Stations of the Cross (Way of the Cross)

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Stations of the Cross Chaplet Prayers

The Stations of the Cross (Way of the Cross) chaplet has 50 beads with 15 sets of 3 beads with a medal of each station between each set.
There are also 5 beads between the crucifix and the center medal.
There is an indulgence granted while praying this chaplet.

On the Crucifix Pray the Apostles' Creed
I believe in God the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried.  He descended into hell.  The third day He rose again from the dead.  He ascended into Heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.  From there He shall come to judge the living and the dead. 

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting.
Amen.

1st bead pray the Act of Contrition
O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee and I detest all of my sins because I dread the loss of Heaven and the pains of hell; but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, Who art all-good and deserving of all my love.  I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life.
Amen.

2nd bead pray the Our Father
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.
Amen.

3rd bead pray the Hail Mary
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with Thee.  Blessed art Thou among women and blessed is the fruit of Thy womb, Jesus.  Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.

4th bead pray the Glory Be
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.

5th bead pray the Prayer to Jesus Christ Crucified
My good and dear Jesus, I kneel before You, asking You most earnestly to engrave upon my heart a deep and lively faith, hope and charity, with true repentance for my sins, and a firm resolve to make amends.  As I reflect upon Your five wounds and dwell upon them with deep compassion and grief, I recall, good Jesus, the words the prophet David spoke long ago concerning Thyself: 'They have pierced My hands and My feet, they have counted all My bones!

On each set of three beads pray
The Our Father
The Hail Mary
The Glory Be

First Station: Jesus is condemned to death.
We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You; because by Your Holy cross You have redeemed the world.

Consider how Jesus Christ, after being scourged and crowned with thorns, was unjustly condemned by Pilate to die on the cross.

My adorable Jesus, it was not Pilate; no, it was my sins that condemned You to die.  I beseech You, by the merits of this sorrowful journey, to assist my soul on its journey to eternity.  I love You, beloved Jesus; I love You more than I love myself.  With all my heart I repent of ever having offended You.  Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will. 

Second Station: Jesus is made to bear His cross.
We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You; because by Your Holy cross You have redeemed the world.

Consider Jesus as He walked this road with the cross on His shoulders, thinking of us and offering to His Father on our behalf, the death He was about to suffer.

My most beloved Jesus, I embrace all the sufferings You have destined for me until death.  I beg You, by all You suffered in carrying Your cross, to help me carry mine with Your perfect peace and resignation.  I love You, Jesus my Love; I repent of ever having offended You.  Never let me separate myself from You again.  Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will.

Third Station: Jesus falls the first time.
We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You; because by Your Holy cross You have redeemed the world.

Consider the first fall of Jesus. Loss of blood from the scourging and crowning with thorns had so weakened Him that He could hardly walk; and yet He had to carry that great load upon His shoulders.  As the soldiers struck Him cruelly, He fell several times under the heavy cross.

My beloved Jesus, it was not the weight of the cross, but the weight of my sins which made You suffer so much.  By the merits of this first fall, save me from falling into mortal sin.  I love You, O my Jesus, with all my heart.  I am sorry that I have offended You.  May I never offend You again.  Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as you will. 

Fourth Station: Jesus meets His Blessed Mother.
We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You; because by Your Holy cross You have redeemed the world.

Consider how the Son met his Mother on His way to Calvary. Jesus and Mary gazed at each other, and their looks became as so many arrows to wound those hearts which loved each other so tenderly.

My most loving Jesus, by the pain You suffered in this meeting, grant me the grace of being truly devoted to Your most holy Mother.  And You, my Queen, who was overwhelmed with sorrow, obtain for me by Your prayers a tender and a lasting remembrance of the passion of Your divine Son.  I love You, Jesus my Love, above all things.  I repent of ever having offended You.  Never allow me to offend You again.  Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will. 

Fith Station: Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry the cross.
We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You; because by Your Holy cross, You have redeemed the world.

Consider how weak and weary Jesus was. At each step He was at the point of expiring. Fearing that He would die on the way when they wished Him to die the infamous death of the cross, they forced Simon of Cyrene to help carry the cross after Our Lord.

My beloved Jesus, I will not refuse the cross as Simon did.  I accept it and embrace it.  I accept in particular the death that is destined for me with all the pains that may accompany it.  I unite it to Your death, and I offer it to You.  You have died for love of me; I will die for love of You and to please You.  Help me by Your grace.  I love You, Jesus my Love; I repent of ever having offended You.  Never let me offend You again.  Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will.

Sixth Station: Veronica wipes the face of Jesus.
We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You; because by Your Holy cross, You have redeemed the world.

Consider the compassion of the holy woman, Veronica. Seeing Jesus in such distress, His face bathed in sweat and blood, she presented Him with her veil. Jesus wiped His face and left upon the cloth the image of his sacred countenance.

My beloved Jesus, Your face was beautiful before You began this journey; but now it no longer appears beautiful and is disfigured with wounds and blood.  Alas, my soul also was once beautiful when it received Your grace in Baptism; but I have since disfigured it with my sins.  You alone, my Redeemer, can restore it to its former beauty.  Do this by the merits of Your passion; and then do with me as You will. 

