CHURCH OF ST. IGNATIUS LOYOLA
Stations of the Cross for Children and Families
The Way of the Cross
Dear Jesus, we come to this holy place to follow in your footsteps on the way to the
cross and your death. We know your suffering began the night before you were condemned to
death. At the Last Supper, your Apostles heard what you said but didn’t understand the meaning
of the words. After supper you and the Apostles went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray.
Instead of staying awake and praying with you, your Apostles fell asleep. When the Roman
soldiers came to arrest you, you were betrayed by a friend, Judas Iscariot.
Dear Jesus, it must have hurt you to have your closest friends fall asleep when you asked
them to support you in prayer. And then, Judas kissed you when he turned you over to the
authorities. That must have been so hard on you!
Dear Jesus, today we ask that you forgive us for the times we did not see you in our
friends, did not support them when they needed us, or were disloyal by talking about them behind
their backs.
Dear Jesus, as we walk with you, on this road of your suffering, we will share our prayers
and thoughts.
The First Station: Jesus is condemned to death
All say: We adore you O Christ and we bless you.
Because by your Holy Cross you have saved the world.
#1 We are standing in the courtyard and we see Jesus beaten, wearing a crown of
thorns and standing before Pontius Pilate. Pilate says, “Take him away and
crucify him.”
#2 There are so many people in our world condemned to death by the way they
must live. They live in poverty and without food. Every day, in some part of the
world, innocent people are being killed by terror and by torture.
Lent is a season of reconciliation and hope. Jesus invites us to help one another,
to become aware of the poor people, the homeless, and, in our own way, to try to
help. In addition, we thank God for the blessings we have: a safe home, a bed to
sleep in, food on our tables, a school to go to, a family that loves us, and a faith
that gives us hope.
The Third Station: Jesus falls the first time
All say: We adore you O Christ and we bless you.
Because by your Holy Cross you have saved the world.
#1 Jesus is walking along an uneven road paved with stones.
It is dusty, and the day is hot. Jesus is tired, and very
weak. We’ve had to move quickly to get through the
crowds where Jesus is walking. We hear people shouting
and laughing at Jesus when he falls. No one tries to help
him.
#2 Jesus could hardly place one foot in front of the other.
He was exhausted. He knew the road to Calvary was
going to be difficult. When the people jeered at him, he
simply looked at them and forgave them. He knew he
had a goal, and he knew he was going to reach it.
Reaching our goal is, at times, difficult. We struggle to
learn new subjects, we cram all sorts of activities into our
day and we compete with our friends in various games.
When we win, people clap and are happy, and when we
lose, people laugh, boo or get angry.
Jesus’ fall reminds us to treat everyone respectfully and
avoid embarrassing others if they make a mistake or lose
a game.
Lent is a time to practice simple acts of kindness. Being
considerate and kind is the most loving thing we can do
for each other.
The Second Station: Jesus carries his cross
All say: We adore you O Christ and we bless you.
Because by your Holy Cross you have saved the world.
#1 Jesus has been taken to the street near the guard house.
The soldiers are putting a heavy wooden cross on his
beaten, bleeding shoulders and back. We are standing in
the alley and can see how heavy the cross is. We see
Jesus sag a little as the weight of the cross comes down
on his body.
#2 Jesus knew that in order to save the world of its sin, he
must carry this heavy cross. He accepted the cross, and
did not grumble. He took the cross willingly, and with
great love.
Usually, when we are faced with a hard task, we try to
get away from it, or find excuses for not doing it. When
no one listens and we must do what we are told, how do
we react? Sometimes, do we just drag the task about,
delay getting it done and make it more difficult?
Jesus invites us to look at hard tasks and take them on in
good spirit. Each time we do this, we become better
persons.
The Fifth Station: Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus
to carry the cross
All say: We adore you O Christ and we bless you.
Because by your Holy Cross you have saved the world.
#1 At this point, Jesus is reaching the limit. He can no
longer carry the cross alone. The day is terribly hot, he
has had no food or drink, the weight of the cross is too
much, and he is ready to collapse. The Roman soldiers
don’t want Jesus to die before he reaches Calvary, so
they get Simon to help him. Simon doesn’t want to do
this but he has no choice. The Roman soldiers
commanded him to help
#2 So often we find ourselves in Simon’s shoes. We do
good things because we must, or because we would look
bad if we didn’t. The good acts we perform are burdens
to us. How different would it be if we would just
remember that Jesus is part of our lives and that Jesus is
the holiness in the good things we do?
As we think about Simon and Jesus carrying the cross,
let us remember all the people in the world who help the
sick and needy to carry their crosses of suffering, and
pray that Jesus will bless them in the acts they perform.
The Fourth Station: Jesus meets his mother
All say: We adore you O Christ and we bless you.
Because by your Holy Cross you have saved the world.
#1 Mary has been pushing through the crowds trying to get
close to her son and see what is happening to him. Then,
she sees Jesus turning a corner and is overcome with
sorrow at the sight. Mary sees her son so beaten and
carrying a heavy cross
#2 Jesus looks up through eyes irritated by sweat and blood.
