Let us Begin!
Apr 10, 2020: Crucified Savior, accept this short meditation on Your passion and death as a sign of my love and gratitude. You sent Your Holy Spirit as Your first gift to those who believe. Help me to welcome the Spirit into my life so that I may follow in Your footsteps and the victory of Your resurrection may grow in me. Together with my fellow believers, let me come frequently to the table of the Lord and receive Your most holy Body and Blood. I ask You to bless the good resolutions I have made. Jesus, for You I live. Jesus, for You I die. Jesus, I am Yours in life and in death. Amen.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen!
Lord Jesus my Savior I want to walk with you on the way of your cross for love of you I am heartily sorry for my sins I beg of you the grace to make this way of the cross in the spirit of true penance in union with that spirit with which you yourself went up to Mount Calvary I offer this devotion and Thanksgiving for your love and in satisfaction for my sins and the sins of my brothers and sisters.
I. Jesus is condemned to death. 1:46
Speaker 1: We adore you oh Christ and we praise you.
Speaker 2: Because by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the world.
Speaker 1: Jesus was bound and handed over to Pilate. “What am I to do with this man”, Pilate asked? “Crucify him!”, they all cried. He said “why? What crime has he committed?, but they only shouted the louder, “Crucify Him!” Pilate washed his hands and declared, “I am innocent of the blood of this just man. The responsibility is yours.” Rather than face the truth, Pilate condemned the god man to death.
Speaker 2: Lord Jesus let me not run from my own or others problems, nor in desperation except an unjust solution that hurts someone else.
Speaker 1: Jesus Lord Jesus crucified,
Speaker 2: Have mercy on us.
II. Jesus accepts his cross. 2:42
Speaker 1: We adore you oh Christ and we praise you.
Speaker 2: Because by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the world.
Speaker 1: Jesus was already exhausted from his agony in the garden. His sleepless night of trial, discouraging and crowning with thorns. But when handed the cross, he took it. He had emptied himself becoming like us in all things but sin. Now he’s shouldered even the burden of our sins out of love for you and me.
Speaker 2: Jesus I will empty myself of selfishness and make a new attempt to accept my crosses. Forgive my complaining and my resentment of the sacrifices I must make to love and serve others.
Speaker 1: Jesus Lord Jesus crucified,
Speaker 2: Have mercy on us.
III. Jesus falls the first time. 3:35
Speaker 1: We adore you oh Christ and we praise you.
Speaker 2: Because by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the world.
Speaker 1: The burden was too heavy. The cross forced Jesus down. He stumbled and fell but he struggled to his feet and tried once more. He did not let difficulties or pain shake his determination. He forced himself to stand up painfully lifted the cross to his shoulder and tried once more.
Speaker 2: Jesus I fall .I fail. I will accept my weakness and try again, believing in the strength that you give me.
Speaker 1: Jesus Lord Jesus crucified,
Speaker 2: Have mercy on us.
IV. Jesus meets his sorrowful mother. 4:31
Chapel in 4th Station (Via Dolorosa)
Speaker 1: We adore you oh Christ and we praise you.
Speaker 2: Because by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the world.
Speaker 1: Jesus and Mary meet and suffer with one another. There wasn’t anything Mary could do to save her son. Like a parent beside the hospital bed of a sick child, Mary had to stand by helplessly and watch her son’s agony. Even when we cannot free others from their burdens, like Mary we can support and console them by our presence and prayer.
Speaker 2: Lord Jesus let me be understanding to the sick, the depressed, the confused, even when I do not understand their sickness and pain.
Speaker 1: Jesus Lord Jesus crucified,
Speaker 2: Have mercy on us.
V. Simon helps Jesus carry the cross. 5:26
Speaker 1: We adore you oh Christ and we praise you.
Speaker 2: Because by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the world.
Speaker 1: As they led Jesus away, they laid hold of Simon of Cyrene who was coming in from the field. They put a cross beam on Simon’s shoulder for him to carry along behind Jesus.
Speaker 2: Simon helped reluctantly. Jesus let me help cheerfully. What we do for our neighbors, we do for you. Your apostles deserted you in time of need. A stranger had to be forced to help you. I make up my mind now not to disappear when a friend needs me.
Speaker 1: Jesus Lord Jesus crucified,
Speaker 2: Have mercy on us.
VI. Veronica presents her veil to Jesus. 6:19
Speaker 1: We adore you oh Christ and we praise you.
Speaker 2: Because by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the world.
Speaker 1: Veronica volunteered to help Jesus. She saw his sweaty bloody face and was moved by the terrible pain she saw there. She did not hesitate to get her veil bloody and stained.
Speaker 2: Jesus help me see your image in all the people that I meet, especially those suffering from rejection, loneliness, alcohol or drugs. By my own kindness and by supporting others who help the troubled, I want to relieve your pain.
Speaker 1: Jesus Lord Jesus crucified,
Speaker 2: Have mercy on us.
VII. Jesus falls the second time. 7:15
Speaker 1: We adore you oh Christ and we praise you.
Speaker 2: Because by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the world.
Speaker 1: Even with Simon’s help Jesus falls again. In many things we fail as individuals, as families, as a parish, as a nation. It takes repeated effort to control our tempers, or to learn the art of Prayer. Or to rise to the challenge of real self giving.
