Stations of The Cross 2015
Stations of The Cross 2015
ons
of
the
Cros
s
Marist School
OPENING PRAYER
All (genuflect): Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the
world.
Leader: After Jesus was arrested, he was taken before the Sanhedrin,
where the chief priests testified against him. Finally, the high priest
asked Jesus, Have you no answer to what these men testify against
you? Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One? Jesus said, I
am... Then they sentenced him to death.
Reflection Reader:
Jesus was condemned to death because of who he was. He was
punished with the penalty of death not for what he did, but for who he
was.
Every day there are those who are quick to judge others in our society.
Like Jesus, they are condemned today for who they are: the poor, the
marginalized, and even those who are just a little different. Racism,
discrimination, homophobia, and exclusion condemn people to a social
death because people are too comfortable to let go of current closedminded conceptions.
When the Sanhedrin questioned Jesus about who he was, Jesus did not
deny himself. Sometimes when others judge or mock us we quickly
abandon our true selves to avoid condemnation.
Jesus died for our sins, not his own. Even in the face of the harshest
injustices we need to be true to ourselves. We need to realize that we
must keep exclusion and prejudice from condemning innocent people.
We need to begin to recognize that all people are valuable because we
are all Gods children.
(Moment of silence)
Leader: Your attitude must be that of Christ, who humbled himself
All: ...obediently accepting death, even death on a cross.
SONG: WAY OF THE CROSS
Refrain:
We carry the saving cross through the roads of the world,
Through the alleys of poverty and misery
Marching to a dawning day, to freedom and victory
To Gods life and endless glory
Verse:
Christ of the poor, condemned though innocent
He leads the way of the cross
(Repeat Refrain)
THE 2ND STATION: JESUS TAKES UP HIS CROSS
(Repeat Refrain)
THE 3RD STATION: JESUS FALLS THE FIRST TIME
Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you
All (genuflect): Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the
world.
Leader: Carrying the heavy wooden cross alone, Jesus stumbled and
fell under its massive weight. Already bruised and wounded from the
earlier scourging, the pain he experienced must have been unbearable.
Yet he got to his feet again and continued his journey towards his
death.
Reflection Reader:
Jesus knows there is death at the end of this journey. He is carrying our
crosses and offering his life so that we might have new life and be
raised up in the end.
Under the massive weight of the cross Jesus fell. Many people today
are crushed by natural or financial hardships, and unequal distribution
of resources and medicine. These inequities stifle the development of
individuals and nations. Poverty, disease, and human suffering all take
their toll on people of the world.
The Good News calls us to refocus our priorities. Jesus started his
journey alone, but he wont finish it alone. We are called to help those
who have stumbled and fallen. This is our duty as brothers and sisters
in Christ. Our job is to help others with our resources, our compassion,
and our prayers. No one should suffer alone.
(Moment of Silence)
Leader: Your attitude must be that of Christ, who humbled himself
All: ...obediently accepting death, even death on a cross.
SONG: WAY OF THE CROSS
Refrain:
We carry the saving cross through the roads of the world,
Through the alleys of poverty and misery
Marching to a dawning day, to freedom and victory
To Gods life and endless glory
Verse:
Christ, Bread of Life, the self-giving Lord of all
He leads the way of the cross
(Repeat Refrain)
the world as Jesus does, that all are created as equal in Gods eyes
and must live in harmony in an interdependent world.
(Moment of Silence)
Leader: Your attitude must be that of Christ, who humbled
himself
All: ...obediently accepting death, even death on a cross.
SONG: WAY OF THE CROSS
Refrain:
We carry the saving cross through the roads of the world,
Through the alleys of poverty and misery
Marching to a dawning day, to freedom and victory
To Gods life and endless glory
Verse:
Christ, our healer, consoler of those who grieve
He leads the way of the cross
(Repeat Refrain)
THE 9TH STATION: JESUS FALLS THE THIRD TIME
Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you
All (genuflect): Because by your holy cross you have redeemed
the world.
Leader: For a third time, the weight of the cross overcame Jesus.
He fell to the ground in tremendous pain, but somehow managed
to get to his feet.
