"You must follow Me along the Way of the Cross so that you can make restitution for the sins of mankind." (Divine Appeal 17)
"... pray the Holy Rosary and the Stations of the Cross daily. Many swords will wound your heart." (Divine Appeal 281)
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen
While kneeling before the altar, express an Act of Contrition, and intend to obtain indulgences, whether for yourself, for sinners, or for the souls in purgatory.
Act of Contrition:
O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended you. I detest all my sins because of your just punishments, but most of all because they offend you, my God, who are all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of your grace, to sin no more and to avoid the occasions of sin. Amen.
Opening prayer
Merciful Lord, my Master, I want to follow You faithfully. I want to imitate You in my life in an ever more perfect way. That is why I ask that by meditating on Your Passion, You would grant me the grace of a deeper understanding of the mysteries of the spiritual life.
Mary, Mother of Mercy, always faithful to Christ, lead me in the footsteps of the sorrowful Passion of your Son and ask for me the necessary graces for a fruitful making of this Way of the Cross.
The First Station
Jesus is Condemned to Death (Mt. 26:59-60)
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You.
R. Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.
Meditation:
“Now the chief priests and the whole council sought false testimony
against Jesus that they might put him to death, but they found none,
though many false witnesses came forward. At last two came forward”
(Mt. 26:59-60)
Jesus:
Do not be surprised that you are sometimes unjustly
accused. I myself first drank this cup of undeserved suffering for
the love of you (Diary 289). When I was before Herod, I obtained a
grace for you: namely, that you would be able to rise above human
scorn and follow faithfully in My footsteps (1164).
St. Faustina:
We are sensitive to words and quickly want to
answer back, without taking any regard as to whether it is God’s
will that we should speak. A silent soul is strong: no adversities
will harm it if it perseveres in silence. The silent soul is capable of
attaining the closest union with God (477)
Prayer:
Merciful Jesus, help me to know how to accept every human judgment and do not allow me ever to render a condemnatory judgment on You in my neighbors.
V. You, who suffered wounds for us,
R. Christ Jesus, have mercy on us
Our Father…Hail Mary…Glory Be…
The Second Station
Jesus Carries His Cross (Jn. 19:1-6)
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You.
R. Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.
Meditation:
“Then Pilate took Jesus and scourged him. And the soldiers plaited a
crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and arrayed him in a purple
robe; they came up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and
struck him with their hands. Pilate went out again, and said to them,
“Behold, I am bringing him out to you, that you may know that I find
no crime in him.” So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and
the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!” When the chief
priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, “Crucify him, crucify
him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I
find no crime in him.’” (Jn. 19:1-6)
Jesus:
Do not be afraid of sufferings; I am with you (151). The
more you will come to love suffering, the purer your love for Me
will be (279).
St. Faustina:
Jesus, I thank you for the little daily crosses, for
opposition to my endeavors, for the hardships of life, for the
misinterpretation of my intentions, for humiliations at the hands
of others, for the harsh way in which we are treated, for false
suspicions, for poor health and loss of strength, for self-denial,
for dying to myself, for lack of recognition in everything, for the
upsetting of all my plans (343).
Prayer:
Merciful Jesus, teach me to value life’s toil, sicknesses, and every suffering,
and with love to carry my daily crosses.
V. You, who suffered wounds for us,
R. Christ Jesus, have mercy on us
Our Father…Hail Mary…Glory Be…
The Third Station
Jesus falls for the first time (Is.53:6,12)
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You.
R. Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.
Meditation:
“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his
own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.… yet he
bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors”
(Is. 53:6,12)
Jesus:
Involuntary offenses of souls do not hinder My love for them or
prevent Me from uniting Myself with them. But voluntary offenses,
even the smallest, obstruct My graces, and I cannot lavish
My gifts on such souls (1641).
St. Faustina:
My Jesus, despite Your graces, I see and feel all the misery
... O my Jesus, how prone I am to evil, and this forces
me to be constantly vigilant. But I do not lose heart. I trust God’s
grace, which abounds in the worst misery (606).
