Jesus Is Laid In the Tomb

The Fourteenth Station of the Cross

Reflection: Jesus is laid in the tomb. It all seems so final now. You are no longer among us as a mere mortal in the flesh, blood, skin and bones. You are placed in a tomb as a final resting place to the life of witnessing for your Father's love for us. Many die and are placed away from us as you have been. Only thing different, you will be back to conquer the hardened hearts of the people. So many of us die, but many die in sin and will not find eternal rest. Why do we hold onto so much of this world when it is you that truly gives us life. You gave us your body and blood in this sacrifice and we have so many opportunities to be united to you, and partake of the banquet you left us to imitate. You are the Lamb that was sacrificed and by your blood you have washed us clean. We hope that in this day we will truly see how deeply you love us and how much you want us with you.

Prayer: Please say an Our Father and Glory Be

Jesus Is Taken Down From the Cross

The Thirteenth Station of the Cross

Reflection: Jesus is taken down from the Cross. So much has happened this day and now they are removing your body from the wooden cross. A place that brought shame and suffering to you dear Jesus. Now you are being placed in the arms of your mother, who stood at the foot of the very cross they took you from. She stood by you throughout your whole ordeal and suffered with you. When they lanced your side she too felt the pain as well as the nails that went through your skin. Her anguish and love for you is immortalized for all time and eternity as your perpetual witness. She would go to the ends of the world to cease the suffering you endured. O Jesus, our beloved, who for all time has taken our suffering and sin and died to redeem us. And all we do to repay this act of love and forgiveness is to continue as if you didn't exist. What a pity for us then.

Prayer: Please say an Our Father and Glory Be

Jesus Dies On the Cross

The Twelfth Station of the Cross

Reflection: Jesus dies on the cross. We see you up on the wooden cross we have made to crucify you. Yet while you were there you forgave us for committing this cruel act. How many have gone to their death and done this to those who punished them, probably not many as we know of. You teach us the art of forgiveness. Let us now take a moment of silence to honor the hour of death Jesus died out of love for us. This was truly an act of love for his Father and for all of us. He would do it again in order for us to understand the depths of love he has in his heart. How can we not be moved by this knowledge and find in our hearts the ability to love others as you love us. Not only that but to love God first as you love him.

Prayer: Please say an Our Father and Glory Be

Crucifixion: Jesus Is Nailed to the Cross

The Eleventh Station of the Cross

Reflection: Crucifixion, Jesus is nailed to the cross. Jesus how truly helpless you are at this moment and we can only imagine the torment and suffering you went through. Each time the hammer came down to nail you to the cross we are reminded of our sinfulness. Jesus, how easy it is for us to turn our sight away from this image. But we are the ones who do this to you. We lower our heads in remorse for the many times we followed our own will and didn't bother to follow you out of ours own selfish desires. And here you lay upon the cross undergoing excruciating pain for those who went before us to let us know how far you would go for us to set us free. Not only that you showed us what it means to follow the Will of God until the end. Taking our cross as you did and seeing it through to the end, no matter what obstacles and trials we suffer you have done it first for us. We can do no less when it is done for you and with you.

Prayer: Please say an Our Father and Glory Be

Jesus Is Stripped of His Garments

The Tenth Station of the Cross

Reflection: Jesus is stripped of his garments. You have reached the place where your life is now about to end. In their hands you are stripped of your garments. The humiliation of being exposed without any protection of clothing must have been difficult. Yet in our day as well as then, people had worn clothing to expose themselves for the pleasure of others. To flaunt what they had without realizing the time you were stripped naked for all present to witness a degrading moment for you. Your helplessness as they took away your dignity. Do we dress modestly to cover ourselves in dignity and respect. One has to read of moments in prisoners of war lives to understand how degrading being stripped of their clothes is for them. Or people stolen from their families and sold into slavery. Yet we take for granted this wonderful aspect of clothing our bodies out of respect for ourselves and for God. May we truly understand what you underwent in this suffering.

Prayer: Please say an Our Father and Glory Be

Jesus Falls For the Third Time

The Ninth Station of the Cross

Reflection: Jesus falls for the third time. Our sins, betrayals, rejections and unbelief have taken their toll on you Jesus. You have fallen a third time under the weight of so much. What can we do to take the burden from you so will not fall again on account of us. What are we willing to suffer with you. How worn out you are by carrying the weight of our sins on your shoulders. You truly do make our burdens light. We only have to see how you fall a third time to realize you take our burdens to heart. Now that we have this moment to see how much you truly suffer for us and take upon yourself, then let us also share in this sacrifice with you. May we turn to each other and be an imitation of you. Let us bring to others the light that shines in the darkness of their day.

Prayer: Please say an Our Father and Glory Be

Jesus Meets With the Women of Jerusalem

The Eigth Station of the Cross

Reflection: Jesus meets with the women of Jerusalem. The sorrow and weeping these women are undergoing as Jesus glances at them. In a moment where he pauses briefly to catch his breath, he speaks to them. Weep not! They love him and cry for him, it's not hard to do. Don't we cry for those who suffer terminal illness and are about to come to their end. We weep for many things but seldom do we weep out of love for your suffering as these women did. They knew how much of a loss it was going to be when your physical presence would be gone. Do we weep knowing that each day we sin we are loosing you that much faster. Except we also must remember that even though you traveled this road for our sakes, it doesn't give us carte blanche to do what we want without understanding the depth you went to redeem us. Let us also weep for you this day Jesus, knowing that you are near to us as you were with these women of Jerusalem.