Speaker 2: Jesus help me to keep on trying. When I fail give me the grace to accept your healing in the Sacrament of Penance. Never let us your pilgrim people grow weary of trying to follow in your footsteps.
Speaker 1: Jesus Lord Jesus crucified,
Speaker 2: Have mercy on us.
VIII. Jesus speaks to the weeping women. 8:10
Jesus meets the daughters of Jerusalem. Church of St. John Nepomucen in Brenna
Speaker 1: We adore you oh Christ and we praise you.
Speaker 2: Because by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the world.
Speaker 1: A great crowd of people followed him including women who beat their breasts and lamented over him. Jesus turned to them and said, “daughters of Jerusalem do not weep for me. “Weep for yourselves and for your children.”
Speaker 2: Jesus merely to feel sorry for the poor or starving is not enough. We need your help to change our world so that all people can live decently and have enough to eat. We weep for our own sins of excess and selfishness and resolve to change our lives.
Speaker 1: Jesus Lord Jesus crucified,
Speaker 2: Have mercy on us.
IX. Jesus falls the third time. 9:10
Speaker 1: We adore you oh Christ and we praise you.
Speaker 2: Because by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the world.
Speaker 1: Totally exhausted Jesus falls to the ground for the third time. What a terrible burden our sins must be. It took complete trust in his father and great power of will for Jesus to get up once more.
Speaker 2: Lord Jesus following you sometimes calls for all the energy we have. But if we trust in you we will be made strong in spite of our weaknesses. St. Paul begged three times that the thorn in his flesh be taken away. Jesus you answered as you answer us. “My grace is enough for you.”
Speaker 1: Jesus Lord Jesus crucified,
Speaker 2: Have mercy on us.
X. Jesus is stripped of His garments. 10:06
Speaker 1: We adore you oh Christ and we praise you.
Speaker 2: Because by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the world.
Speaker 1: The soldiers roughly tear off Jesus’s clothing though it is matted in his wounds. His persecutors have taken advantage of his weakness. They refused to treat him as a human being.
Speaker 2: Lord Jesus never let us take advantage of others or try to use them for our own selfish purposes. Do not let us rob the poor and helpless of their dignity. As your people, your church, let us always stand up for the oppressed. We ourselves pledge to treat everyone as a child of God.
Speaker 1: Lord Jesus crucified,
Speaker 2: Have mercy on us.
XI. Jesus is nailed to the cross. 11:02
Crucifixion of Jesus on a two-beamed cross, from the Sainte Bible (1866)
Speaker 1: We adore you oh Christ and we praise you.
Speaker 2: Because by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the world.
Speaker 1: The pain bolts through the body of Jesus as nails are driven into his hands and feet. His thanks for announcing the good news of the kingdom of God was crucifixion as a criminal. It was a convenient way to get rid of him and his challenge to goodness.
Speaker 2: If we want Jesus we can shut you out of our lives. We can ignore your call to love as individuals or as a community. We can pretend not to hear your invitation to take up our cross and follow you in the way of generous self giving.
Speaker 1: Jesus Lord Jesus crucified,
Speaker 2: Have mercy on us.
XII. Jesus dies on the cross. 12:14
Speaker 1: We adore you oh Christ and we praise you.
Speaker 2: Because by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the world.
Speaker 1: Writhing in agony on the cross Jesus pleaded,
“Father forgive them they do not know what they are doing.”
Turning to the thief he declared, “this day you shall be with me in paradise.”
In pain Jesus cried out, “my God my God why have you forsaken me?”
Then he said father, “into your hands I commend my spirit”, and he gave himself up to death.
Speaker 2: Nothing was too much for Jesus to do for us. Love knows no half measures. Lord Jesus help us to trust our loving father and to be good to others despite what is done to us.
Speaker 1: Jesus Lord Jesus crucified,
Speaker 2: Have mercy on us.
XIII. Jesus is taken down from the cross. 13:19
Speaker 1: We adore you oh Christ and we praise you.
Speaker 2: Because by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the world.
Speaker 1: When the body of Jesus is lowered from the cross it is laid in Mary’s arms. How immense her sorrow as a mother. She remembers holding him as a child and fleeing from Herod to protect him. She recalls the prophecy, ‘and your own soul a sword shall pierce.’ Her mother’s heart cannot understand the reason, but Mary still has hope. She trusts in the promise made to her by the angel that her son would save his people, would save you and me.
Speaker 2: Sorrowful mother help us to listen to the words of your son. Be with us at the hour of our death.
Speaker 1: Jesus Lord Jesus crucified,
Speaker 2: Have mercy on us.
XIV. Jesus is laid in the tomb.
Speaker 1: We adore you oh Christ and we praise you.
Speaker 2: Because by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the world.
Speaker 1: They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it in linen cloths, with the spices. This lifeless body will soon rise victorious over sin and evil.
Speaker 2: Jesus in Baptism we went down into death with you and rose with you to a new life of grace. May this new life in us grow each day so that we may conquer our selfishness, welcome and forgive all human beings and work to make the world a better place for all.
May we so live in your resurrection that your kingdom may be visible to all the world.
Dying you destroyed our death.
Rising you restored our life.
Come Lord Jesus.
Speaker 1: Lord Jesus crucified,
Speaker 2: Have mercy on us.
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