Opening Prayer
My Lord Jesus Christ, You have made this journey to die for me with love unutterable, and I have so many times unworthily abandoned You. But now I love You with all my heart; and because I love You, I am sincerely sorry for ever having offended You. Grant me pardon for all my sins, and the grace to accompany You on this journey with true contrition and love. Amen.
Before each station, pray: V. We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. R. Because by Your holy Cross You have redeemed the world.
First Station: Jesus Is Condemned to Death
O Jesus! so meek and patient, You accepted the unjust judgment of Pilate. Teach me to accept, without complaint, whatever trials You permit in my life. Help me, when I am judged unjustly, to remain humble and trust in Your providence. Amen.
Second Station: Jesus Takes Up His Cross
My Jesus, You embraced Your Cross willingly as the instrument of our salvation. Teach me to embrace the crosses in my own life — the sufferings, the difficulties, the burdens — as a means of growing in love for You and for souls. Amen.
Third Station: Jesus Falls the First Time
O Jesus! The heavy burden of my sins pressed You to the earth. By this first fall, deliver me from falling into any mortal sin. When I grow weary under the weight of life's burdens, help me to rise again through Your grace. Amen.
Fourth Station: Jesus Meets His Mother
O Jesus! How sorrowful must have been this meeting with Your Mother! May Your sorrow and hers be the constant subject of my meditation. May I be united with both of them in their sufferings, and may Mary always lead me closer to You. Amen.
Fifth Station: Simon of Cyrene Helps Jesus
O Lord Jesus! Simon was compelled to help You carry the Cross. May I be more willing than he was, more ready to bear the cross cheerfully. Help me to see my neighbor's needs as opportunities to serve You. Amen.
Sixth Station: Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus
Blessed Veronica! How courageous she was, pressing through the crowd to console You! May I also, in humble love, give consolation to those around me who suffer, and in doing so wipe the face of Jesus still present among us. Amen.
Seventh Station: Jesus Falls the Second Time
O Jesus! Exhausted and overwhelmed, You fall again. And still You rise for love of me. How often do I fall into the same sins again and again! In Your mercy, raise me each time by Your grace, that I may not grow discouraged but persevere in seeking holiness. Amen.
Eighth Station: Jesus Meets the Women of Jerusalem
O Jesus! You told the women not to weep for You, but for their own sins. Let me weep for my sins. Let me be moved not by Your external sufferings alone, but by the deeper sorrow that it was my sins which caused them. Amen.
Ninth Station: Jesus Falls the Third Time
O Jesus! Weak and exhausted, You fall once more. How often have I fallen into habitual sin without rising! Grant me the grace not to fall again, and when I do, to rise quickly through sincere repentance, trusting in Your inexhaustible mercy. Amen.
Tenth Station: Jesus Is Stripped of His Garments
O Jesus! You were stripped of Your garments so that I might be clothed in the robe of grace. Strip me of all attachment to the world, to comfort, and to vanity. Clothe me in humility, modesty, and love for You alone. Amen.
Eleventh Station: Jesus Is Nailed to the Cross
O Jesus! You are nailed to the Cross and offer Your most sacred hands and feet for our sins. Hold me fast with the nails of Your love, so that my heart will never wander from You. Let me always choose You over every earthly pleasure. Amen.
Twelfth Station: Jesus Dies on the Cross
O dying Jesus! I kiss devoutly the Cross on which You died for love of me. I earnestly desire to receive You into my heart. May Your death be my life. May Your sacrifice be my offering. Grant that when I breathe my last breath, I may die in Your grace. Amen.
Thirteenth Station: Jesus Is Taken Down from the Cross
O sorrowful Virgin Mary! Receive me under your mantle. As you embraced the lifeless body of Jesus, embrace me in your motherly love. Present me to your Divine Son, and never let me be separated from Him. Amen.
Fourteenth Station: Jesus Is Laid in the Tomb
O Jesus! You were buried in the earth that one day the earth might be transformed in You. May this pilgrimage of the Stations draw me ever deeper into the mystery of Your death and resurrection. May I die to sin and rise with You in newness of life. Amen.
Closing Prayer
O Lord Jesus Christ, Your Passion and Death have given life to the world. May I share in Your sufferings, that I may also share in Your glory. Accept this Way of the Cross as a small act of love and penance, and grant me the grace of final perseverance. Amen. Pray for the Poor Souls in Purgatory: Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.