We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.

Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.

Reflection:

Jesus, the most innocent of beings, stands before Pilate, accused of crimes He hasn't committed, and He Who is without Sin mutely accepts the blame for the sins of all. Trust allows for this, Jesus' complete trust in God's Plan; the promise of resurrection and salvation. Jesus is condemned to death, yes, to the shameful death of the cross.  In order to remain a friend of Caesar, Pilate delivers Jesus into the hands of His enemies.  A terrible crime, to condemn Innocence to death and to displease God in order to please men.

Prayer:

O innocent Jesus, I have sinned, and I am guilty of eternal death; but that I may Live, You did gladly accept the unjust sentence of death. For whom then shall I henceforth live, if not for You, my Lord?  If I desire to please men, I cannot be Your servant. Let me, therefore, rather displease the whole world than not please You, O Jesus!

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 delver us from evil. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you: blessed are you among women, and blessed іs the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Have Mercy on us O Lord, Have Mercy on us! 

May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen

We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.

Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.

Reflection:

When Jesus, Our Divine Redeemer, beheld the Cross, He most willingly reached out to it with His bleeding arms.  He embraced it lovingly, kissed it tenderly, took it on His scourged shoulders, the beam chafing His flesh-torn back. Exhausted as He was from the scourging, He carried the Cross joyfully. Steadfast acceptance of God's will allowed him to put one foot in front of the other. 

Prayer: 

O Jesus, I avoid adversity. I fear humiliation and I run from suffering. But you chose to take up the cross, a symbol of humiliation and suffering, and You did so with steadfast acceptance. Teach me, O Sweet Jesus, to carry my burdens with the same grace, remembering that you will never leave or forsake me.

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 delver us from evil. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you: blessed are you among women, and blessed іs the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Have Mercy on us O Lord, Have Mercy on us! 

May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen

We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.

Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.

Reflection: 

At the time of Jesus' death, crucifixion was the punishment reserved for the lowest of society's low, it was the prevailing method employed to publicly dishonor a person. Flogging and scourging before crucifixion was part of the practice at that time. The brutal scourging of Jesus sent His body into shock from pain and blood loss, the likely cause of his fall. Consider Jesus' humility, then: "The Word became Flesh", now succumbed to the ultimate display of human denigration and assumed the physical vulnerabilities of the human body. Carrying the Cross, our Dear Savior was so weakened with its weight that He fell exhausted to the ground.  The Cross was light and sweet to Him, but our sins made it so heavy and hard to carry.

Prayer: 

O Jesus, teach me your humility today. Fill me with your Spirit so that, in my day-to-day life, I can become conduit of your self-giving love. Through your example, may my weaknesses make me stronger, increasingly humble, and more accepting of the weaknesses of others. Beloved Jesus, You carried the burden of my sins. I shall bear in union with You, my light burden of suffering, and accept the sweet yoke of Your commandments? Your yoke is sweet, and Your burden is light. I willingly accept it. I will take up my cross and follow You.

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 delver us from evil. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you: blessed are you among women, and blessed іs the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Have Mercy on us O Lord, Have Mercy on us! 

May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen

We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.

Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.

Reflection: 

Face to face, Jesus and His Blessed Mother meet. How sad and painful it must have been for Mary to behold her beloved Son Jesus laden with the Cross, His entire body scourged and covered with blood, sweat, and driven through the streets by savage executioners! And Mary, experiencing every mother's worst nightmare that her child will suffer such extreme harm, feels the sword pierce her soul. What unspeakable pangs her most tender heart must have experienced!  Moving with fiercely protective love, she offers her son the little she can: the comfort of her presence. 

Prayer: 

O Jesus, thank you for the gift of Your Mother Mary, who models perfect love for us. In my love for you, Jesus, make me fiercely protective of you. O Most Holy Mother, let me share in your sufferings and those of your Son, that I may obtain the grace of your Love henceforth until death. 

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 delver us from evil. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you: blessed are you among women, and blessed іs the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Have Mercy on us O Lord, Have Mercy on us! 

May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen

We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.

Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.

Reflection: 

Simon of Cyrene is pressed into service "on his way in from the country"; it's an unexpected detour from his plan for the day. Scripture doesn't tell us why he is appointed for the task or how he reacts. The point, it seems, is simply what he does. He serves a man in the hour of his greatest need. Here we remember that, as with Simon, our acts of service-expected or not, appointed or not, eagerly shared or not- our acts of service, carry great weight in the kingdom of God.