He is broken-hearted that his mother is suffering. They
don’t speak. They just look into each other’s eyes with
very great love. Mary knows what it means to be
powerless and unable to help the one she loves.
This terrible event is repeated in the lives of so many
parents who are unable to help when their child is dying
of a serious illness, a drug habit, or a poor lifestyle.
They, like Mary, would do anything to save the life of
their child. They are willing to suffer, and even die.
During Lent, and every day, we remember our parents
who love us and do so much for us. We ask our heavenly
mother Mary to pray with us when we say “Dear God,
bless our parents every day of their lives and help us to
appreciate every thing they do for us.”
The Seventh Station: Jesus falls the second time
All say: We adore you O Christ and we bless you.
Because by your Holy Cross you have saved the world.
#1 Jesus is humiliated and exhausted. He hurts so badly. In
spite of the help from Simon, he falls again. His physical
and emotional pain is just too much.
#2 The second fall of Jesus reminds us how weak we are.
We might think we are strong, but we are not. We all do
things that are hurtful, and that is part of being human.
We receive the sacrament of reconciliation and promise
not to sin again. Sometimes we succeed, and sometimes
we fail. We are not perfect.
When we become discouraged, we must remember that
Jesus loves us just as we are. We do not earn this love. It
is a gift, the gift of grace; as long as we keep trying to
overcome our sins, Jesus will give us his hand to help us
when we fall.
Lent is a time to remember that Jesus knows the hurt
when we fall, and he will always help us. He understands
us and is our brother.
The Sixth Station: Veronica wipes the face of Jesus
All say: We adore you O Christ and we bless you.
Because by your Holy Cross you have saved the world.
#1 Veronica is standing in the crowd and, as Jesus
approaches, she takes her veil off, runs up to him, and
wipes the sweat and blood from his face. It is an act of
compassion. She didn’t think for a minute about what
she should do. It was a simple but great act of love.
Jesus says “Thank you” by leaving the imprint of his
face on her veil.
#2 Veronica’s act reminds us that acts of compassion are
happening every minute of every day around the
world. Mother Theresa said that if she had not picked
up that first dying man in the streets of Calcutta, she
would not have picked up the second, and all those
who followed. Each act of compassion and love
follows the first.
Lent is a particular time to remember Mother Theresa’s
words and acts. There are many chances for us to
remember to be kind to someone at home, school, on
the bus and in the playground. Each person in our lives
is important, and when we help someone, and see their
hurts, we are helping Jesus, and know that his face is
imprinted on our lives in every act of kindness we
perform.
The Ninth Station: Jesus falls the third time
All say: We adore you O Christ and we bless you.
Because by your Holy Cross you have saved the world.
#1 As Jesus falls the third time, he sees to be saying. “This
is it! I can’t take another step!” He is talking like a man
at the end of his rope, who just can’t go on. As we look
at Jesus, who is weighed down by the cross and the
brutality of the day, what can we say and do to help him?
What can we say and do that will let him know that we
love him?
#2 When Jesus falls the third time, he is about as close to a
nervous and physical breakdown as one can get. He
worries that he can’t fulfill the promise he made to his
Father – to die on the cross and save us.
When Jesus falls the third time, he is telling us that he
knows real suffering and understands how we feel when
we are worried that we can’t keep a promise or measure
up to expectations others have of us.
At this station, Jesus tells us that we can make it through
difficult times. He understands how upset we can
become, and is ready to help. We just need to ask.
The Eighth Station: Jesus comforts the women of
Jerusalem
All say: We adore you O Christ and we bless you.
Because by your Holy Cross you have saved the world.
#1 At last, Jesus meets some people who are not shouting
and laughing at him. The women of Jerusalem
responded to Jesus’ pain. They tried to make a
difference in his suffering by trying to console him.
Jesus, in turn, comforts them. The men of Jerusalem
didn’t comfort Jesus. They wished him no good.
#2 The world is a cold place without women. Women seem
to respond more quickly to the injustice and sorrow
around them. For the world, it is important that all
people become more caring and to respond with
compassion to the needy, and accept and respect the
talents of all people.
The women of Jerusalem remind us that the people in
power need to learn how to weep with the suffering,
rather than trying to rule and control them.
During Lent, we should thank God for those people who
show compassion, and pray that the individuals who are
without mercy learn to be merciful.
The Eleventh Station: Jesus is nailed to the cross
All say: We adore you O Christ and we bless you.
Because by your Holy Cross you have saved the world.
#1 At last, Jesus reaches the top of the hill at Calvary. He is
exhausted, and near death. Jesus is thrown to the ground,
and his body is nailed to the cross. The cross is then raised
and jammed into the ground. Jesus’ body receives another
terrible jolt. In spite of the agony, Jesus asks his Father to
forgive us. Can we imagine how much Jesus loves us? Can
we imagine how sin hurts Jesus?
#2 It is beyond our ability to understand the pain Jesus felt
when the nails were driven into his hands and feet.
Crucifixion was the worst death sentence. It was slow and
horrible.