Seventh Station: Jesus falls the second time.
We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You; because by Your Holy cross, You have redeemed the world.

Consider how the second fall of Jesus under His cross renews the pain in all the wounds of the head and members of our afflicted Lord.

My most gentle Jesus, how many times You have forgiven me; and how many times I have fallen again and begun again to offend You!  By the merits of this second fall, give me the grace to persevere in Your love until death.  Grant that in all my temptations, I may always have recourse to You.  I love You, Jesus my Love, with all my heart.  I am sorry that I have offended You.  Never let me offend You again.  Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will.

Eighth Station: Jesus speaks to the women of Jerusalem.
We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You; because by Your Holy cross, You have redeemed the world.

Consider how the women wept with compassion seeing Jesus so distressed and dripping with blood as he walked along. Jesus said to them, "Weep not so much for me, but rather for Your children.''

My Jesus, laden with sorrows, I weep for the sins which I have committed against You because of the punishment I deserve for them; and still more, because of the displeasure they have caused You who have loved me with an infinite love.  It is Your love more than the fear of hell, which makes me weep for my sins.  My Jesus, I love You more than myself; I am sorry that I have offended You.  Never allow me to offend You again.  Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will.

Ninth Station: Jesus falls the third time.
We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You; because by Your Holy cross, You have redeemed the world.

Consider how Jesus Christ fell for the third time. He was extremely weak, and the cruelty of His executioners was excessive; they tried to hasten His steps though He hardly had strength to move.

My outraged Jesus, by the weakness You suffered in going to Calvary, give me enough strength to overcome all human respect and all my evil passions which have led me to despise Your friendship.  I love You, Jesus my Love, with all my heart.  I am sorry for ever having offended You.  Never permit me to offend You again.  Grant that I may love you always; and then do with me as You will. 

Tenth Station: Jesus is stripped and receives gall to drink.
We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You; because by Your Holy cross, You have redeemed the world.

Consider how Jesus was violently stripped of His clothes by His executioners. The inner garments adhered to his lacerated flesh and the soldiers tore them off so roughly that the skin came with them. Have pity for your Savior so cruelly treated and tell Him:

My innocent Jesus, by the torment You suffered in being stripped of Your garments, help me to strip myself of all attachment for the things of earth that I may place all my love in You who are so worthy of my love.  I love You, O Jesus, with all my heart.  I am sorry for ever having offended You.  Never let me offend You again.  Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will. 

Eleventh Station: Jesus is nailed to the cross.
We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You; because by Your Holy cross, You have redeemed the world.

Consider Jesus, thrown down upon the cross.  He stretched out His arms and offered to His eternal Father the sacrifice of His life for our salvation. They nailed His hands and feet, and then, raising the cross, left Him to die in anguish.

My despised Jesus, nail my heart to the cross that it may always remain there to love You and never leave You again.  I love You more than myself; I am sorry for ever having offended You.  Never permit me to offend You again.  Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will. 

Twelfth Station: Jesus dies on the cross.
We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You; because by Your Holy cross, You have redeemed the world.

Consider how Jesus, after three hours of agony on the cross, is finally overwhelmed with suffering and, abandoning Himself to the weight of His body, bows His head and dies.

My dying Jesus, I devoutly kiss the cross on which You would die for the love of me.  I deserve, because of my sins, to die a terrible death; but Your death is my hope.  By the merits of Your death, give me the grace to die embracing Your feet and burning with love of You.  I yield my soul into Your hands.  I love You with my whole heart.  I am sorry that I have offended You.  Never let me offend You again.  Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will.

Thirteenth Station: Jesus is taken down from the cross.
We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You; because by Your Holy cross, You have redeemed the world.

Consider how, after Our Lord had died, He was taken down from the cross by two of His disciples, Joseph and Nicodemus, and placed in the arms of His afflicted Mother. She received Him with unutterable tenderness and pressed Him close to her bosom.

O Mother of Sorrows, for the love of Your Son, accept me as Your servant and pray to Him for me, and You, my Redeemer, since you have died for me, allow me to love You, for I desire only You and nothing more.  I love You, Jesus my Love, and I am sorry that I have offended You.  Never let me offend You again.  Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will. 

Fourteenth Station: Jesus is laid in the sepulcher.
We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You; because by Your Holy cross, You have redeemed the world.

Consider how the disciples carried the body of Jesus to its burial, while His holy Mother went with them and arranged it in the sepulcher with her own hands. They then closed the tomb, and all departed.

Oh, my buried Jesus, I kiss the stone that closes You in.  But You gloriously did rise again on the third day.  I beg You by Your resurrection that I may be raised gloriously on the last day, to be united with You in Heaven, to praise You and love You forever.  I love You, Jesus, and I repent of ever having offended You.  Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me as You will. 

Closing Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, Your passion and death is the sacrifice that unites Earth and Heaven and reconciles all people to You.  May we who have faithfully reflected on these mysteries follow in Your steps and so come to share Your glory in Heaven where You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.
Amen.