[online] Stations of the Cross
The officiant faces the Altar for the opening devotions. At the words “We adore you…” it is customary to bow or genuflect. You are invited to take part in the Trisagion (“Holy God, Holy and Mighty, Holy Immortal One, have mercy upon us”), which is sung during the movement from station to station. The people’s spoken responses are in bold typeface.
OPENING DEVOTIONS BEFORE THE ALTAR
Officiant ✠ In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Officiant Lord, have mercy.
People Christ, have mercy.
Officiant Lord, have mercy.
Officiant and People
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those
who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
Officiant We will glory in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ:
People In whom is our salvation, our life and resurrection.
Officiant Let us pray.
Assist us mercifully with your help, O Lord God of our salvation, that we may enter with joy upon the contemplation of those mighty acts, whereby you have given us life and immortality; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The procession goes to the First Station.
THE FIRST STATION: Jesus is condemned to death
Officiant We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you:
People Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
As soon as it was morning, the chief priests, with the elders and scribes, and the whole council, held a consultation; and they bound Jesus and led him away and delivered him to Pilate. And they all condemned him and said, “He deserves to die.” When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha. Then he handed Jesus over to them to be crucified.
Officiant God did not spare his own Son:
People But delivered him up for us all.
Officiant Let us pray.
Almighty God, whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified: Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross, may find it none other than the way of life and peace; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord. Amen.
The procession goes to the Second Station.
THE SECOND STATION: Jesus takes up his Cross
Officiant We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you:
People Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Jesus went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called the place of a skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha. Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. Like a lamb he was led to the slaughter; and like a sheep that before its shearers is mute, so he opened not his mouth. Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.
Officiant The Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all:
People For the transgression of my people was he stricken.
Officiant Let us pray.
Almighty God, whose beloved Son willingly endured the agony and shame of the cross for our redemption: Give us courage to take up our cross and follow him; who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.
The procession goes to the Third Station.
THE THIRD STATION: Jesus falls under the weight of his Cross
Officiant We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you:
People Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped; but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, and was born in human likeness. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him, and bestowed on him the name which is above every name. Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, and kneel before the Lord our Maker, for he is the Lord our God.
Officiant Surely he has borne our griefs:
People And carried our sorrows.
Officiant Let us pray.
O God, you know us to be set in the midst of so many and great dangers, that by reason of the frailty of our nature we cannot always stand upright: Grant us such strength and protection as may support us in all dangers, and carry us through all temptations; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The procession goes to the Fourth Station.
THE Fourth Station: The Cross is laid on Simon of Cyrene
Officiant We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you:
People Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
As they led Jesus away, they came upon a man of Cyrene, Simon by name, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross to carry it behind Jesus. “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Officiant Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me:
People Cannot be my disciple.
Officiant Let us pray.
Heavenly Father, whose blessed Son came not to be served but to serve: Bless all who, following in his steps, give themselves to the service of others; that with wisdom, patience, and courage, they may minister in his Name to the suffering, the friendless, and the needy; for the love of him who laid down his life for us, your Son our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
The procession goes to the Fifth Station.
THE FIFTH STATION: Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem
Officiant We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you:
People Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
There followed after Jesus a great multitude of the people, and among them were women who bewailed and lamented him. But Jesus turning to them said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.”
Officiant Those who sowed with tears:
People Will reap with songs of joy.
Officiant Let us pray.
Teach your Church, O Lord, to mourn the sins of which it is guilty, and to repent and forsake them; that, by your pardoning grace, the results of our iniquities may not be visited upon our children and our children’s children; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The procession goes to the Sixth Station.
THE SIXTH STATION: Jesus is stripped of his garments
Officiant We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you:
People Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
When they came to a place called Golgotha (which means the place of a skull), they offered him wine to drink, mingled with gall; but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. And they divided his garments among them by casting lots. This was to fulfill the scripture which says, “They divided my garments among them; they cast lots for my clothing.”
Officiant They gave me gall to eat:
People And when I was thirsty they gave me vinegar to drink.
Officiant Let us pray.
Lord God, whose blessed Son our Savior gave his body to be whipped and his face to be spit upon: Give us grace to accept joyfully the sufferings of the present time, confident of the glory that shall be revealed; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The procession goes to the Seventh Station.
THE SEVENTH STATION: Jesus is nailed to the Cross
Officiant We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you:
People Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
When they came to the place which is called The Skull, there they crucified him; and with him they crucified two criminals, one on the right, the other on the left, and Jesus between them. And the scripture was fulfilled which says, “He was numbered with the transgressors.”
Officiant They pierce my hands and my feet:
People They stare and gloat over me.
Officiant Let us pray.
Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within the reach of your saving embrace: So clothe us in your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you; for the honor of your Name. Amen.
The procession goes to the Eighth Station.
THE EIGHTH STATION: Jesus dies on the Cross
Officiant We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you:
People Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing near, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And when Jesus had received the vinegar, he said, “It is finished!” And then, crying with a loud voice, he said, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” And he bowed his head, and handed over his spirit.
A period of silence is kept. You are invited to kneel as you are able.
Officiant Christ for us became obedient unto death:
People Even death on a cross.
Officiant Let us pray.
O God, who for our redemption gave your only-begotten Son to the death of the cross, and by his glorious resurrection delivered us from the power of our enemy: Grant us so to die daily to sin, that we may evermore live with him in the joy of his resurrection; who lives and reigns now and for ever. Amen.
The procession goes to the Ninth Station.
THE NINTH STATION: The body of Jesus is placed in the arms of his mother
Officiant We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you:
People Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
All you who pass by, behold and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow. My eyes are spent with weeping; my soul is in tumult; my heart is poured out in grief because of the downfall of my people. “Do not call me Naomi (which means Pleasant), call me Mara (which means Bitter); for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.”
Officiant Her tears run down her cheeks:
People And she has none to comfort her.
Officiant Let us pray.
Lord Jesus Christ, by your death you took away the sting of death: Grant to us your servants so to follow in faith where you have led the way, that we may at length fall asleep peacefully in you and wake up in your likeness; for your tender mercies’ sake. Amen.
The procession goes to the Tenth Station.
THE TENTH STATION: Jesus is laid in the tomb
Officiant We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you:
People Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. And Joseph took the body, and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock; and he rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb.
Officiant You will not abandon me to the grave:
People Nor let your holy One see corruption.
Officiant Let us pray.
O God, your blessed Son was laid in a tomb in a garden, and rested on the Sabbath day: Grant that we who have been buried with him in the waters of baptism may find our perfect rest in his eternal and glorious kingdom; where he lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.
The procession returns the Altar.
CONCLUDING PRAYERS BEFORE THE ALTAR
Officiant Savior of the world, by your cross and precious blood you have redeemed us:
People Save us, and help us, we humbly beseech you, O Lord.
Officiant Let us pray.
We thank you, heavenly Father, that you have delivered us from the dominion of sin and death and brought us into the kingdom of your Son; and we pray that, as by his death he has recalled us to life, so by his love he may raise us to eternal joys; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
To Christ our Lord who loves us, and washed us in his own blood, and made us a kingdom of priests to serve his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.