STATIONS OF THE CROSS FOR VOCATIONS
PREPARATORY PRAYER
ALL: Gracious God, each of us is called to discipleship with Your Son Jesus through the sacrament of Baptism. We are sent to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus, to share the Good News of God’s saving love. Hear our prayer as we ponder the redemptive vocation of Jesus who continues to call men and women to walk in His way, renewing His Church and caring for His people. We give You thanks for the mystery of every vocation and we pray for all who have answered Your call. Send forth Your Holy Spirit upon the faithful and enkindle in them the fire of Your love, drawing many young men and women to dedicate themselves with an undivided heart to the love of Christ and His Kingdom. Amen.
THE FIRST STATION: PILATE CONDEMNS JESUS TO DIE
V:
We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
(Rise)
V:
Consider how Jesus Christ, after being scourged and crowned with thorns, was
unjustly condemned by Pilate to die on the cross. (Kneel)
R: Jesus, we ask that You call young men and women today to
publicly accept Your invitation to follow You in spite of what others may think
or say. Give to them a passion for reaching out through Your love to the needs
of Your brothers and sisters.
(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be…)
Through her heart, His sorrow sharing / All His bitter anguish bearing / Now at length the sword has passed
****
THE SECOND STATION: JESUS ACCEPTS HIS
CROSS
V:
We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)
V:
Consider Jesus as He walked this road with the cross on His shoulders, thinking
of us, and offering to His Father in our behalf, the death He was about to
suffer. (Kneel)
R: Jesus, help those
You call to see in the cross the symbol of union with You. Give to them the
zeal and talent to minister to those who are burdened with pain, sorrow,
confusion and alienation. Let them see that in the cross is life.
(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be...)
O, how sad and sore depressed / Was that Mother highly blessed / of the sole Begotten One
THE THIRD STATION: JESUS FALLS THE FIRST
TIME
V:
We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
(Rise)
V:
Consider the first fall of Jesus. Loss of blood from the scourging and crowing
with thorns had so weakened Him that He could hardly walk; and yet He had to
carry that great load upon His shoulders. As the soldiers struck Him cruelly,
He fell several times under the heavy cross. (Kneel)
R: Jesus, let those You call know that they do not have to
be perfect. Let them be open to Your transforming grace that can accomplish
more than anyone could imagine. Give to those who respond to Your call to the
priesthood and consecrated life, a deep trust that You will complete what You
have begun in them.
(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be...)
Christ above
in torment hangs / She beneath beholds the pangs / of her dying, glorious Son
****
THE FOURTH STATION: JESUS MEETS HIS AFFLICTED
MOTHER
V:
We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
(Rise)
V:
Consider how the Son met His Mother on His way to Calvary. Jesus and Mary gazed
at each other and their looks became as so many arrows to wound those hearts
which loved each other so tenderly (Kneel)
R: Jesus, instill in young men and women the desire to come
to know Your Mother and find in their prayerful reflection of the scriptures, a
woman of faith, hope and love whose vocation is an example for all. Help
parents to promote and support vocations among their children, families and
church communities.
(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be...)
Is there one
who would not weep / 'whelmed in miseries so deep / Christ's dear Mother to
behold.
THE FIFTH STATION: SIMON HELPS JESUS CARRY
THE CROSS
V:
We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
(Rise)
V:
Consider how weak and weary Jesus was. At each step He was at the point of
expiring. Fearing that He would die on the way when they wished Him to die the
infamous death of the cross, they forced Simon of Cyrene to help carry the
cross after
Our
Lord. (Kneel)
R: Jesus, send forth your grace upon those you call to
church leadership. Help them to accept and affirm others’ gifts in the building
of community, in proclaiming the message and in reaching out in service.
(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be...)
Can the
human heart refrain / From partaking in her pain / In that Mother's pain
untold?
THE SIXTH STATION: VERONICA OFFERS HER
VEIL TO JESUS
V:
We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
(Rise)
V:
Consider the compassion of the holy woman, Veronica. Seeing Jesus in such
distress, His face bathed in sweat and blood, she presented Him with her veil.
Jesus wiped His face, and left upon the cloth the image of His sacred
countenance. (Kneel)
R: Jesus, call forth numerous men
and women to see Your face on all whom they meet. Help Your servants to truly
understand that whatever good is done to the least of Your brothers and sisters
is done to You.
(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be...)
Bruised, derided, cursed, defiled / She beheld her tender Child / All with bloody scourges rent.
THE SEVENTH STATION: JESUS FALLS THE SECOND
TIME
V:
We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
(Rise)
V:
Consider how the second fall of Jesus under His cross renews the pain in all
the wounds of the head and members of our afflicted Lord. (Kneel)
R: Jesus, teach those You call to the priesthood and
consecrated life to accept their own and others’ limitations, relying on God’s
merciful grace. Help them in these times of darkness to reach out especially to
those whom the world calls “fallen”—persons who are addicted, imprisoned, poor,
aged, of ill health.
(Our Father,
Hail Mary, Glory be...)
For the sins
of His own nation / Saw Him hang in desolation / Till His spirit forth He sent.
****
THE EIGHTH STATION: JESUS SPEAKS TO THE WOMEN
V:
We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
(Rise)
V:
Consider how the women wept with compassion seeing Jesus so distressed and
dripping with blood as He walked along.
Jesus
said to them, ``Weep not so much for Me, but rather for Your children.''
