Introduction & Opening Prayer
Many people could not make a pilgrimage. The Holy Land was too far away or countries were at war. So the Stations of the Cross were created. This way, people who were not able to reach the Holy Land could still make the journey in their hearts.
The Stations tell us, in pictures, about the death of Jesus. At each Station, we say a short prayer and study the picture. We think about the love Jesus has for us and how we may show that love to others.
God our Father, you sent us Jesus because you love us.
Jesus showed us how to live as your children, to love each other as he loved us.
We ask you to help us pray as we remember how he gave up his life for us on the cross.
We make this prayer to you through Christ our Lord.
The text for this Stations of the Cross is adapted from Child's Guide to the Stations of the Cross (S. Stanton) and Stations of the Cross for Children (J. M. Will). The following images of the Stations of the Cross are life-size statues found at the National Shrine for Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Students created a "tableau" or a living statue which represented the modern-day reflection for each station.
The First Station: Jesus Is Condemned to Die
A man named Pontius Pilate says that Jesus has to die. Some people hate Jesus because he always does what his Father in heaven wants. These people do not want to listen to Jesus’ message of love; they want Jesus to die.
In the First Station, Jesus teaches us to be brave. Others have accused him of things that aren't true. The truth is that they are really accusing Jesus of loving people. Jesus loves everyone. He loves them completely, he loves them all the time, and he loves them just as they are. He tells us that this is the way we should love others. At times it's tough to love others. It can be scary. People can be very unloving to us. People can hurt us. But Jesus says that this is what we must do. We should love others as God loves us. Every Station shows us exactly how Jesus lives his love. |
Sometimes I feel scared about things I have to do. I feel nervous and worried, and I wish it would all just go away. I need to remember to love others, especially when someone hurts me or says things about me that are not true. I can defend myself, and I can tell others what happened. But I must also try to forgive people and try to love them. What I see in the picture of the First Station is that I must be like Jesus whenever I can.
Jesus, please help me to be brave enough to love as you do. Help me to tell the truth, and help me do what I know I need to do. I know you always love me and are always with me. Please remind me just how close you are, especially when I am scared and alone. |
The Second Station: Jesus Carries His Cross
In the Second Station, we see how Jesus carries a heavy cross. It is very hard for him, but Jesus accepts the rough, heavy cross he is given to carry. See how he stretches out his hands to accept it! There is no hesitation, no argument, no trying to hide from it. The cross is huge. No one looks able to carry it, and yet Jesus does. It hurts his hands and shoulders right from the start. And it is so big, he has to drag it step-by-step. The road ahead is very long, and at the end, he knows he is going to die on the cross. Even so, Jesus reaches out, takes the cross, and carries it to show us how much he loves us.
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There are times when I do not want to accept my cross. Sometimes my cross is small, like when I have to do chores instead of watching TV. Sometimes my cross is big. I have to accept what I don't have and would like to have. This can be hard. It can be even harder to accept what I do have, like problems at school or at home. That's when I look at this Station. I don't see Jesus getting angry about his heavy cross. I don't see Jesus refusing to pick it up. I am thankful that mine is never as heavy to carry as his.
Jesus, share your strength with me. I will remember how you took the cross without complaining or running away. Please help me to be as strong as you when I have to face my responsibilities. Teach me to do my work with your grace. |
The Third Station: Jesus Falls the First Time
The cross Jesus carries is very heavy. Jesus is hurting from being whipped and crowned with thorns. He is hurting because people hate him. He is very, very tired, and he falls down. Jesus never gives up, though. The love in his heart is stronger than his hurt and pain, and he gets back up with his cross.
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When I fall, it hurts in lots of ways. Sometimes I get a bruise, and sometimes I also feel really embarrassed. Even "little" pains hurt. Pain is a part of life. Illness is a part of life. Sometimes we recover from pain and illness. Sometimes we do not, or we do not recover entirely. Sometimes our thoughts are painful, too. We try not to worry, we try to forget, we try to change bad things into good. And we can't. Then I look at this Station and see how Jesus endures great pain. He is patient. He is kind. He is forgiving. Even hurt, he is loving.
