Friday, March 20, 2020

The Living Stations of the Cross

Below are the Stations of the Cross as we say them at school (the reflection questions connect the child to the work in the Atrium). 
Join your fellow SJB families in praying the stations at home.

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Opening Prayer

We will pray the Stations of the Cross, remembering all that Jesus has done for us.

Begin by making the Sign of the Cross.

“Jesus came with His disciples to a place called Gethsemane and He said to them,
‘Sit here while I go over there and pray.’…
He advanced a little and fell prostrate in prayer saying, ‘My Father, if it is possible,
let this cup pass from me;
yet, not as I will, but as You will.’”
(Mt 26:36-39)

 What was Jesus thinking about in the garden? Was He thinking about how much God loved Him? Was He thinking about how much He loved you?

(Pause to reflect.)

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The First Station:
Jesus is condemned to death


 Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise You.
All: Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.

“Again the high priest asked Him, ‘Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?’ Jesus answered, ‘I am.’...At that the high priest tore his garments and said, ‘What further need have we of witnesses?’… They all condemned Him as deserving to die.”
(Mk 14:61-64)


Had Jesus done anything wrong?
What do others learn about Jesus
from how we live our lives?

(Pause to reflect.)

_________________________ 

  The Second Station:
Jesus takes up His cross


Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise You.
All: Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.

“Pilate said to the Jews, ‘Behold your king!’
They cried out, ‘Take Him away, take Him away!
Crucify Him!’...Then he handed Him over
to them to be crucified. So they took
Jesus carrying the cross for Himself.”
(Jn 19:14-17)


Why did Pilate listen to the Jews
instead of releasing Jesus?
Do I ever join in when someone else chooses
to make fun of someone or hurt someone?

(Pause to reflect.)

_________________________  

The Third Station:
Jesus falls the first time


Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise You.
All: Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.

“The foolishness of God is wiser
than human wisdom, and the weakness of God
is stronger than human strength.”
(1 Cor 1:25)



Does Jesus ever ask me to do something
that is too hard for me to do?
When I fall, do I let Jesus help me get back up?

(Pause to reflect.)

 _________________________ 

The Fourth Station:
Jesus meets His Blessed Mother

(no picture)

Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise You.
All: Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.

“Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother
and his mother’s sister, Mary of Clophas, and Mary
of Magdala. When Jesus saw His mother and the
disciple there whom He loved, He said to His
mother, ‘Woman, behold your son.’ Then He said
to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother.’”
(Jn 19:25-27)


How much did Jesus love His mother?
How much do I love my own parents?
Is Mary, Jesus’ mother, my mother too?

(Pause to reflect.)

 _________________________ 

The Fifth Station:
Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus to carry His cross


Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise You.
All: Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.

“They took hold of a certain Simon, a Cyrenian, who was coming in from the country; and after laying the cross on him, they made him carry it behind Jesus.”
(Lk 23:26)


Did Simon want to help Jesus?
Are there people I can help?
Are there even some that
I don’t want to help but could?

(Pause to reflect.)

_________________________ 

The Sixth Station:
Veronica wipes the face of Jesus


Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise You.
All: Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.

“’Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You,
or thirsty and give You drink?’...And the king will
say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine,
you did for me.’”
(Mt 25:37-40)


How did Jesus feel after Veronica helped Him?
How would someone who is being picked on
feel if I would help them?

(Pause to reflect.)

_________________________ 
The Seventh Station:
Jesus falls a second time


Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise You.
All: Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.

“We had all gone astray like sheep,
each following his own way;
but the Lord laid upon himself the guilt of us all.”
(Is 53:6)


Do I ever get tired of doing what is right?
Have I ever wondered away from Jesus?
Is He searching for me right now,
wanting to carry me home rejoicing?

(Pause to reflect.)

 _________________________ 

The Eighth Station:
Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem


Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise You.
All: Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.

“A large crowd of people followed Jesus, including many women who mourned...Him. Jesus turned to them and said, ‘Daughters of Jerusalem,
do not weep for me; weep instead for yourselves
and your children.’”
(Lk 23:27-28)


Will there ever be a time when tears are no more?
What will that time be like?
Is it worth waiting for and working for?

(Pause to reflect.)
 _________________________ 

The Ninth Station:
Jesus falls a third time


Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise You.
All: Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.

“Strength is made perfect in weakness.”
(2 Cor 12:9)
“They who hope in the Lord will renew
their strength; they will run and not
grow weary, walk and not grow faint.”
(Is 40:31)


In what ways am I strong?
In what ways am I weak?
What does Jesus think when He
sees my strengths and weaknesses?

(Pause to reflect.)

_________________________  

The Tenth Station:
Jesus is stripped of His clothes


Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise You.
All: Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.

“When the soldiers had crucified Jesus
they took His clothes and divided them
in four shares, a share for each soldier.”
(John 19:23)


The soldiers were making fun
of Jesus and humiliating Him.
Have I ever been made fun of or humiliated?
Does Jesus understand what that is like?

(Pause to reflect.)

_________________________  

The Eleventh Station:
Jesus is nailed to the cross


Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise You.
All: Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.

“When they came to the place called the Skull,
they crucified Him...Then Jesus said, ’Father,
forgive them, they know not what they do.’”
(Lk 23:33-34)


How could Jesus forgive?
Are there people I need to forgive?

(Pause to reflect.)
  _________________________ 

The Twelfth Station:
Jesus dies on the cross



Please kneel for all of this Station.

Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise You.
All: Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.

“At last Jesus cried out in a loud voice,
‘Father, into Your hands I commend my spirit;’
and when He had said this He breathed His last.”
(Lk 23:46)


Oh Jesus, what can I say to You when
You have given so much for me?

(Pause to reflect.)

 _________________________ 
The Thirteenth Station:
Jesus is taken down from the cross


Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise You.
All: Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.

“When the soldiers came to Jesus and saw that
He was already dead, they did not break His legs,
but one soldier thrust his lance into His side, and
immediately blood and water flowed out. After this, Joseph of Arimathea, secretly a disciple of Jesus
for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate if he could
remove the body of Jesus. And Pilate permitted it.”
(Jn 19:33-34, 38)


Where were Jesus’ friends?
Were they afraid? Were they angry?
Joseph did what he could to help Jesus.
What will I do?

(Pause to reflect.)

_________________________ 

The Fourteenth Station:
Jesus is laid in the tomb


Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise You.
All: Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.

“Taking the body, Joseph wrapped it in clean
linen and laid it in his new tomb that he had hewn
in the rock. Then he rolled a huge stone across
the entrance to the tomb and departed.”
(Mt 27:59-60)


Mary and the disciples must have felt so alone.
Were they really alone?
Have I ever felt alone?
Was I really alone?

(Pause to reflect.)

_________________________ 

 The Fifteenth Station:
Jesus rises from the dead
(Light candle if desired.)

Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise You.
All: Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.

“Very early when the sun had risen, on the first day
of the week, Mary Magdalene, Mary, the mother of James, and Salome came to the tomb… When they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back… On entering the tomb they saw a young man sitting on the right side clothed in a white robe...He said to them, ‘Do not be amazed! You seek Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified. He has been raised!’”
(Mk 16:2-6)


Thank you, Jesus, for the gifts you have given
to me, especially for the gift of your life.

(Pause to reflect.)

“Our Father…”

End by making the Sign of the Cross.

Extinguish Candle.



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