Prayer: Please say an Our Father and Glory Be

Jesus Falls For the Second Time

The Seventh Station of the Cross

Reflection: Jesus falls for the second time. Jesus even though you have Simon to help you carry this wooden cross, you have sufferd so very much. We would not be able to withstand what you have undergone. Many of us flee our crosses and go in search of an easier route to avoid falling. The weight of our sins truly drags you down, yet you took our burdens and made them your own. How many begin in one faith but go off in search of one that fits their lifestyle. Particularly one that doesn't have a cross to carry. When we fall under our sins we flee rather than seek to reconcile with you. When we see others fall from the weight of their burdens, do we help them up and do as you do. Continue on the journey set before us, pulling ourselves up with faith in you as you do when you place yourself in God's loving hands as well.

Prayer: Please say an Our Father and Glory Be

Veronica Wipes Jesus Face With Her Veil

The Sixth Station of the Cross

Reflection: Veronica wipes Jesus face with her veil. Out of the spectators that lined the way to Calvary, you came across a women whose heart was full of love for you. She dared to come close and offer to clean your beautiful face from the blood, sweat and spittle that covered it up. She saw with eyes of faith the truth of your divine presence. You rewarded her with your image on her veil for all ages to come to know of your love for mankind. And she kept it safe for future generations to come. Is our faith that strong in you as well? Do we believe in you as much as this woman did when she dared to come close to you in your suffering. When we see those around us suffer as well do we see you in them and come close to offer a cloth to help wipe away the turmoil that the world causes. Mostly do we do it with pure intentions where we will see the beauty of you in it.

Prayer: Please say an Our Father and Glory Be

Simon Of Cyrene Helps Jesus

The Fifth Station of the Cross

Reflection: Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus. Jesus you are in pain and very very tired from all the wounds you have from the torture and continuous beating you receive. You suffer so much humiliation for our sake so we would not suffer the same. They take a person from the sidelines to help you carry the cross. A person who refused at first, but was made to do it. Even in this you suffer rejection. Do we do the same as Simon the Cyrene in our day? Refuse to help, and reject others because it might cost us to suffer humiliation as well. But as Simon found out when he looked into your bruised eyes, he saw love in their depths not pain and suffering. He saw gratitude in a helpless moment. Simon took that cross along with you and walked without ever realizing how truly heavy that cross was. How significant this moment was in Jesus' preaching about taking his yoke and finding our burdens easy. How loudly that message echos in this station of the cross. But it also tells us to help each other with their crosses as well. Something we don't do very well in our selfish world.

Prayer: Please say an Our Father and Glory Be

Jesus Meets His Mother

The Fourth Station of the Cross

Reflection: Jesus meets his mother. Jesus on the way to your death you see so many people watching you on the sidelines. But there is one who draws your eyes, who touches your heart. The very woman who gave you life in this human body. You console her even though your suffering is far greater than could be imagined. She sees your suffering as well and takes it to her heart, where it is pierced for love of God. She would take your place in a heartbeat, her love is so great. And this gives you added strength to continue to do your Father's will. How often do we seek out our heavenly mother to aide us on walk with you Jesus to give us strength to carry our crosses as well. She shows us to not forget her or you in our trials. She is there with us offering us comfort as she did for you the day you were led on a path not of your choosing. She is there on the same sidelines as the spectators but with a big difference, she is on your side and not against you. How much are we the spectators in our faith? Do we meet Jesus like his mother did that day and give him love and support and confort for the cross he carries for us?

Prayer: Please say an Our Father and Glory Be

Jesus Falls For the First Time

The Third Station of the Cross

Reflection: Jesus falls for the first time. Jesus has fallen while carrying his cross. Shouldering a burden that weighs heavily upon him, it's not hard to imagine why he fell in the first place. He not only was beaten and tortured prior to the trials that brought him this far, but it's also our burdens that he carries with him as well. O God, how much our sins weigh upon Jesus as he takes them with him to his death. We must wonder how much he takes upon those mighty shoulders of his with also the weight of the wood of a natural cross. Our hearts should be as heavy as we too journey along with Jesus and fall under the weight of our sins as we realize what we truly do to Jesus when he only wanted to help and free us of these sins. We see him fall, we gasp in outrage, but do we take that step that will restore his strength so he can help us carry our crosses as well as his.

Prayer: Please say an Our Father and Glory Be

Jesus Takes Up His Cross

The Second Station of the Cross

Reflection: Jesus takes up his Cross. Jesus is now put to labor, that of taking up his cross and carrying it to where he will find death. All that he has done to free those around him has gained him a heavy burden to carry. Not us, we don't take our crosses as easily, sometimes we shift that cross to others. Jesus on the other hand out of love for us takes it and carries it the distance. He is humble and teaches us to learn to take up our crosses with as much grace and humility as he did. He doesn't shift the burden to God but places it at his feet in humble supplication to help him carry the burden. How often have we done this as we are handed our own crosses, firstly accepting it with grace and then asking God to help us carry it as well. Don't be afraid to take up our crosses as well, because Jesus did it and he will do it again with us, for he knows more than anything how it feels to be given one.

Prayer: Our Father and Glory Be

Jesus Is Condemned to Death

The First Station of the Cross

Reflection: Jesus is condemned to death. As Jesus stands there waiting for the verdict of his life. He is a model of patience in a moment of trial. One can only imagine how he endured it with such dignity amid the cruelty of those present. Not of resignation, but knowing this is what he is called to do. He stands there listening to those around him, but his thoughts are focused on his Father. His constant prayer and continuous conversation with God is what gives him the strength to endure this moment of betrayal. He's not thinking, where are my disciples, where are the people I cured, why aren't they standing up for me and witnessing what I have done for them. No, he is giving God glory and praise instead. Because he knows his Father and his love for him is great. How well do we fare when we encounter our trials and how well do we pray and surrender them to God as Jesus did in his moment of complete abandonment of others.

Prayer: Our Father and Glory Be