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Station One of the Cross
Jesus is Condemned to Death
Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Let him be crucified.” And he said, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified.” So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves.” Matthew 27: 22-24 RSV
Encouragement for the Lenten Journey:
Take a moment to wash your hands and think of a time when you did not want to get involved and washed your hands of the responsibility of standing up for someone innocent.
Prayer:
Lord, we are so easily influenced by the shouting of others. It is easier to just go along with the crowd. Forgive us for the times we have washed our hands of the responsibility of standing up for the truth. Remind us that when we stand for the truth, we stand for you. Give us the courage to enter these stations and accept our responsibility for what happened to you on the Cross.
Amen -
Station Two of the Cross
Jesus Takes Up His Cross
And he called to him the multitude with his disciples, and said to them, “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? For what can a man give in return for his life? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of man also be ashamed, when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
Mark 8: 34-38 RSVEncouragement for the Lenten Journey:
Take a moment to get a cross that you will carry with you through each of the stations. Think of the cross you are called to carry in your life.
Prayer:
Lord, the call of discipleship is clear; it requires us to take up our cross and follow You. Our cross can feel really heavy at times and if we are honest, we would rather leave it behind. Help us not just endure our crosses, but to embrace them as the vehicle that carries us to eternal life. We unite our crosses to yours.
Amen -
Station Three of the Cross
Jesus Fall for the First Time
Come to me, all you are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
Matthew 11:28-30Encouragement for the Lenten Journey:
Take a moment to kneel and reflect that at the end of an agonizing night when Jesus was flogged, made to wear a crown of thorns, taunted and abandoned by all, he suffered in his soul and in his body. He yields under the weight of the cross. He finds the strength to pick himself up in his overwhelming will to save us. Everyone falls on the wayside and loses heart before life’s difficulties. May we arise with the strength of God to serve our neighbor.
Prayer:
As we walk this way together, Lord, teach me not to complain when I am having trouble, nor to give up when my tasks seem hard. Help me to get up and keep walking the path that is marked out for me.
Amen -
Station Four of the Cross
Jesus Meets His Mother
Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “This boy is assigned to be the cause of the falling and rising of many in Israel and to be a sign that generates opposition so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your innermost being too.”
Luke 2: 34-35 RSVEncouragement for the Lenten Journey:
Carrying the cross through the crowd, Jesus finds a familiar face, His Mother’s. Mary loved her Son very much and it must have been difficult for her to watch Him suffer. Take a moment to draw a heart on your cross. Then take a moment to pray for your earthly parents or caregivers.
Prayer:
Lord, You have given us those that care for us as Mary so faithfully cared for You. Our caregivers are people who share a special connection with us. When their children suffer, they suffer too. Mary’s heart was pierced as Your heart was pierced. She was faithful to the end. Remind us that your love continues to walk with us along the way and never ceases interceding for us.
Amen -
Station Five of the Cross
Jesus Meets Simon of Cyrene
And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus.
Luke 23: 26 RSVEncouragement for the Lenten Journey:
Take a moment to think of someone in your life that is carrying a heavy cross right now. Write their name on the back of your cross and say a prayer for them. If you feel called, send them a text to tell them you are praying for them and maybe ask how you can better support them in this time.
Prayer:
Lord, crosses are heavy, and we struggle to carry them alone. If You needed help, how much more will we? Give us the courage to accept help and to reach out in times of need. We were not made to walk this journey alone. Remind us of the blessing it is to be a Simon for someone in need and help us be grateful for the Simons in our lives.
Amen -
Station Six of the Cross
Veronica Wipes Face of Jesus
Then those who are righteous will reply to him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink? When did we see you as a stranger and welcome you, or naked and give you clothes to wear? When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ “Then the king will reply to them, ‘I assure you that when you have done it for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you have done it for me.
Matthew 25:37-40Encouragement for the Lenten Journey:
God wants to reveal himself to us every day in our life. It begins with simply giving God permission: permission to reveal himself, permission to transform us into who were created to be. God wants to imprint his face on us so that our life will portray him, just as Veronica’s veil portrays Jesus. How has God been challenging you to be bold for him?
Prayer:
Almighty and ever-loving God, we feel your love and understanding in the consolation and support we receive from one another. Give us the courage and dedication to sacrifice and suffer with those who are in need. Help me to see the one small thing I can do for you, and help me to do it before the moment passes.
Amen -
Station Seven of the Cross
Jesus Falls for the Second Time
It was certainly our sickness that he carried and our sufferings that he bore, but we thought him afflicted, struck down by God and tormented. He was pierced because of our rebellions and crushed because of our crimes. He bore the punishment that made us whole; by his wounds, we are healed. Like sheep we had all wandered away, each going its own way, but the Lord let fall on him all our crimes.
Isaiah 53:4-6Encouragement for the Lenten Journey:
Take the weight before you and hold it in your hands. Feel the poundage in your arms. Jesus stands alone under the weight of the cross. Jesus falls a second time on the rough stones and dirt. The weight of the cross feels oppressive. Jesus gathers his inner strength and gets back up so he can continue his journey. As you place the weight back on the ground, listen to the voice of Jesus speaking to you “take up your cross and follow me.”
Prayer:
Lord, give me the grace to see there is no shame in falling because that is the way learning comes. Help me to understand that falling is not the same as failing. Teach me how to get up again with dignity and continue in your way.
Amen -
Station Eight of the Cross
Jesus Encounters the Women
A huge crowd of people followed Jesus, including women, who were mourning and wailing for him. Jesus turned to the women and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, don’t cry for me. Rather, cry for yourselves and your children.