Jesus, please help me deal with my own pain, whether it is physical or mental or emotional. Help me to love others even when I hurt. Jesus, when I fall, help me to get back up and dust myself off. You make me feel better in every way, because I know you love me and you care about me. |
The Fourth Station: Jesus Meets His Sorrowful Mother
Mary stands by the road while Jesus carries his cross, even though it breaks her heat to see him hurting. Jesus sees his mother worrying about him. He knows that she is always there for him. He can't help but see the pain in her eyes. He stops to talk to her. It must have made him feel so much better to see her there. Mary knows that Jesus needs her love. I am sure he tells her how much he loves her.
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Jesus knows that Mary wants only what is best for him, just like my family wants what is best for me. But I forget this. I forget to tell my family how much they mean to me, how much I love them, and how much I want to thank them for being my family. When I look at this Station, I remember I should take the time to say "Thank you" and "I love you" to my family.
Jesus, I will remember how you comfort the ones who loved you. Thank you for the people who love me. They make me feel safe and happy when things go wrong. I will do my best to show them how much I love them too. |
The Fifth Station: Simon Helps Jesus Carry His Cross
Jesus accepts help from Simon to carry his cross. At first Simon doesn't want to get involved. He doesn't volunteer – the Roman soldiers grab him from the crowd to help. He doesn't know Jesus and he sees everyone teasing and hurting Jesus. But Simon helps Jesus. Simon's hands and shoulders make things easier for Jesus for a little while. I wonder whether Simon feels scared. I wonder whether he feels bad for Jesus. I wonder whether he feels glad he could be of some help.
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So many times, I think I can do things all by myself. I think I don't need advice or help from anyone. I think I have the answers to everything. But I really don't. I need to have help – from my parents, from my teachers, from my relatives, or friends. I need help to understand all the lessons before me in my life. When I look at this Station, I see Jesus being humble enough to accept help from others, and Simon being humble enough to help.
Jesus, please help me to always give assistance when I can and to accept it when I need it. Thank you, Jesus, for the people in my life who make things easier for me when I am having a hard time. Thank you for all the times when you have been by my side. Please give me strong shoulders and a strong heart, so I can make things easier for people who need help. |
The Sixth Station: Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus
Jesus receives compassion from a woman named Veronica. She sees a man who must be a criminal because he is going to be crucified. He is sweaty, dirty, and bloody. Yet she sees beyond that to the man's pain. The pain she sees on his face moves her – she sees pain, and yet a deep love as well. Surrounded by a screaming mob that could easily hurt her, she steps out of the crowd to help him. She stretches out her hands and wipes his face. Veronica wipes away the dirt and blood and shows everyone how beautiful Jesus still is.
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What courage! Veronica has no idea what might happen to her once she has wiped the man's face. She doesn't care. She feels only compassion for someone who is being bullied, beaten, and tortured. She may be frightened, but she helps him anyway. When I look at this Station, I see that being kind may be very hard to do. Sometimes it requires great courage.
Jesus, please help me to have the courage to do the right thing even when I am afraid. Teach me how to be brave like Veronica. Show me how to help someone who is in trouble, even if all my friends are teasing that person. Show me how to care for someone who is hurt. Even if I can't fix the problem, I can be nice and make someone feel better. Thank you, Jesus, for making me feel better when I need to feel loved. |
The Seventh Station: Jesus Falls the Second Time
Jesus perseveres and does not give in to this pain, but he falls a second time under the weight of his cross. He stands and picks up the burden of the cross again. This time there is no one else to carry it. It is his burden alone to carry, but his love for us is greater than that monstrous weight.