(Kneel)
R: Jesus, remove any prejudices or biases from all whom You
call to walk with You as priests or in the consecrated life. Let those who
follow You see that all God’s people are created equal, male and female,
regardless of race or culture, and that our heavenly Father has no favorites.
Let their words and example speak of Christ’s justice, peace and joy. (Our Father,
Hail Mary, Glory be...)
O sweet
Mother! Fount of Love / Touch my spirit from above / Make my heart with yours
accord.
THE NINTH STATION: JESUS FALLS THE THIRD
TIME
V: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.
(Genuflect)
R: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
(Rise)
V:
Consider how Jesus Christ fell for the third time. He was extremely weak and
the cruelty of His executioners was excessive; they tried to hasten His steps
though He hardly had strength to move. (Kneel)
R: Jesus, help those You call to know that all vocations are
grace-filled; that priests, sisters, brothers, deacons, consecrated men and
women, married and single are all favored by God. Instill in them the
understanding that nothing can separate them from the love of God who is
actively present in good times and in bad.
(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be...)
Make me feel
as You have felt / Make my soul to glow and melt / With the love of Christ, my
Lord.
THE TENTH STATION: JESUS IS STRIPPED
OF HIS GARMENTS
V:
We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
(Rise)
V:
Consider how Jesus was violently stripped of His clothes by His executioners.
The inner garments adhered to his lacerated flesh and the soldiers tore them
off so roughly that the skin came with them. Have pity for your Savior so
cruelly treated.
(Kneel)
R: Jesus, grant that all those being called to the
priesthood and consecrated life will clothe themselves with sincere compassion,
humility, kindness, gentleness and patience, forgiveness and thankfulness…and
over all these virtues, let them put on love. May they understand that their
vocation discernment is their deepest response to Your love.
(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be...)
Holy Mother,
pierce me through / in my heart each wound renew / of my Savior crucified.
THE ELEVENTH STATION: JESUS IS NAILED
TO THE CROSS
V:
We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
(Rise)
V:
Consider Jesus, thrown down upon the cross, He stretched out His arms and
offered to His eternal Father the sacrifice of His
life for our
salvation. They nailed His hands and feet, and then, raising the cross, left
Him to die in anguish. (Kneel) R: Jesus, instill in youth today a deep
desire to make a difference in the world no matter what the cost. Let the
courageous example of modern martyrs inspire them to meet all challenges with
faith, hope and love. Fill them with Your presence and the grace to respond to
the call to “go out to all the world.”
(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be...)
Let me share
with you His pain / Who for all our sins was slain / Who for me in torments
died.
****
THE TWELFTH STATION: JESUS DIES UPON
THE CROSS
V:
We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
(Rise)
V:
Consider how Jesus, after three hours of agony on the cross, is finally
overwhelmed with suffering and, abandoning Himself to the weight of His body,
bows His head and dies. (Kneel)
R: Jesus, give to all who are considering their vocation a
deep love of the Eucharist, the Most Holy Sacrament of Your passion, death and
resurrection. Let them find in the Mass a daily renewal of Your invitation to
live their lives through You, with You, and in You, giving glory and honor to
God our Father.
(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be...)
Let me
mingle tears with thee / Mourning Him who mourned for me / All the days that I
may live.
THE THIRTEENTH STATION: JESUS IS TAKEN
DOWN FROM THE CROSS
V:
We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
(Rise)
V:
Consider how, after Our Lord had died, He was taken down from the cross by two
of His disciples, Joseph and Nicodemus, and placed in the arms of His afflicted
Mother. She received Him with unutterable tenderness and pressed Him close to
her bosom. (Kneel)
R: Jesus, touch the minds, hearts and spirits of those You
call to serve the people of God. Fill them with the assurance of our Blessed
Mother’s love and care for them, especially as they grow to embrace their
vocations. Enable them to respond to Your call to bring Your redeeming presence
to a world grieving, fearful and hungry for Your Truth through prayer and
service.
(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be...)
By the cross with you to stay / There with you to weep and pray / Is all I ask of you to give.
THE FOURTEENTH STATION: JESUS IS PLACED
IN THE SEPULCHER
V:
We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)
R: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
(Rise)
V:
Consider how the disciples carried the body of Jesus to its burial, while His
holy Mother went with them and arranged it in the sepulcher with her own hands.
They then closed the tomb and all departed. (Kneel)
R: We thank you, Jesus, for the infinite power of Your death
and resurrection which brought salvation and healing to the world. We thank You
for all whom You have called to follow You in the past 2000 years, men and
women formally dedicating their lives to the building up of Your Church. We pray
for all seminarians and novices in formation. Let all young men and women today
reflect on the lives of the saints, and let them come to meet and know priests,
religious, and lay ministers in our times who continue to respond to Christ’s
call, “Come, follow me.”
(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be...)
Virgin of
all virgins blest / Listen to my fond request / Let me share your grief divine.
PRAYER TO JESUS CHRIST CRUCIFIED
My good and dear Jesus, I kneel before You, asking You most earnestly to engrave upon my heart a deep and lively faith, hope, and charity, with true repentance for my sins, and a firm resolve to make amends. As I reflect upon Your five wounds, and dwell upon them with deep compassion and grief, I recall, good Jesus, the words the Prophet David spoke long ago concerning Yourself: ``They pierced My hands and My feet; they have numbered all My bones.''