Reflection Reader:
At a young age we begin to find the strength to stand up on our
own. But soon the weight of the world slowly builds, and like Jesus
we fall to the ground. The weight of material possessions often
builds on us until we fall into the deep, dark hole of want and
pleasure.
Jesus bore the weight of our sins on his shoulders. We must not
stop trying to give up our dependency on things. Jesus will help
us, but we have to recognize our faults first.
How many times have we complained about needing our own
space at home, while here in our own community people share a
room with 50 to 100 others at a homeless shelter? How many pairs
of shoes do we have in our closets, while people wait in line for
hours for the possibility of putting shoes on their childrens feet?
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These people are all nailed to the cross by society. Jesus refused to
resort to violence, yet he was subject to the brutal violence of those
around him. Many people turn to violence when trying to seek revenge
or to solve a problem. War is a failure for humanity and yet it is often
used to attempt to solve problems. Instead of negotiation with one
another, leaders try to use power to get their way with another
country. People on the streets sometimes think violence will solve their
problems, yet it only creates more problems.
Jesus showed us the way of non-violent resistance to injustice in
society. It is not the way of passive resignation in the face of the
powers of the world. Rather, it is a passionate witness to the power of
the cross, which reveals the transforming mystery of Gods love.
(Moment of Silence)
Leader: Your attitude must be that of Christ, who humbled himself
All: ...obediently accepting death, even death on a cross.
SONG: WAY OF THE CROSS
Refrain:
We carry the saving cross through the roads of the world,
Through the alleys of poverty and misery
Marching to a dawning day, to freedom and victory
To Gods life and endless glory
Verse:
Christ Lamb of God, for us sinners crucified
He leads the way of the cross
(Repeat Refrain)
THE 12TH STATION: JESUS DIES ON THE CROSS
Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you
All (genuflect): Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the
world.
Leader: At noon, darkness fell over the countryside and lasted until
mid-afternoon. Jesus cried out, My God, my God, why have you
forsaken me? Then he uttered a loud cry and gave up his spirit.
(Moment of Silence)
Reflection Reader:
When Jesus cries out, My God, my God why have you forsaken me?
he is reciting Psalm 22. This is not a prayer of isolation and
forsakenness, but red in its entirety, it tells of a person who places
their trust in God and who knows even in the darkest hours, God is with
them.
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This is the promise that Jesus gives to us. Even in our darkest times, he
will be with us.
We have the privilege to receive Jesus body and blood every week.
With this nourishment we are called beyond ourselves to take Jesus
promise with us as we strive to make a better world for all people.
Sometimes people ask, Where is God in all of these terrible things that
are happening in the world today? The answer is: God is here, in our
hearts, encouraging us to be the presence of Christ for one another so
that no one should ever have to cry out in isolation or desperation, My
God, my God why have you forsaken me?
(Moment of Silence)
Leader: Your attitude must be that of Christ, who humbled himself
All: ...obediently accepting death, even death on a cross.
SONG: WAY OF THE CROSS
Refrain:
We carry the saving cross through the roads of the world,
Through the alleys of poverty and misery
Marching to a dawning day, to freedom and victory
To Gods life and endless glory
Verse:
Christ victor, through the saving cross
He leads the way of the cross
(Repeat Refrain)
THE 13TH STATION: JESUS IS TAKEN DOWN FROM THE CROSS
Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you
All (genuflect): Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the
world.
Leader: The Soldiers came to break the legs of the other men. When
they saw that Jesus was already dead they decided not to break his
legs. Instead, a soldier thrust a lance into Jesus side and blood and
water flowed out. Then Joseph of Arimathea came to remove Jesus
body.
Reflection Reader:
How often do we add insult to injury like the soldier did? How often do
we get asked by someone for some spare change, and not give it to
them for fear of what they will do with it? How often do we hear about
an epidemic or natural disaster, but fail to do anything because it takes
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CLOSING PRAYER
Leader: Jesus died so that we might live. Through the
pain and suffering of the Cross, Jesus bore the weight of
our sins. His Resurrection is the Great Triumph over
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