Jesus accepted the pain because He loves us, and helps us
to understand how we should try to heal the hurts we
receive, and how we should try to not hurt others.
Lent is a time to think about how we have wounded others,
and gives us a particular time and blessing of the
sacrament of reconciliation to say we are sorry for all the
hurt our sins have caused, and to promise to improve.
The Tenth Station: Jesus is stripped of his garments
All say: We adore you O Christ and we bless you.
Because by your Holy Cross you have saved the world.
#1 At this scene, Jesus is stripped naked. The artist places a
cloth over his private parts; but that is not what happened.
The last bit of human dignity is taken away. His personal
privacy is totally denied. The Roman soldiers spared Jesus
no pain.
#2 All around us, people are being stripped of their human
dignity. In advertisements, in movies, on stage, in
magazines, and on the sides of buses, we see men, women,
and children stripped to have their pictures taken in order
to make money. They have lost their self respect. Some
music tells us that it is alright to sell our bodies, or give
them away thoughtlessly.
What these people don’t understand is that our bodies are
beautiful creations of God and temples of the Holy Spirit.
By submitting to this indignity, Jesus shows us how
terrible it is to be stripped of our dignity in public. He tells
us that we should respect our bodies, and value ourselves
as instruments of tenderness, love, compassion and beauty.
Lent is a time to remember those people who suffer
physical indignities, and pray for them.
The Thirteenth Station: Jesus is taken down from the
cross
All say: We adore you O Christ and we bless you.
Because by your Holy Cross you have saved the world.
#1 When Jesus suffered on the cross, Mary, his mother, and his
friends stood at the foot of the cross. When Jesus died, the
cross was taken down and Jesus was placed in the arms of
his mother. His friends helped her and comforted her.
#2 As Mary and Jesus’ friends stood at the foot of the cross,
they prayed for the moment that Jesus would breathe his
last breath. They wanted his suffering to end. We are
reminded that every second of every day, loving parents are
standing by their dying children, children are standing by
their dying family members, and friends are standing by
their dying friends.
This scene, of Jesus being taken down from the cross,
reminds us that the death of the body does not mean that a
person is gone forever. We are reminded that we will be
reunited with our loved ones in heaven, and that while on
Earth, the memory of the good things and happy times
we’ve had with that person will live on with us.
Lent is a time to be thankful for our lives, the talents God
has given us, and the knowledge that whatever good we do
will live on after us, and in the heart of Jesus.
The Twelfth Station: Jesus dies on the cross
All say: We adore you O Christ and we bless you.
Because by your Holy Cross you have saved the world.
#1 Jesus hangs on the cross for three hours and then he dies. A
Roman soldier thrusts a sword into his side to make sure he
is dead. What a scene! Beaten, bruised, crowned with
thorns and hanging in the hot midday sun until he dies.
#2 Jesus was without sin, yet he suffered and died on the cross
so that our sins would be forgiven. He opened the gates of
heaven for all of us. He experienced every joy, sorrow, and
hurt a human being might have in a lifetime. His way of
the cross is a lesson in perfect love.
Jesus knows each one of us very well. He knows all our
good points and our failings. He calls us by name. He is
our devoted friend, always ready to help when we need
him. When we are hurt, we should remember Jesus on the
cross, and know that we can tell him anything, and that he
loves us.
Lent is a time to practice acts of love, and reach out to
people in our community who are hurting. It is a time to
invite a classmate to join in the fun you are having, and a
time to help out in whatever way we can in our homes. It is
important to remember that when we help others, we help
Jesus.
The Fourteenth Station: Jesus is laid in the tomb All say: We adore you O Christ and we bless you.
Because by your Holy Cross you have saved the world.
#1 After Jesus was taken down from the cross, he was placed on a stretcher and carried to
a tomb that belonged to Joseph of Arimathea. Jesus did not own his own burial place.
When in the tomb, Jesus was placed on a flat rock. His mother and other holy women
washed his body, rubbed oil over the wounds, and wrapped him in clean linen. They
kissed him, left the tomb, and laid a huge rock across the entrance of the tomb. None
wanted to leave Jesus; it was a hard thing to do.
#2 At this station, we are reminded that after this life comes the resurrection, and we are
only separated from Jesus by sins. Catholics are so blessed because we have the
sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist to keep us close to Jesus, and become true
friends with him.
We know that Jesus conquered death; he has saved us, and given us life and the hope
of eternal joy with him and our loved ones in heaven.
Lent is that special time when we can think about the wonders Jesus performed on
earth, and be thankful for this amazing grace he has given us.
Closing Prayer Dear Jesus, help us to remember the difficult road you walked to Calvary. You did this for us.
Help us to increase our love for you by helping others.
Dear Mary, you helped Jesus to grow to be the wonderful man that he was. You developed Him
into a model for us to follow. Help us to live good lives, and follow him.
As we end this service, let us in silence ask Jesus for the blessings we need to live good
Christian Catholic lives, and to always have the hope that the resurrection of Jesus
gives us.
Amen.
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