The Way of the Cross - Church of St. Ignatius Loyola of the Cross.pdf · The Way of the Cross ......

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CHURCH OF ST. IGNATIUS LOYOLA Stations of the Cross for Children and Families The Way of the Cross Dear Jesus, we come to this holy place to follow in your footsteps on the way to the cross and your death. We know your suffering began the night before you were condemned to death. At the Last Supper, your Apostles heard what you said but didn’t understand the meaning of the words. After supper you and the Apostles went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. Instead of staying awake and praying with you, your Apostles fell asleep. When the Roman soldiers came to arrest you, you were betrayed by a friend, Judas Iscariot. Dear Jesus, it must have hurt you to have your closest friends fall asleep when you asked them to support you in prayer. And then, Judas kissed you when he turned you over to the authorities. That must have been so hard on you! Dear Jesus, today we ask that you forgive us for the times we did not see you in our friends, did not support them when they needed us, or were disloyal by talking about them behind their backs. Dear Jesus, as we walk with you, on this road of your suffering, we will share our prayers and thoughts.

Transcript of The Way of the Cross - Church of St. Ignatius Loyola of the Cross.pdf · The Way of the Cross ......

Page 1: The Way of the Cross - Church of St. Ignatius Loyola of the Cross.pdf · The Way of the Cross ... Judas Iscariot. Dear Jesus, ... and know that his face is imprinted on our lives

CHURCH OF ST. IGNATIUS LOYOLA

Stations of the Cross for Children and Families

The Way of the Cross

Dear Jesus, we come to this holy place to follow in your footsteps on the way to the

cross and your death. We know your suffering began the night before you were condemned to

death. At the Last Supper, your Apostles heard what you said but didn’t understand the meaning

of the words. After supper you and the Apostles went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray.

Instead of staying awake and praying with you, your Apostles fell asleep. When the Roman

soldiers came to arrest you, you were betrayed by a friend, Judas Iscariot.

Dear Jesus, it must have hurt you to have your closest friends fall asleep when you asked

them to support you in prayer. And then, Judas kissed you when he turned you over to the

authorities. That must have been so hard on you!

Dear Jesus, today we ask that you forgive us for the times we did not see you in our

friends, did not support them when they needed us, or were disloyal by talking about them behind

their backs.

Dear Jesus, as we walk with you, on this road of your suffering, we will share our prayers

and thoughts.

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The First Station: Jesus is condemned to death

All say: We adore you O Christ and we bless you.

Because by your Holy Cross you have saved the world.

#1 We are standing in the courtyard and we see Jesus beaten, wearing a crown of

thorns and standing before Pontius Pilate. Pilate says, “Take him away and

crucify him.”

#2 There are so many people in our world condemned to death by the way they

must live. They live in poverty and without food. Every day, in some part of the

world, innocent people are being killed by terror and by torture.

Lent is a season of reconciliation and hope. Jesus invites us to help one another,

to become aware of the poor people, the homeless, and, in our own way, to try to

help. In addition, we thank God for the blessings we have: a safe home, a bed to

sleep in, food on our tables, a school to go to, a family that loves us, and a faith

that gives us hope.

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The Third Station: Jesus falls the first time

All say: We adore you O Christ and we bless you.

Because by your Holy Cross you have saved the world.

#1 Jesus is walking along an uneven road paved with stones.

It is dusty, and the day is hot. Jesus is tired, and very

weak. We’ve had to move quickly to get through the

crowds where Jesus is walking. We hear people shouting

and laughing at Jesus when he falls. No one tries to help

him.

#2 Jesus could hardly place one foot in front of the other.

He was exhausted. He knew the road to Calvary was

going to be difficult. When the people jeered at him, he

simply looked at them and forgave them. He knew he

had a goal, and he knew he was going to reach it.

Reaching our goal is, at times, difficult. We struggle to

learn new subjects, we cram all sorts of activities into our

day and we compete with our friends in various games.

When we win, people clap and are happy, and when we

lose, people laugh, boo or get angry.

Jesus’ fall reminds us to treat everyone respectfully and

avoid embarrassing others if they make a mistake or lose

a game.

