The Catholic's pocket prayer-book/The Way of the Cross

For works with similar titles, see Stations of the Cross.

The Stations of the Way of the Cross.

A very frequent and most touching devotion of Christians in former times was to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land of Palestine, where our Blessed Redeemer lived and died, and there to visit every spot of ground made sacred by His presence, and especially the places which were known as the stations of His passion and death, and to honor them by prayer and penance. Afterwards when the Holy Land had fallen into the hands of the infidel Saracens, and Christians could no longer make this pilgrimage with safety, the present exercise of the Way to the Cross was invented as a substitute. Pictures representing the most moving and remarkable events of our Lord's passion, from the time He was sentenced to death by Pilate to His burial, are hung about the walls of the church, and by visiting these in succession and praying before each one, we are able in some manner to imitate the devotion of Catholics of other days, though by a pilgrimage far less long and dangerous.

The Way of the Cross, in its present form, was instituted by the Franciscans, who, for over six hundred years, have had charge of the sacred places in the Holy Land. They gradually introduced this touching devotion into the different countries all over the world. No special form of prayers is prescribed for this holy exercise: the essential part of it is to visit each of the fourteen stations, and mediate on the sufferings of Christ. The text of the following prayers is commonly used in Franciscan churches.

PREPARATORY PRAYER.

O most-merciful Jesus! With a contrite heart and penitent spirit I bow down in profound humility before Thy divine Majesty. I adore Thee as my supreme Lord and Master; I believe in Thee, I hope in Thee, I love Thee above all things. I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, my supreme and only God. I resolve to amend my life, and although I am unworthy to obtain mercy, yet the sight of Thy holy cross, on which Thou didst die, inspires me with hope and consolation, I will therefore meditate on Thy sufferings, and visit the stations of Thy passions in company with Thy sorrowful Mother and my Guardian Angel, with the intention of promoting Thy honor and saving my soul.

I desire to gain all the indulgences granted for this holy exercise for myself and for the souls in purgatory. O merciful Redeemer, who hast said, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will, draw all things to myself," draw my heart and my love to Thee, that I may perform this devotion as perfectly as possible, and that I may live and die in union with Thee. Amen.

FIRST STATION

Jesus is condemned to death.

Before the prayer at each station say:

V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and bless Thee.

R. Because by Thy holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

My Jesus, oft have I signed Thy death-warrant by my sins; save me by Thy death from that death eternal I deserve.

After the prayer at each station say:

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be, etc.

V. Have mercy on us, O Lord.

R. Have mercy on us.

In passing from one station to another, say:

Holy Mother, pierce me through,
In my heart each wound renew
Of my Saviour crucified.

SECOND STATION.

Jesus is made to bear His Cross.

My Jesus, who by Thine own will didst take on Thee the Cross I made for Thee by my sins; O make me feel their heavy weight, and weep for them ever while I live.

THIRD STATION.

Jesus falls the first time.

My Jesus, the heavy burden of my sins is on Thee, and bears Thee down beneath the Cross. I loathe them, I detest them, I call on Thee to pardon them; may Thy grace aid me never more to commit them.

FOURTH STATION.

Jesus meets His blessed Mother.

Jesus most suffering! Mary, Mother most sorrowful! if for the past by sin I have caused you pain and anguish, yet, by God's assisting grace, it shall be so no more: rather be ye my love henceforth till death.

FIFTH STATION.

Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus to carry the Cross.

My Jesus, blest, thrice blest was he who aided Thee to bear the Cross. Blest shall I be, if I too aid Thee to bear the Cross, by patiently bowing my neck to the crosses Thou shalt send me during life. My Jesus, give me grace to do so.

SIXTH STATION.

Veronica wipes the face of Jesus.

My tender Jesus, who didst deign to print Thy sacred face upon the cloth with which Veronica dried the sweat from off Thy brows; print in my soul deep, I pray Thee, the lasting memory of Thy bitter pains.

SEVENTH STATION.

Jesus falls a second time.

My Jesus, oft have I sinned, and oft by sin beat Thee to the ground beneath the Cross. Help me to use the efficacious means of grace, that I may never fall again.

EIGHTH STATION.

Jesus comforts the women of Jerusalem.

My Jesus, who didst comfort the pious women of Jerusalem, who wept to see Thee bruised and torn; comfort my soul with Thy tender pity, for in Thy pity lies my trust. May my heart ever answer Thine.

NINTH STATION.

Jesus falls a third time.

My Jesus, by all the bitter woes Thou didst endure, when a third time the heavy cross bowed Thee to the earth, O never, never let me fall away; but rather let me die than ever mortally sin again. Amen.

TENTH STATION.

Jesus is stripped, and receives gall to drink.

My Jesus, stripped naked of Thy clothes, and drenched with gall, strip me of love for things of earth, and make me loathe all that savors of the world and sin.

ELEVENTH STATION.

Jesus is nailed to the Cross.

My Jesus, by Thine agony when the cruel nails pierced Thy tender hands and feet, and fixed them to the cross, O make me crucify my flesh with Christian penance.

TWELFTH STATION.

Jesus dies on the Cross.

My Jesus, three hours didst Thou hang in agony, and then die for me; then let me die before I sin, and if I live, live for Thy love and faithful service.

THIRTEENTH STATION.

The body of Jesus is taken down from the Cross.

Mary, Mother most sorrowful, the sword of grief went through thy soul when thou didst see Jesus lying lifeless in thy bosom; ask for me hatred of sin, because sin slew thy Son, and wounded thine own heart, and then grace to live a Christian life, and save my soul.

FOURTEENTH STATION.

Jesus is laid in the tomb.

My Jesus, beside Thy Body in the tomb I too would lie dead; and if I live, let me live but to Thee, so that one day I may taste heaven's bliss with Thee, fruit of Thy Passion and Thy bitter death. Amen.

Let us pray.

O God, who by the Precious Blood of Thy only begotten Son didst sanctify the standard of the Cross; grant, we beseech Thee, that we who rejoice in the glory of the same Holy Cross, may feel everywhere the gladness of Thy sovereign protection. Through the same Christ our Lord.

Conclude by saying five times Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory be, etc., to gain the Indulgences.

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