for silent prayer) My most beloved Jesus, by your grace I will not refuse to carry the cross; I accept it, I embrace it. I accept in particular the death 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 did for love of me; I will die for love of you. I love you, Jesus, my love above all things, and I am heartily sorry for having offended you. Never let me separate myself from you again. Grant that I may love you always, and then do with me what you will. Amen. |
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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. Consider how the holy woman named Veronica, seeing Jesus so ill-used and bathed in sweat and blood, wiped his face with a towel, on which was left the impression of his holy countenance. (Pause for silent prayer) My most beloved Jesus! Thy 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 since by my sins; you alone, my Redeemer, can restore it to its former beauty. Do this by your Passion, O Jesus. I love you, Jesus, my love above all things, and I am heartily sorry for having offended you. Never let me separate myself from you again. Grant that I may love you always, and then do with me what you will. Amen. |
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The Seventh Station: Jesus falls a second time.
V. We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you. R. Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world. Consider the second fall of Jesus under the cross; a fall which renews the rain of all the wounds of his head and members. (Pause for silent prayer) My Jesus, how many times have you pardoned me, and how many times have I fallen again, and begun to offend you again. By the merits of this second fall, give me the help necessary to persevere in your grace until death. Grant that in all temptations which assail me I may always commend myself to you. I love you, Jesus, my love above all things, and I am heartily sorry for having offended you. Never let me separate myself from you again. Grant that I may love you always, and then do with me what you will. Amen. |
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The Eighth Station: The women of Jerusalem our for our Lord.
V. We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you. R. Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world. Consider how these women wept with compassion at seeing Jesus in such a pitiable state, streaming with blood as he walked along. "Daughters of Jerusalem," he said, "weep not for me, but for yourselves and for your children". (Pause for silent prayer) My Jesus, laden with sorrow! I weep for the offences I have committed against you, because of the pains they have deserved, and still more because of the displeasure 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. I love you, Jesus, my love above all things, and I am heartily sorry for having offended you. Never let me separate myself from you again. Grant that I may love you always, and then do with me what you will. Amen. |
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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. Consider the third fall of Jesus Christ. His weakness was extreme, and the cruelty of is executioners excessive, who tried to hasten his steps when he could scarcely move. (Pause for silent prayer) My outraged Jesus, by the merits of the weakness you suffered in going to Calvary, give me strength to conquer all human respect, and my wicked passions, which have led me to despise your friendship. I love you, Jesus, my love above all things, and I am heartily sorry for having offended you. Never let me separate myself from you again. Grant that I may love you always, and then do with me what you will. Amen. |
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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. Consider the violence with which Jesus was stripped by the executioners. His inner garments adhered to his torn flesh, and they dragged them off so roughly that the skin came with them. Compassionate your Saviour so cruelly treated. (Pause for silent prayer) My most innocent Jesus! By the merits of the torment you felt, help me to strip myself of all affection for the things of the world, that I may place all my love in you, who are so worthy of my love. I love you, Jesus, my love above all things, and I am heartily sorry for having offended you. Never let me separate myself from you again. Grant that I may love you always, and then do with me what you will. Amen. |
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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. Consider how Jesus, having been placed upon the cross, extended his hands, and offered to his eternal Father the sacrifice of his life for our salvation. Those barbarians fastened him with nails, and then, securing the cross, allowed him to die with anguish on that infamous gibbet. (Pause for silent prayer) My Jesus, loaded with contempt, nail my heart to your feet, that it may remain there for ever, to love you, and never more to leave you. I love you, Jesus, my love above all things, and I am heartily sorry for having offended you. Never let me separate myself from you again. Grant that I may love you always, and then do with me what you will. Amen. |
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The Twelfth Station: Jesus dies on the cross.
V. We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you. R. Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world. Consider how Jesus, being consumed with anguish after three hours' agony on the cross, abandoned himself to the weight of his body, bowed his head and died. (Pause for silent prayer) 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 of you. I commit my soul into your hands. I love you, Jesus, my love above all things, and I am heartily sorry for having offended you. Never let me separate myself from you again. Grant that I may love you always, and then do with me what you will. Amen. |
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The Thirteenth Station: Jesus is taken down from the cross.
V. We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you. R. Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world. Consider how after our Lord had 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. (Pause for silent prayer) O MOTHER of Sorrow, for the love of this Son, accept me for your servant, and pray for me. And you, my Redeemer, since you have died for me, permit me to love you; for I wish but you, and nothing more. I love you, Jesus, my love above all things, and I am heartily sorry for having offended you. Never let me separate myself from you again. Grant that I may love you always, and then do with me what you will. Amen. |
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The Fourteenth Station: Jesus is laid in the sepulchre.
V. We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you. R. Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world. Consider how the disciples, accompanied by his holy Mother, carried the body of Jesus to bury it. They closed the tomb, and all came sorrowfully away. (Pause for silent prayer) My buried Jesus! I kiss the stone that encloses you. But you rose again on the third day. I pray you, by your resurrection, to make me rise in glory with you at the last day, to be always united with you in heaven, to praise you and love you for ever. I love you, Jesus, my love above all things, and I am heartily sorry for having offended you. Never let me separate myself from you again. Grant that I may love you always, and then do with me what you will. Amen. |
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Prayers for the intentions of our holy Father, the Pope.
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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.
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Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.
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Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
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