Lent is a time to practice simple acts of kindness. Being

considerate and kind is the most loving thing we can do

for each other.

The Second Station: Jesus carries his cross

All say: We adore you O Christ and we bless you.

Because by your Holy Cross you have saved the world.

#1 Jesus has been taken to the street near the guard house.

The soldiers are putting a heavy wooden cross on his

beaten, bleeding shoulders and back. We are standing in

the alley and can see how heavy the cross is. We see

Jesus sag a little as the weight of the cross comes down

on his body.

#2 Jesus knew that in order to save the world of its sin, he

must carry this heavy cross. He accepted the cross, and

did not grumble. He took the cross willingly, and with

great love.

Usually, when we are faced with a hard task, we try to

get away from it, or find excuses for not doing it. When

no one listens and we must do what we are told, how do

we react? Sometimes, do we just drag the task about,

delay getting it done and make it more difficult?

Jesus invites us to look at hard tasks and take them on in

good spirit. Each time we do this, we become better

persons.

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The Fifth Station: Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus

to carry the cross

All say: We adore you O Christ and we bless you.

Because by your Holy Cross you have saved the world.

#1 At this point, Jesus is reaching the limit. He can no

longer carry the cross alone. The day is terribly hot, he

has had no food or drink, the weight of the cross is too

much, and he is ready to collapse. The Roman soldiers

don’t want Jesus to die before he reaches Calvary, so

they get Simon to help him. Simon doesn’t want to do

this but he has no choice. The Roman soldiers

commanded him to help

#2 So often we find ourselves in Simon’s shoes. We do

good things because we must, or because we would look

bad if we didn’t. The good acts we perform are burdens

to us. How different would it be if we would just

remember that Jesus is part of our lives and that Jesus is

the holiness in the good things we do?

As we think about Simon and Jesus carrying the cross,

let us remember all the people in the world who help the

sick and needy to carry their crosses of suffering, and

pray that Jesus will bless them in the acts they perform.

The Fourth Station: Jesus meets his mother

All say: We adore you O Christ and we bless you.

Because by your Holy Cross you have saved the world.

#1 Mary has been pushing through the crowds trying to get

close to her son and see what is happening to him. Then,

she sees Jesus turning a corner and is overcome with

sorrow at the sight. Mary sees her son so beaten and

carrying a heavy cross

#2 Jesus looks up through eyes irritated by sweat and blood.

He is broken-hearted that his mother is suffering. They

don’t speak. They just look into each other’s eyes with

very great love. Mary knows what it means to be

powerless and unable to help the one she loves.

This terrible event is repeated in the lives of so many

parents who are unable to help when their child is dying

of a serious illness, a drug habit, or a poor lifestyle.

They, like Mary, would do anything to save the life of

their child. They are willing to suffer, and even die.

During Lent, and every day, we remember our parents

who love us and do so much for us. We ask our heavenly

mother Mary to pray with us when we say “Dear God,

bless our parents every day of their lives and help us to

appreciate every thing they do for us.”

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The Seventh Station: Jesus falls the second time

All say: We adore you O Christ and we bless you.

Because by your Holy Cross you have saved the world.

#1 Jesus is humiliated and exhausted. He hurts so badly. In

spite of the help from Simon, he falls again. His physical

and emotional pain is just too much.

#2 The second fall of Jesus reminds us how weak we are.

We might think we are strong, but we are not. We all do

things that are hurtful, and that is part of being human.

We receive the sacrament of reconciliation and promise

not to sin again. Sometimes we succeed, and sometimes

we fail. We are not perfect.

When we become discouraged, we must remember that

Jesus loves us just as we are. We do not earn this love. It

is a gift, the gift of grace; as long as we keep trying to

overcome our sins, Jesus will give us his hand to help us

when we fall.

Lent is a time to remember that Jesus knows the hurt

when we fall, and he will always help us. He understands

us and is our brother.

The Sixth Station: Veronica wipes the face of Jesus

All say: We adore you O Christ and we bless you.

Because by your Holy Cross you have saved the world.

#1 Veronica is standing in the crowd and, as Jesus

approaches, she takes her veil off, runs up to him, and

wipes the sweat and blood from his face. It is an act of

compassion. She didn’t think for a minute about what

she should do. It was a simple but great act of love.