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There are times when I really, really feel like giving up. It's tough to try again when something doesn't go right. Sometimes it seems as if the work is just too hard. Sometimes it feels as if I'm just not good enough. It would be easy to go do something else. Then I remember this Station and know I should pick myself up and keep going, just like Jesus.
Jesus, please help me to persevere even when it hurts. Thank you for showing me how to keep trying. I will remember you when I fall down or things go wrong – even if they go wrong twice. |
The Eighth Station: Jesus Meets the Women of Jerusalem
Jesus is kind to the people who follow him, especially the women who cry as he passes them, carrying his cross. They are scared because he is going to die. He stops to speak. Perhaps he first offers a prayer for them. Jesus loves them in silence, but he says something shocking: "Do not cry for me," he says. "Cry for yourself and your children."
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Sometimes I feel very scared because I don't understand what's happening around me in my life. Bad things sometimes happen, and I don't know how they will get better. But it is not enough to be a bystander. It is not enough even to cry over other people's pain. Tears are easy. Action is not. When I see this Station, I realize that good intentions are not enough. They must lead to good deeds. And good deeds can lead to changes in myself that may affect everyone I meet.
Jesus, please teach me to think good thoughts and then to do good deeds. Let me have a changed heart so that I can always love God and my neighbour by choosing to do what is good for others. |
The Ninth Station: Jesus Falls the Third Time
Jesus is almost at the end of the road. He was so weak and tired, he could hardly stand. Jesus' pain worsens, and he falls again beneath the heavy cross for the third time. Yet he does not say a word about it. He has accepted his cross because of his love for us. Jesus picks himself up and keeps going to the end where he knows he is going to die on the cross.
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Whether you realize it or not, there are always people who are living right now in some kind of pain. Sometimes you will be able to see what hurts these people. Sometimes their hurt is kept hidden inside. Perhaps, like Jesus, they have "fallen for the third time." Perhaps, at times, you feel that way yourself. Don't be afraid to speak with people who live in pain. Take time to visit them. It is prayer in action, and a gift for both of you. For a few minutes, both of you are lifted out of your suffering as you talk. At times you don't even need to speak, but just sit quietly with the person. This Station reminds me that when people are in pain, it helps them to know that they are not alone – even when they've fallen for the third time.
Jesus, please help me to be kind to all those who may be suffering. Let me be understanding with others and be your helping hand to them when they are sad, or hurting and down. |
The Tenth Station: Jesus Is Stripped of His Garments
The Roman soldiers try to do everything to hurt and embarrass Jesus. They take his clothes and roll dice to see who could have them. Jesus suffers shame and humiliation as his clothes are stripped from his body. He is dirty and bleeding; everyone can see him. He allows himself to be totally vulnerable as an act of love for us. And he stands alone in his vulnerability. There is no one in the crowd to stand with him.
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People who suffer in war are vulnerable. Families who have been hit by disasters are vulnerable. The very young and the very old are vulnerable. People who endure chronic illness are vulnerable. When you face a bully, when you feel like your family is breaking apart, when you are confused and don't know what to do – you are vulnerable.
People who are totally vulnerable feel that they have been stripped of all that they had and all that they were. They don't realize that their true dignity and worth are on the inside and can never be stripped away. When I look at this Station, I know that Jesus is calling me to help the vulnerable and to clothe them with respect and dignity. When I recognize another's dignity, that person begins to understand that he or she is a child of God and deserves our respect. Jesus, please help me to treat everyone I see with respect. I am sorry for the times I have made someone else feel embarrassed. When I hurt them, I hurt you, too. Help me treat everyone just as I would treat you. |
The Eleventh Station: Jesus Is Nailed to the Cross
Jesus stretches out his hands – the soldiers put nails into his hands and feet and hang him on the cross. He suffers terribly. Even worse, people around Jesus tease him and make fun of him, saying he should save himself if he really is the Son of God. Some people are scared and run away. Jesus says, "Father, forgive them; they do not know what they are doing." One prisoner, who was on the cross beside Jesus, believes in Jesus. Because of his belief, Jesus promises him a place in heaven. Jesus' mother, Mary, and his disciple John are there with Jesus as he hangs from the cross. It must be so hard for them to watch Jesus suffer.