Prayer: 

O Jesus, thank you for this tiny glimpse of Simon of Cyrene, who shows us the cosmic impact of service. Please give me the eyes to see when, where, and who I can serve, and the strength to step into that call even when it causes a detour. Show me, too, how to let others help me. By your Spirit, help me to share my service generously and accept it from others graciously.

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 delver us from evil. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you: blessed are you among women, and blessed іs the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Have Mercy on us O Lord, Have Mercy on us! 

May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen

We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.

Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.

Reflection: 

As Jesus stumbles down the road to Golgotha, Veronica takes her veil to gently wipe the sweat and blood from His face. In return, Jesus leaves the imprint of his image on the cloth as a reward. "He who receives me receives the one who sent me." Jesus meets her kindness with kindness, blessing her with the imprinted veil, a lasting reminder of God With Us. 

Prayer: 

O Jesus, grant my restless heart, my heart which seek your face. Keep me from the blindness of heart which sees only the surface of things. Give me the simplicity and purity which allow me to recognize your presence in the world. When I am not able to accomplish great things, grant me the courage which is born of humility and goodness. Impress your face on my heart. May I encounter you along the way and show your image to the world.

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 delver us from evil. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you: blessed are you among women, and blessed іs the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Have Mercy on us O Lord, Have Mercy on us! 

May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen

We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.

Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.

Reflection: 

In the Gospels, we see Jesus as the center of attention: some ascended trees to see him; others reached out simply to touch his garments; still others dismantled a roof to lower their sick friend down to Jesus. Jesus had once been surrounded with love and acclaim; now he is rejected and scorned. Overwhelmed by the weight of the Cross, Jesus falls again to the ground.  But the cruel executioners do not permit Him to rest a moment.  With thrusts and blows they urge Him onward.  With what cruelty Jesus is treated and trampled under foot!  It is a reminder, that our sins caused Jesus this painful fall.

Prayer: 

O Jesus, Have mercy on me, and help me never to fall into my former sins. From this moment I will strive sincerely never to sin again. But You, O Jesus, strengthen me with Your grace, that I may faithfully carry out my resolution.

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 delver us from evil. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you: blessed are you among women, and blessed іs the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Have Mercy on us O Lord, Have Mercy on us! 

May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen

We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.

Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.

Reflection: 

As we contemplate the sufferings of Jesus, we see more clearly the seriousness of sin, and how it needs to be fully atoned if it is to be overcome. Before the image of the suffering Lord, evil can no longer be trivialized. To us too, He says: "Do not weep for me, weep for yourselves... if they do this when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?".

Prayer:

O Jesus, God of both justice and mercy, who shall give my eyes a torrent of tears, that I may, day and night weep out of contrition for my sins.  Convert me and give me new life, grant that in the end I will not be dry wood, but living branches in you, the true vine, bearing fruit for eternal life

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 delver us from evil. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you: blessed are you among women, and blessed іs the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Have Mercy on us O Lord, Have Mercy on us! 

May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen

We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.

Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.

Reflection: 

Exhausted at the foot of Calvary, Jesus falls for the third time to the ground.  How painfully must have been reopened all the wounds of His tender body by these repeated falls.  And how enormous must my sins be, to cause Jesus to fall so painfully.  Falling three times and getting up. Dying on the cross; rising from the dead. Jesus shows us that he can transform weakness, failings, and death into the glory and sanctify our life. Had not Jesus taken my sins upon Himself, they would have plunged me into the abyss of Hell.

Prayer:

Most merciful Jesus, I return You a thousand thanks, for not permitting me to die in my sins and fall into the abyss of Hell, as I have deserved so often.  Enkindle in me a sincere desire to amend my life.  Let me never again fall into sin but grant me the grace of final perseverance.

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 delver us from evil. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you: blessed are you among women, and blessed іs the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Have Mercy on us O Lord, Have Mercy on us! 

May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen

We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.

Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.

Reflection: 

Arriving on Calvary, Jesus was cruelly deprived of His garments.  It was one more step in the process of ultimate humiliation. Imagine the embarrassment of being so exposed and naked in front of a crowd. How painful the stripping must have been, because the garments adhered to His scourged and battered body, so that in removing them parts of the flesh were torn away.  Jesus is deprived of His garments that He may die possessed of nothing.  

Prayer: 

Help me, O Jesus, to amend my life. Let it be renewed according to Your will and desire. However painful the correction may be to me, I will not spare myself. With the assistance of Your grace, I will refrain from all sinful pleasure and vain amusement, that I may die happy and live forever.

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 delver us from evil. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you: blessed are you among women, and blessed іs the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Have Mercy on us O Lord, Have Mercy on us! 

