Stations of the Cross

 

Written by Father Stephen F. PeraTa

Photos OF ST. VICTOR’S IN SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA

by Lowell Starr

 

 

 

 

 

The First Station:

Jesus Is Condemned To Death

 

Lord Jesus, I see you led away to Your death and another set free who doesn’t deserve to be.

Lord Jesus, I too am not worthy to be set free, and yet You go to Your death...for me. 

 

 

 

The Second Station:

Jesus Takes His Cross

 

Jesus, I see You carrying Your cross, yet You ask me to see You in everyone, the sick, the bereaved, the lonely, and those in need of love.

Give me the grace to help them carry their cross.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Third Station:

Jesus Falls the First Time

 

Jesus, as I see you struggle and fall to the ground, I wish that I could have been there to help You up.

Help me to see You in my neighbor.

Give me the courage to reach out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Fourth Station:

Jesus Meets His Mother

 

Lord Jesus, Mary gave us You and You gave us Mary.

As we see her come to You, we see a woman of faith - a woman touched by God.

In her darkest hour she continues to have faith and trust in You.

Help us to be like her - a people of faith who trust in You.

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

  

The Fifth Station:

Simon Helps Jesus Carry His Cross

 

Lord Jesus, we are so often like Simon.  We proceed with our own plan and fail to recognize Your way.

Help us to be open to Your ways.

Help us to find You in the unexpected events of our lives.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Sixth Station:

Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus

 

Lord Jesus, when Veronica came forth to wipe Your face, You, who created the world, allowed her to minister to You.

Give me the courage to minister to others, and to allow them to care for me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Seventh Station:

Jesus Falls A Second Time

 

Jesus, when I see You fall to the ground again, I wish I had the courage to run to You, but, like Peter, though I love You, I am often afraid.  I am afraid of what people might think or say.  I’m afraid of seeing You in those who suffer - or worse yet, having to suffer myself.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Eighth Station:

Jesus meets the women of jerusalem

 

Beloved Jesus, with tears of pity these women of Jerusalem responded to You, broken, bruised, and beaten, on the road to Calvary.

Deepen our faith, we beg You, so that we may see You in our brothers and sisters, bruised by our envy, beaten down by injustice, and broken by our greed and our indifference.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Ninth Station:

Jesus Falls the Third Time

 

Lord Jesus, the brutal cross crushed You to the ground as You endured the pain of complete exhaustion, but You rose again and struggled on.

Help me, when I am cast down, to get up and try again,

Help me, also, when I am weak or in need, to accept the help of others and to see in them, it is really You who help me.

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

The Tenth Station:

Jesus is Stripped of His Clothes

 

Dear Jesus, as You stand there stripped of all Your earthly possessions, may I learn as Simon did, that much in life is not just and fair.

Help me not to be dismayed when I cry in pain, “Why me?”

Let me also learn, as Simon did, that You walk with me through it all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Eleventh Station:

Jesus is Nailed to the Cross

 

Jesus, the pain You must have felt when those nails pierced Your body, and yet the real pain was the suffering You felt by the hurt of betrayal, denial, and rejection.

Help me to know the difference between pain and suffering; to ease the pain of another I may be unable, but to heal their suffering, I can...by loving.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Twelfth Station:

Jesus Dies on the Cross

 

Dear Jesus, as You drew Your last breath and spoke Your last words,

“My God, My  God, why have You forsaken Me?...”

I wonder what it is You meant or even felt.  I may never know.  I do know You have taught me that You lived and died as a man.

Did You doubt?  Did You despair?

I don’t know.

I know there are moments in my life when I pass through doubt and despair, not around them.

You have given me faith and hope, and taught me to cry out in pain, “Father.”

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

The Thirteenth Station:

Jesus is Taken Down From the Cross

 

Lord Jesus, as You were lifted and placed in Mary’s arms, her mother’s heart remembered Your life together.  How it must have ached.

Teach me to see in Mary the person You want me to be.

Help me to understand her calmness of spirit and her confidence that somehow God would make it right.

Teach me to face the sufferings in my life with the same calmness and confidence that Mary had.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Fourteenth Station:

Jesus is placed in the tomb

 

Dear Jesus,

As they lay You to rest in Joseph’s tomb, I wonder of the sadness that touched Mary’s heart.

I wonder about the faith of John, the love of Joseph...

I wonder about those who were with You at the end.

What did they  think?  What did they feel?  Did they feel loved?  Were they puzzled?  Were they discouraged?  Were they angry?  Did they feel abandoned?

What was it like when You died?

Was it dark?  Was it light?

Did You see our Father?  Did you see Abraham and Moses?

Was it hard to come back?

When You see us, what do You think?  What do You feel?

Are You puzzled?  Are You discouraged?

When You see us, is it still dark?  Is it light?

When You see us...

Do You see You?