Jesus says “Thank you” by leaving the imprint of his

face on her veil.

#2 Veronica’s act reminds us that acts of compassion are

happening every minute of every day around the

world. Mother Theresa said that if she had not picked

up that first dying man in the streets of Calcutta, she

would not have picked up the second, and all those

who followed. Each act of compassion and love

follows the first.

Lent is a particular time to remember Mother Theresa’s

words and acts. There are many chances for us to

remember to be kind to someone at home, school, on

the bus and in the playground. Each person in our lives

is important, and when we help someone, and see their

hurts, we are helping Jesus, and know that his face is

imprinted on our lives in every act of kindness we

perform.

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The Ninth Station: Jesus falls the third time

All say: We adore you O Christ and we bless you.

Because by your Holy Cross you have saved the world.

#1 As Jesus falls the third time, he sees to be saying. “This

is it! I can’t take another step!” He is talking like a man

at the end of his rope, who just can’t go on. As we look

at Jesus, who is weighed down by the cross and the

brutality of the day, what can we say and do to help him?

What can we say and do that will let him know that we

love him?

#2 When Jesus falls the third time, he is about as close to a

nervous and physical breakdown as one can get. He

worries that he can’t fulfill the promise he made to his

Father – to die on the cross and save us.

When Jesus falls the third time, he is telling us that he

knows real suffering and understands how we feel when

we are worried that we can’t keep a promise or measure

up to expectations others have of us.

At this station, Jesus tells us that we can make it through

difficult times. He understands how upset we can

become, and is ready to help. We just need to ask.

The Eighth Station: Jesus comforts the women of

Jerusalem

All say: We adore you O Christ and we bless you.

Because by your Holy Cross you have saved the world.

#1 At last, Jesus meets some people who are not shouting

and laughing at him. The women of Jerusalem

responded to Jesus’ pain. They tried to make a

difference in his suffering by trying to console him.

Jesus, in turn, comforts them. The men of Jerusalem

didn’t comfort Jesus. They wished him no good.

#2 The world is a cold place without women. Women seem

to respond more quickly to the injustice and sorrow

around them. For the world, it is important that all

people become more caring and to respond with

compassion to the needy, and accept and respect the

talents of all people.

The women of Jerusalem remind us that the people in

power need to learn how to weep with the suffering,

rather than trying to rule and control them.

During Lent, we should thank God for those people who

show compassion, and pray that the individuals who are

without mercy learn to be merciful.

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The Eleventh Station: Jesus is nailed to the cross

All say: We adore you O Christ and we bless you.

Because by your Holy Cross you have saved the world.

#1 At last, Jesus reaches the top of the hill at Calvary. He is

exhausted, and near death. Jesus is thrown to the ground,

and his body is nailed to the cross. The cross is then raised

and jammed into the ground. Jesus’ body receives another

terrible jolt. In spite of the agony, Jesus asks his Father to

forgive us. Can we imagine how much Jesus loves us? Can

we imagine how sin hurts Jesus?

#2 It is beyond our ability to understand the pain Jesus felt

when the nails were driven into his hands and feet.

Crucifixion was the worst death sentence. It was slow and

horrible.

Jesus accepted the pain because He loves us, and helps us

to understand how we should try to heal the hurts we

receive, and how we should try to not hurt others.

Lent is a time to think about how we have wounded others,

and gives us a particular time and blessing of the

sacrament of reconciliation to say we are sorry for all the

hurt our sins have caused, and to promise to improve.

The Tenth Station: Jesus is stripped of his garments

All say: We adore you O Christ and we bless you.

Because by your Holy Cross you have saved the world.

#1 At this scene, Jesus is stripped naked. The artist places a

cloth over his private parts; but that is not what happened.

The last bit of human dignity is taken away. His personal

privacy is totally denied. The Roman soldiers spared Jesus

no pain.

#2 All around us, people are being stripped of their human

dignity. In advertisements, in movies, on stage, in

magazines, and on the sides of buses, we see men, women,

and children stripped to have their pictures taken in order

to make money. They have lost their self respect. Some

music tells us that it is alright to sell our bodies, or give

them away thoughtlessly.