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Every life on earth has a time when it blooms and a time when it returns to God in heaven – even Jesus. Because of Jesus' love for us, because of his sacrifice on the cross, all life returns to God. When I look at this Station, I see Jesus showing us not to be afraid of or to worry about death. All life returns to God. What is more important, now, is how I use the life that God gives to me.
Jesus, please help me to value the great gift of my life and to use it to love you and my neighbour as myself. |
The Twelfth Station: Jesus Dies on the Cross
Jesus hangs for three long hours on the cross. Before Jesus dies, he says to God, "I put myself into your hands." What better way can there be to tell God, "I trust you and I trust in your love for me"? With these last words, Jesus leaves us with faith.
When Jesus dies on the cross, the ground starts to shake, the sun stops shining, and the curtain in the Temple of Jerusalem is torn in two. Some people become very scared. Some of them realize what a terrible mistake they had made. They realize that Jesus wasn't a liar and they go home very afraid. Jesus has shown everyone the greatest love of all by giving his life for us. |
In this Station, Jesus shows us that we should always have faith in God's goodness and know that not even death will stop the flow of God's love to us. What a wonderful gift to be thankful for – our faith.
Jesus, please help me to always have faith in God's love for me. I have made mistakes and I know that I need to try to fix my mistakes and do better the next time. I have to tell people I am sorry. I also have to tell you I am sorry. Thank you, Jesus, for all the times you have forgiven me my mistakes. Thank you, Jesus, for the love you show me. I love you too, Jesus. |
The Thirteenth Station: Jesus Is Taken Down from the Cross
A man named Joseph of Arimathaea is kind and brave to take down Jesus' body from the cross. He knows that some people still think Jesus is a liar and hate him and his friends. But Joseph wants to show his love for Jesus. Jesus' body is taken down from the cross and given to his mother, Mary, who holds him in her arms. This was a very sad moment and Jesus' friends stayed close to her. Joseph of Arimathaea then carefully wraps Jesus in a soft cloth, just as he would do for someone in his own family. Joseph shows respect for the life Jesus' body once held.
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We experience our lives through our bodies. We can change the world only through the use of our physical bodies. We can relieve the suffering of others, offer food to the hungry, visit the sick, and pray for our enemies only by using our bodies. It is important to show respect for this creation of God's. When I look at this Station, I see how others respected the body of Jesus. I know that I am called to respect my own body and that of others.
Jesus, please help me to respect all life. Please show me how to give, even when it is hard. |
The Fourteenth Station: Jesus Is Placed in the Tomb
After Jesus’ friends and his mother wash him and wrap him in a clean sheet, they place Jesus' body in a new tomb and roll a stone across the doorway. They have to say goodbye to Jesus. This was very hard, but they trusted God would make things better. God is always with us.
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When someone you love dies, it is the most difficult time in your life. It is like wearing a coat of sadness you can't take off. Suddenly the world stands still and seems like a very different place for you. This must have been what it was like for the friends of Jesus. We are told they felt abandoned. We are told they felt afraid. What an awful time for them and yet we know that God was still with them. When I look at this Station, I remember this. I remember that God is still with me too.
Jesus, please help me know that when I am afraid and feel alone, you are always there. Sometimes I feel very lonely. Sometimes my friends or parents are upset with me. Sometimes I don’t know anyone in a new place. I'm so glad that you are always by my side, Jesus. I know that you are always my friend. I will never be alone. I want to follow you, Jesus, as I make my own journey through life. |
Jesus, who suffered wounds for us, have mercy on us!
Stations of the Cross: We stop to listen and reflect on our respective journeys. #StationsOfTheCross @tcdsb pic.twitter.com/TH7QfcpANz
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