Prayer:
Merciful Lord, preserve me from every, even the tiniest but voluntary and conscious infidelity.
V. You, who suffered wounds for us,
R. Christ Jesus, have mercy on us
Our Father…Hail Mary…Glory Be…
The Fourth Station
Jesus Meets His Mother (Lk 2:34-35)
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You.
R. Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.
Meditation:
“Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and
for a sign that is spoken against (and a sword will pierce through your
own soul also), that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed”
(Lk. 2:34-35)
Jesus:
Listen, although all the works that come into being by My
will are exposed to great sufferings, consider whether any of them
has been subject to greater difficulties than that work which is
directly Mine — the work of Redemption. You should not worry
too much about adversities (1643).
St. Faustina:
I saw the Blessed Virgin, unspeakably beautiful. She held me close to herself and said to me, I am Mother to you all, thanks to the unfathomable mercy of God. Most pleasing to me is that soul which faithfully carries out the will of God. Be courageous. Do not fear apparent obstacles, but fix your gaze upon the Passion of my Son, and in this way you will be victorious (449).
Prayer:
Mary, Mother of Mercy, be near me always, especially in suffering as you were on your Son’s way of the cross.
V. You, who suffered wounds for us,
R. Christ Jesus, have mercy on us
Our Father…Hail Mary…Glory Be…
The Fifth Station
Symon Cyrene Helps Jesus Carry His Cross (Lk 23:26)
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You.
R. Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.
Meditation:
“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.” (Lk. 23:26)
Jesus:
By day and by night My gaze is fixed upon him, and I permit these adversities in order to increase his merit. I do not reward for good results but for the patience and hardship undergone for My sake (86)
St. Faustina:
O my Jesus, You do not give a reward for the successful
performance of a work, but for the good will and labour undertaken.
Therefore, I am completely at peace, even if all my undertakings and
efforts should be thwarted or should come to naught. If I do all that
is in my power, the rest is not my business (952).
Prayer:
Jesus, my Lord, let my every thought, word, and deed be undertaken exclusively out of love for You. Keep on cleansing my intentions.
V. You, who suffered wounds for us,
R. Christ Jesus, have mercy on us
Our Father…Hail Mary…Glory Be…
The Sixth Station
Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus (Is 53:2-3)
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You.
R. Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.
Meditation:
“For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of
dry ground; he had no form or comeliness that we should look at
him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and
rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and
as one from whom men hide their faces, he was despised, and we
esteemed him not.” (Is. 53:2-3)
Jesus:
Know that whatever good you do to any soul, I accept it as if
you had done it to Me (1768).
St. Faustina:
I am learning how to be good from Jesus, from Him
who is goodness itself, so that I may be called a daughter of the
heavenly Father (699). Great love can change small things into great
ones, and it is only love, which lends value to our actions (303).
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, my Master, grant that my eyes, my hands, my lips, and my heart may always be merciful. Transform me into mercy.
V. You, who suffered wounds for us,
R. Christ Jesus, have mercy on us
Our Father…Hail Mary…Glory Be…
The Seventh Station
Jesus Falls for the Second Time (Is. 53:4)
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You.
R. Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.
Meditation:
“Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we
esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.” (Is. 53:4)
Jesus:
The cause of your falls is that you rely too much upon yourself and too little on Me. But let this not sadden you so much. You are dealing with the God of mercy (1488). Know that of yourself you can do nothing (639). Without special help from Me, you are not even capable of accepting My graces (738) .
St. Faustina:
Jesus, do not leave me alone… You know, Lord, how
weak I am. I am an abyss of wretchedness, I am nothingness itself;
so what will be so strange if You leave me alone and I fall? (1489)
So You, Jesus, must stand by me constantly like a mother by a
helpless child — and even more so (264).
Prayer:
May Your grace assist me, Lord, that I may not keep falling continuously into the same faults; and when I fall, help me to rise and glorify Your mercy.
V. You, who suffered wounds for us,
R. Christ Jesus, have mercy on us
Our Father…Hail Mary…Glory Be…
The Eighth Station
Jesus Consoles the Women of Jerusalem (Lk 23:27-28)
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You.
R. Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.
Meditation:
Meditation:
“And there followed him a great multitude of the people, and of
women who bewailed and lamented him. But Jesus turning to them
said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for
yourselves and for your children’” (Lk. 23:27-28)
Jesus:
O how pleasing to Me is living faith! (1420) I desire that you
would all have more faith at the present time (352) .
St. Faustina:
I fervently beg the Lord to strengthen my faith, so
that in my drab, everyday life I will not be guided by human
dispositions, but by those of the spirit. Oh, how everything drags
man towards the earth! But lively faith maintains the soul in the
higher regions and assigns self-love its proper place; that is to say,
the lowest one (210).
Prayer:
Merciful Lord, I thank You for holy Baptism and the grace of faith. Continuously, I call: Lord, I believe, increase my faith.
V. You, who suffered wounds for us,
R. Christ Jesus, have mercy on us
Our Father…Hail Mary…Glory Be…
The Ninth Station
Jesus Falls for the Third Time (Is. 53:7,10)
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You.
R. Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.
Meditation:
“He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth;
like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before
its shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth... Yet it was the will
of the Lord to bruise him; he has put him to grief; when he makes
himself an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring, he shall prolong
his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand” (Is. 53:7,10).
Jesus:
My child, know that the greatest obstacles to holiness are
discouragement and an exaggerated anxiety. These will deprive
you of the ability to practice virtue… I am always ready to forgive
you. As often as you beg for it, you glorify My mercy (1488) .
St. Faustina:
My Jesus, despite Your graces, I see and feel all my
misery. I begin my day with battle and end it with battle. As soon
as I conquer one obstacle, ten more appear to take its place. But
I am not worried, because I know that this is the time of struggle,
not peace (606).
Prayer:
Merciful Lord, I give over to You that which is my exclusive property, that is, my sin and my human weakness. I beg You, may my misery drown in Your unfathomable mercy.
V. You, who suffered wounds for us,
R. Christ Jesus, have mercy on us
Our Father…Hail Mary…Glory Be…
The Tenth Station
Jesus is Stripped of His Garments (Jn. 19:23-24)
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You.
R. Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.
Meditation:
“When the soldiers had crucified Jesus they took his garments and
made four parts, one for each soldier; also his tunic. But the tunic was
without seam, woven from top to bottom; so they said to one another,
“Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.” This was
to fulfil the scripture, “They parted my garments among them, and for
my clothing they cast lots.” (Jn. 19:23-24)
St. Faustina:
Jesus was suddenly standing before me, stripped of
His clothes, His body completely covered with wounds, His eyes
flooded with tears and blood, His face disfigured and covered with
spittle. The Lord then said to me:
Jesus: The bride must resemble her Betrothed.
St. Faustina: I understood these words to their very depth. There
is no room for doubt here. My likeness to Jesus must be through
suffering and humility (268).
Prayer:
Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto Your heart.
V. You, who suffered wounds for us,
R. Christ Jesus, have mercy on us
Our Father…Hail Mary…Glory Be…
The Eleventh Station
Jesus is Nailed to the Cross (Mt. 27:39-43)
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You.
R. Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.
Meditation:
“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. He trusts
in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him; for he said, ‘I am
the Son of God.’” (Mt. 27:39-43).
Jesus:
My pupil, have great love for those who cause you suffering.
Do good to those who hate you (1628).
St. Faustina:
Oh my Jesus, you know what efforts are needed to
live sincerely and unaffectedly with those from whom our nature
flees, or with those who, deliberately or not, have made us suffer.
Humanly speaking, this is impossible. At such times more than at
others, I try to discover the Lord Jesus in such a person and for this
same Jesus, I do everything for such people (766).
Prayer:
O purest Love, rule in all Your plenitude in my heart and help me to do Your holy will most faithfully (328).
V. You, who suffered wounds for us,
R. Christ Jesus, have mercy on us
Our Father…Hail Mary…Glory Be…
The Twelfth Station
Jesus Dies on the Cross (Lk. 23:44-46) (Jn. 19:33-34)
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You.
R. Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.
Meditation:
“It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the
whole land until the ninth hour, while the sun’s light failed; and
the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, crying with
a loud voice, said, “Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit!” And
having said this he breathed his last.” (Lk. 23:44-46). “But when they
came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break
his legs. But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at
once there came out blood and water.”(Jn. 19:33-34).
Jesus:
All this is for the salvation of souls. Consider well what you
are doing for their salvation (1184).
St. Faustina:
Then I saw the Lord nailed to the cross. When He
had hung on it for a while, I saw a multitude of souls crucified
like Him. Then I saw a second multitude of souls, and a third. The
second multitude were not nailed to [their] crosses, but were
holding them firmly in their hands. The third were neither nailed
to [their] crosses, nor holding them firmly in their hands, but were
dragging [their] crosses behind them and were discontent.
Jesus:
Do you see these souls? Those who are like Me in the pain
and contempt they suffer will be like Me also in glory. And those
who also resemble Me less in pain and contempt will also bear less
resemblance to Me in glory (446).
Prayer:
Jesus, my Savior, hide me in the depth of Your heart that, fortified by Your grace, I may be able to resemble You in the love of the Cross and have a share in Your glory..
V. You, who suffered wounds for us,
R. Christ Jesus, have mercy on us
Our Father…Hail Mary…Glory Be…
The Thirteenth Station
Jesus is Taken Down From the Cross (Lk. 23:47-49)
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You.
R. Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.
Meditation:
“Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God,
and said, “Certainly this man was innocent!” And all the multitudes
who assembled to see the sight, when they saw what had taken place,
returned home beating their breasts. And all his acquaintances and
the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance
and saw these things.” (Lk. 23:47-49).
Jesus:
Most dear to Me is the soul that strongly believes in My
goodness and has complete trust in Me. I heap My confidence upon
it and give it all it asks (453).
St. Faustina:
I fly to Your mercy, Compassionate God, who alone
are good. Although my misery is great, and my offenses are many, I
trust in Your mercy, because You are the God of mercy; and, from
time immemorial, it has never been heard of, nor do heaven or
earth remember, that a soul trusting in Your mercy has been
disappointed (1730).
Prayer:
Merciful Jesus, daily increase my trust in Your mercy that always and everywhere I may give witness to Your boundless goodness and love.
V. You, who suffered wounds for us,
R. Christ Jesus, have mercy on us
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be…
The Fourteenth Station
Jesus is Laid in the Tomb (Jn 19:40-42)
V. We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You.
R. Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.
Meditation:
“They took the body of Jesus, and bound it in linen cloths with the spices,
as is the burial custom of the Jews. Now in the place where he was
crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb where no
one had ever been laid. So because of the Jewish day of Preparation,
as the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.” (Jn 19:40-42).
Jesus:
You are not yet in your homeland; so go, fortified by My grace,
and fight for My kingdom in human souls; fight as a king’s child
would; and remember that the days of your exile will pass quickly,
and with them the possibility of earning merit for heaven. I expect
from you… a great number of souls who will glorify My mercy for
all eternity (1489).
St. Faustina:
Every soul You have entrusted to me, Jesus, I will try to
aid with prayer and sacrifice, so that Your grace can work in them. O
great lover of souls, my Jesus, I thank You for the immense confidence
with which You have deigned to place souls in our care (245)
Prayer:
Grant, Merciful Lord, that not even one of those souls which You have entrusted to me be lost.
V. You, who suffered wounds for us,
R. Christ Jesus, have mercy on us
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be…
Closing Prayer
My Jesus, my only hope, I thank You for this prayer which You opened to the eyes of my soul. Your Passion was out of love for me. Happy the soul that has come to understand the love of the heart of Jesus
For the intentions of the Holy Father.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be…
Prayer in Honour of the Holy Cross
God our Father, in obedience to You Your only Son accepted death on the cross for the salvation of mankind. We acknowledge the mystery of the cross on earth. May we receive the gift of redemption in heaven. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