What these people don’t understand is that our bodies are

beautiful creations of God and temples of the Holy Spirit.

By submitting to this indignity, Jesus shows us how

terrible it is to be stripped of our dignity in public. He tells

us that we should respect our bodies, and value ourselves

as instruments of tenderness, love, compassion and beauty.

Lent is a time to remember those people who suffer

physical indignities, and pray for them.

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The Thirteenth Station: Jesus is taken down from the

cross

All say: We adore you O Christ and we bless you.

Because by your Holy Cross you have saved the world.

#1 When Jesus suffered on the cross, Mary, his mother, and his

friends stood at the foot of the cross. When Jesus died, the

cross was taken down and Jesus was placed in the arms of

his mother. His friends helped her and comforted her.

#2 As Mary and Jesus’ friends stood at the foot of the cross,

they prayed for the moment that Jesus would breathe his

last breath. They wanted his suffering to end. We are

reminded that every second of every day, loving parents are

standing by their dying children, children are standing by

their dying family members, and friends are standing by

their dying friends.

This scene, of Jesus being taken down from the cross,

reminds us that the death of the body does not mean that a

person is gone forever. We are reminded that we will be

reunited with our loved ones in heaven, and that while on

Earth, the memory of the good things and happy times

we’ve had with that person will live on with us.

Lent is a time to be thankful for our lives, the talents God

has given us, and the knowledge that whatever good we do

will live on after us, and in the heart of Jesus.

The Twelfth Station: Jesus dies on the cross

All say: We adore you O Christ and we bless you.

Because by your Holy Cross you have saved the world.

#1 Jesus hangs on the cross for three hours and then he dies. A

Roman soldier thrusts a sword into his side to make sure he

is dead. What a scene! Beaten, bruised, crowned with

thorns and hanging in the hot midday sun until he dies.

#2 Jesus was without sin, yet he suffered and died on the cross

so that our sins would be forgiven. He opened the gates of

heaven for all of us. He experienced every joy, sorrow, and

hurt a human being might have in a lifetime. His way of

the cross is a lesson in perfect love.

Jesus knows each one of us very well. He knows all our

good points and our failings. He calls us by name. He is

our devoted friend, always ready to help when we need

him. When we are hurt, we should remember Jesus on the

cross, and know that we can tell him anything, and that he

loves us.

Lent is a time to practice acts of love, and reach out to

people in our community who are hurting. It is a time to

invite a classmate to join in the fun you are having, and a

time to help out in whatever way we can in our homes. It is

important to remember that when we help others, we help

Jesus.

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The Fourteenth Station: Jesus is laid in the tomb All say: We adore you O Christ and we bless you.

Because by your Holy Cross you have saved the world.

#1 After Jesus was taken down from the cross, he was placed on a stretcher and carried to

a tomb that belonged to Joseph of Arimathea. Jesus did not own his own burial place.

When in the tomb, Jesus was placed on a flat rock. His mother and other holy women

washed his body, rubbed oil over the wounds, and wrapped him in clean linen. They

kissed him, left the tomb, and laid a huge rock across the entrance of the tomb. None

wanted to leave Jesus; it was a hard thing to do.

#2 At this station, we are reminded that after this life comes the resurrection, and we are

only separated from Jesus by sins. Catholics are so blessed because we have the

sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist to keep us close to Jesus, and become true

friends with him.

We know that Jesus conquered death; he has saved us, and given us life and the hope

of eternal joy with him and our loved ones in heaven.

Lent is that special time when we can think about the wonders Jesus performed on

earth, and be thankful for this amazing grace he has given us.

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Closing Prayer Dear Jesus, help us to remember the difficult road you walked to Calvary. You did this for us.

Help us to increase our love for you by helping others.

Dear Mary, you helped Jesus to grow to be the wonderful man that he was. You developed Him

into a model for us to follow. Help us to live good lives, and follow him.

As we end this service, let us in silence ask Jesus for the blessings we need to live good

Christian Catholic lives, and to always have the hope that the resurrection of Jesus

gives us.

Amen.