Luke 23:27-28Encouragement for the Lenten Journey:
As we look to Christ making his way towards his Crucifixion, we see that in his most difficult suffering, he still tries to console and offer comfort to others. He speaks to mothers, who by definition will put their children before their own. Christ came to serve the world. He humbled Himself to the point of death. He puts our very lives before his own. His compassion is endless. And even in his worst suffering, he never stops giving himself.
Prayer:
Merciful Lord, help me to care more about others than myself. To put their needs before mine. Help me to remember that others have problems too. Help me to respond to them, even when I’m busy or preoccupied with my own problems.
Amen -
Station Nine of the Cross
Jesus Falls for the Third Time
Lord, please save us! Lord, please let us succeed! The one who enters in the Lord’s name is blessed; we bless all of you from the Lord’s house. The Lord is God! He has shined a light on us! So lead the festival offering with ropes all the way to the horns of the altar. You are my God—I will give thanks to you! You are my God—I will lift you up high!
Psalm 118:25-28Encouragement for the Lenten Journey:
When were you the weakest, the point of giving up, the end of your rope? When did you feel as though you had nothing left? We cross over the halfway point on this journey to the cross and know this is not the end for Jesus. Even though we may be tired, worn out, or exhausted, Jesus can barely walk now. It takes all of his strength to hold up the heavy cross. His feet begin to drag and then his knees give out, and he falls to the ground again. Some people in the crowd wonder if he can stand up once more. Jesus does not complain or give in to despair when the road gets hard. Once more he stands up to finish his journey.
Prayer:
Lord, please help me to follow your example and not give up because I know you will always be there to help me carry my cross. Grant me the humility and perseverance to continue falling and rising until I am safely home with you.
Amen -
Station Ten of the Cross
Jesus Is Stripped of His Garments
And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means the place of a skull), they offered him wine to drink, mingled with gall; but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots; then they sat down and kept watch over him there.
Matthew 27: 33-36 RSVEncouragement for the Lenten Journey:
The soldiers stripped Jesus of His clothes and made Him stand in front of the crowd humiliated and exhausted. He had nothing left, absolutely nothing. We all know what it feels like to be embarrassed and humiliated by others, but we are known by a God who created us in His own image. Take a moment and say one positive thing about each member in your family. This is how our God sees us.
Prayer:
Lord, everything was taken from you, including your final ounce of dignity, your clothes. Even then, the one thing that no one could take from you is your relationship with the Father. We cling to so many things other than you and even take from others to make our lives more comfortable. Give us your heart and inspire us to be willing to let everything go, trusting that what is most important can never be taken away.
Amen -
Station Eleven of the Cross
Jesus Is Nailed To The Cross
And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus the King of the Jews.” Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left. And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him.
Matthew 27: 37-42 RSVEncouragement for the Lenten Journey:
The soldiers hammered nails into Jesus’ hands and feet and then they lifted the cross and He hung there in so much pain. Draw three nail marks on your cross in the places Jesus was nailed to the cross and pray together the prayer that Jesus taught us, The Lord’s Prayer.
Prayer:
Lord, we never wanted to hurt You, but right now we are faced with the pain we have inflicted on you. You didn’t try to escape or resist. You took our sin upon Yourself and bore the stripes that make us whole. Move us to hate our sin and to love you more.
Amen -
Station Twelve of the Cross
Jesus Dies
Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfil the scripture), “I thirst.” A bowl full of vinegar stood there; so they put a sponge full of the vinegar on hyssop and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the vinegar, he said, “It is finished”; and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
John 19: 28-30 RSVEncouragement for the Lenten Journey:
When Jesus took His last breath, the sky grew dark and the ground around Him began to shake. The soldiers and crowd realized in that moment that Jesus was innocent. Place each of your paper crosses across the cross and pause for a moment of silent prayer.
Prayer:
Lord, You did this for us. You perfectly surrendered Yourself to the will of the Father, because we could not. Only in and through You can we be saved. Help us to unite our crosses to Yours and trust in the promise that if we die with You, we will rise with You.
Amen -
Station Thirteen of the Cross
Jesus Is Taken Down From The Cross
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For while we live we are always being given up to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh.
II Corinthians 4: 7-11 RSVEncouragement for the Lenten Journey:
Take a moment to reflect on the image. Hold the death of Jesus in your heart. Look upon His face and the fact of those who stood by until His death. They could not let Jesus die alone.
Prayer:
Lord, those who stayed until the end risked it all and were faithful. They did not abandon You like the others for they could not let You die alone. May we who are constantly being given up to death for Your sake be a living sign of Your love to the world. May we risk it all for You and be found faithful to the end.
Amen -
Station Fourteen of the Cross
He is Risen
Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples returned to their homes. But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these things to her.
John 20: 1-18 NRSVEncouragement for the Lenten Journey:
When Easter finally came, the first day of the week, the women found that Jesus Christ had indeed risen from the dead, just as He had told them He would. Pick up a stone and hold it in your hand—feel the coldness of the tomb. Then rub it together in between your hands and you will feel the warmth that comes when it is rubbed against the flesh and blood that is alive. He is Risen. Risen Indeed.
Prayer:
Good and Gracious God, we thank you for sending your own Son to live in this earth, to die on the cross, and then to rise to join You, bringing reconciliation and salvation to us. Help us to feel the excitement that Mary and the others felt that first Easter morning to know that You were and are the sufficient sacrifice for the cleansing of all of our sins and wrongdoings and that death holds nothing over You or us because of Your sacrifice. We look forward to the day when we will rise again to join you in the eternity that You have waiting for us.
Amen