May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen

We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.

Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.

Reflection: 

We reflect on Jesus and the excruciating pain he suffered as soldiers pounded thick nails through his hands and feet. Jesus remains silent, because it so pleases His Heavenly Father.  He suffers patiently, because He suffers for us.  He bore this pain - our pain - as a supreme sign of his overwhelming love for us. How do we act during times of sufferings and trials?  How fretful and impatient, how full of complaints are we!

Prayer: 

O Jesus, on the cross you embraced the pain of my sins, I renounce forever my impatience. Crucify, O Lord, my flesh, with its evil desires and vices. I resign myself altogether to Your holy will. Help me to remain faithful to you. 

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 delver us from evil. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you: blessed are you among women, and blessed іs the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Have Mercy on us O Lord, Have Mercy on us! 

May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen

Let us kneel and bow our heads..

We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.

Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.

Reflection: 

Written in Greek, Latin, and in Hebrew, a sign stood above the Cross of Jesus, indicating who he was: "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews". The kingship of Jesus was proclaimed before all the world. Now the title remains publicly displayed above the Crucified Jesus. He is indeed the king of the world. Now he is truly "lifted up". In sinking to the depths, he rose to the heights. Now he has radically fulfilled the commandment of love, he has completed the offering of himself, and in this way, he is now the revelation of the true God, the God who is love. Jesus prays, Psalm 22, which begins with the words: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Ps 22:2). He takes to himself the whole suffering people of Israel, all of suffering humanity, and he makes God present in the very place where he seems definitively vanquished and absent. The Cross of Jesus is a cosmic event. The world is darkened, when the Son of God is given up to death. The earth trembles. The Roman centurion understands this and acknowledges Jesus as the Son of God. From the Cross he triumphs - ever anew. 

Prayer: 

O Jesus, From the Cross on high you have triumphed. Help me to recognize your face at the hour of darkness and tribulation. Help me to believe in you and to follow you in my hour of darkness and need. Show yourself once more to the world at this hour. Reveal to the world your salvation.

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 delver us from evil. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you: blessed are you among women, and blessed іs the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Have Mercy on us O Lord, Have Mercy on us! 

May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen

We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.

Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.

Reflection: 

Jesus died on the Cross. His body hangs, limp and lifeless, until at last it is taken down and placed in the lap of his mother. Mary clings to her son. By her example, may we learn to do the same. Persevere in our good resolutions, and do not flee from the cross.  For he who perseveres till the end shall be saved. Consider, moreover, how pure the heart should be that receives the body and blood of Jesus Christ in the adorable Sacrament of the Altar.

Prayer: 

O Lord Jesus crucified! I most earnestly entreat You: Help me do what is right, and let me not be separated from Your Cross, for on it I desire to live and to die. Create in me, O Lord, a clean heart, that I may worthily receive You in Holy Communion, and that You may remain in me, and I in You, for all eternity.

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 delver us from evil. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you: blessed are you among women, and blessed іs the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Have Mercy on us O Lord, Have Mercy on us! 

May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen

We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.

Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.

Reflection: 

And now, at the end of His sufferings, Jesus was never alone. Under the Cross stood Mary, His Mother, the sister of his Mother, Mary Magdalen and the disciple whom he loved. Joseph of Arimathea, then, shows courage in approaching Pilate for permission to bury Jesus. He shows tenderness in preparing Jesus' body with aloe, myrrh, and linens. And he shows respect in laying Jesus to rest quickly, as was the Jewish custom. This man teaches us so much about being devoted to Jesus. He buries Jesus in his own empty tomb, in a garden. The garden tomb symbolizes that the dominion of death is about to end. A member of the Sanhedrin also comes along, Nicodemus, to whom Jesus had proclaimed the mystery of rebirth by water and the Spirit. Even in the Sanhedrin, which decreed His death, there is a believer, someone who knows and recognizes Jesus after his death. In this hour of immense grief, of darkness and despair, the light of hope is mysteriously present. The hidden God continues to be the God of life, ever near. Even in the night of death, the Lord continues to be our Lord and Saviour.

Prayer: 

O Jesus, You have singled me out from the world, what then shall I seek in it? You have created me for Heaven, what then shall I desire upon earth? Depart from me, deceitful world, with your vanities!  Henceforth I will walk the way of the Cross, traced out for me by my Redeemer, and journey onward to my heavenly home, where my rest and my joy shall be forever.

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 delver us from evil. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you: blessed are you among women, and blessed іs the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Have Mercy on us O Lord, Have Mercy on us! 

May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen