Kirksepiscatoid's Stations of the Cross

Now that I have completed my Lenten project, I wanted to create a file of the text only, that you are welcome to copy and share, as long as you attribute them to this page and credit me.Kirkepiscatoid's Stations of the Cross--A Journey into the Passion of the World as illustrated by the Passion of our Lord Jesus ChristOpening Prayers:Leader: ✠In the name of God the Father, Jesus the Son, and

Fourteenth Station--Jesus is Laid in the Tomb

(Stained glass panel from East Window, St. Andrew's church, Soham, Cambridgeshire, England)Fourteenth Station: Jesus is Laid in the TombLeader: O holy Christ, we worship you, we adore you;People: You were laid to rest in a borrowed tomb.As evening fell, those who remained looked around at the ground at Golgotha, and the littered bones and skulls haunted them. Surely this could not be

Thirteenth Station: Jesus is Placed in the Arms of his Mother

(Michelangelo's Pietà, St. Peters Basilica, 1499)Thirteenth Station: Jesus is Placed in the Arms of his MotherLeader: O holy Christ, we worship you, we adore you;People: Your blessed mother wept over your lifeless frame for all of us.It must have been Mary's first inclination to want to hold Jesus as they took him down from the cross. Some of the people leaving the scene must have

Twelfth Station--Jesus Dies on the Cross

("Jesus Dies on the Cross", by Mark Wolfe, Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church 2007 Stations of the Cross Exhibit, Charleston, WV)Twelfth Station: Jesus Dies on the CrossLeader: O holy Christ, we worship you, we adore you;People: You displayed perfect obedience to God even unto death.What little Jesus said in his last hours spoke volumes. He cried out to God in his anguish, much as we

Eleventh Station--Jesus is Nailed to the Cross

(From the Shrine of the Stations of the Cross, San Luis, Colorado)Eleventh Station: Jesus is Nailed to the CrossLeader: O holy Christ, we worship you, we adore you;People: You stretched out your loving arms upon the hard wood of the cross.The soldiers assigned to the crucifixion detail expected resistance, but Jesus willingly lay his arms upon the cross as they drove large square nails

Eighth Station--Jesus Meets the Women of Jerusalem

(From the Stations of the Cross by David O'Connell)Eighth Station: Jesus Meets the Women of JerusalemLeader: O holy Christ, we worship you, we adore you;People: You comforted the women of Jerusalem who wept for you.As Jesus continued on his path, some women of Jerusalem approached him, tears streaming down their faces. This man treated women differently than most men. To so many men in

Seventh Station--Jesus Falls a Second Time

(From the Stations of the Cross at St. John the Baptist Church, Bennington, VT)Seventh Station: Jesus Falls a Second TimeLeader: O holy Christ, we worship you, we adore you;People: Even with Simon assisting you in your burden you weakened and fell again.Although the burden of carrying his cross had been lifted from him, Jesus surely continued to weaken as he traveled the road to Golgotha.

Sixth Station--Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus

(The Road to Calvary, Peter Paul Reubens, 1632)Sixth Station: Veronica Wipes the Face of JesusLeader: O holy Christ, we worship you, we adore you;People: A woman from the crowd gave you comfort while throngs could not.We call her "Veronica," but in reality we don't know whether this woman is one woman or many. She is very likely an iconic figure because the story does not appear in

Fifth Station--The Cross is Laid on Simon of Cyrene

(From The Stations of the Cross, Duccio de Buonensegna, 1308-1311)Fifth Station: The Cross is Laid on Simon of CyreneLeader: O holy Christ, we worship you, we adore you;People: A stranger unwillingly came to your aid and his life was changed.Simon of Cyrene was merely a bystander in that rough crowd. As Jesus struggled, the soldiers knew he would need aid carrying his cross. Their eyes

Fourth Station--Jesus Meets his Afflicted Mother

(From the Stations of the Cross by Brother Mickey McGrath, OSFS)Fourth Station: Jesus Meets his Afflicted MotherLeader: O holy Christ, we worship you, we adore you;People: Your blessed Mother wept at the sight of your pain.As your mother saw your bruised, bloody and scourged body, she thought of an angel that spoke to her over three decades ago. "Greetings, favored one!" the angel had told

Third Station--Jesus Falls a First Time

(From Chris Gollon's Stations of the Cross at St. John on Bethnal Green Church)Third Station: Jesus Falls a First TimeLeader: O holy Christ, we worship you, we adore you;People: You stumbled and fell while the unmoving crowd looked on, and soldiers jeered.Although Jesus, Son of the Living God, had the power to summon angels and archangels and all the company of Heaven to deliver him, instead

Second Station--Jesus Takes Up His Cross

(From the Stations of the Cross in Lodwar Cathedral, Kenya)Leader: O holy Christ, we worship you, we adore you;People: You carried the instrument of your death through the crowded streets.Jesus left the place called "The Pavement," carrying his cross up to the hill of Golgotha, known as "The Skull," as if God's Son were a common criminal. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he did not

First Station--Jesus is Condemned to Death

(Victor Challendor, Challwood Studio, New York, "Jesus is Condemned to Death", 1998, from the Episcopal Church Visual Arts online collection)As promised, my Lenten project is to write my own Stations of the Cross. I am essentially following what appears to be the rubric in Enriching our Worship's "Way of the Cross;" namely a short opening responsive prayer, a paraphrase of that portion of the