stations of the cross

The Stations

Of The Cross

Images for the Stations

Were photographed at

The National Carmelite Shrine,

Holy Hill, in Wisconsin, USA

For My Parents, John and Mary Astell

Lent 2012

Brookline, NH

Holy Face of Jesus

Through the many ways you were

Disfigured during your Passion,

May we be brought into the fullness of Life with

You.

May your Holy Church be renewed and

Your Truth revealed and known by all.

Holy Face

O Face Divine

Be Every Adoration Thine Amen

First Station: Jesus is Condemned to die.

We adore Thee O Christ and we Praise Thee

Because by Thy Holy Cross , Thou hast redeemed the world.

Jesus, you were completely innocent and yet you allowed mere man to

have power over you and to condemn you to death. How often we condemn

others in our thoughts or words. Forgive us and change our hearts so we

seek to remove the beam from our own eye before we try to take the splin-

ter from our brother’s eye. Give us all the ability to see clearly , what is

right and what is wrong, so that we might act in a just manner. Give us the

courage to stand up against injustice even when it is unpopular or will work

against us to do so. Help us never to use excuses or turn away and wash

our hands, doing and saying nothing, like Pilate did.

Eternal Father , I offer Thee the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly Beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ ,who was condemned to death though innocent, in reparation for my sins and the sins of the whole world.

Eternal Father I offer thee the tears of the Sorrowful Mother who loved Je-sus most here on earth, and who loves Jesus most ardently in heaven.

For the sake of the tears of our Holy Mother, please hear my/our prayers.

Amen

Second Station: Jesus takes up His Cross

We adore Thee of Christ and We praise Thee

because by Thy Holy Cross Thou has redeemed the world.

O Jesus, I reflect upon how you willingly embraced your cross, knowing

it would help all people who would choose to follow after you. My cross

is small compared to the cross of many others. My cross is merited by

my own sins. Help me to embrace any sufferings in my life with love

and join those sacrifices to your cross so that together we can share in

the Father’s work of salvation. I offer my cross, my every day trials and

sufferings in union with all the masses said throughout the world for

the conversion of the world and the coming of Your Kingdom.

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Body. Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your

dearly beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who took up the cross at

Calvary with love, in reparation for my sins and for the sins of the

whole world.

Eternal Father, behold the tears of the Sorrowful Mother who loved Je-

sus most on earth and who loves Jesus most ardently in Heaven. For

the sake of Our Mother’s sorrowful tears , please hear my/our prayers.

Amen

The Third Station: Jesus Falls the First Time

We adore Thee O Christ and we praise Thee.

Because by Thy Holy Cross , Thou has redeemed the world.

Jesus, like a silent lamb, they led you to the slaughter. Give me a generous

heart willing to accept the crosses in my own life and to come to the assis-

tance of others falling beneath their cross. May my heart beat a song of

love for you all along the way and for all those around me. Help me never to

add to the weight of other crosses through my own indifference and lack of

love I pray that for all those who feel unwanted and feel they are a burden

to others. I pray for those in leadership roles to have the graces they need

to carry that cross as a true servant willing to use their leadership to help

others. With your grace and help we can overcome all our trials and diffi-

culties.

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of your dearly

beloved son, our Lord Jesus Christ , who fell beneath the cross. in repara-

tion for my sins and the sins of the whole world.

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the tears of the Sorrowful Mother who loved Je-

sus most on earth and who loves Jesus most ardently in heaven. For the

sake of Our Mother’s sorrowful tears, please hear my/our prayers.

The Fourth Station: Jesus Meets His Mother

We adore Thee O Christ and we praise Thee,

because by Thy Holy Cross, Thou has redeemed the world.

On this Fourth Station we reflect on the meeting of Mary and her Son at

Calvary. United in their glance, they each wanted to comfort the other and

so their two hearts beat as one at this moment. We reflect on the misery

and disunity brought into the world by the first original sin and how we all

long to return to the original unity between God and man. Mary as the Sec-

ond Eve and Christ as the Second Adam , give us this example of unity. I

pray for true unity in the Church through sharing one faith and overcoming

all discord and false teachings, that we may all be one as Christ was one

with His Father and with His Mother.

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of your

dearly beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who met His Mother on the

road of Calvary. in reparation for my sins and the sins of the whole world.

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the tears of the Sorrowful Mother who loved

Jesus most on earth and who loves Jesus most ardently in heaven. For the


Amen

The Fifth Station: Simon is Forced to Assist Jesus

We adore Thee O Christ and we praise Thee


Simon was taken by force and unwillingly made to assist Jesus in carrying

the cross. The cross was heavy at first but the love of Christ enveloped

and overcame Simon so that the bitterness of the task became sweet and

he embraced the cross, finding in it a sense of peace. On this station I

pray for all Priests and religious men and women who have chosen a vo-

cation that serve your church and people in the world. I pray that what

may seem hard and a great sacrifice to the world, will be found by Priests

and religious to be a sweet blessing, consolation and joy. May they find

the special closeness to Christ which is at the heart of all religious voca-

tions.


dearly Beloved Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ who was assisted by Simon, In

reparation for my sins and the sins of the whole world.




Amen

The Sixth Station: Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus



Veronica was a courageous woman Lord. In the midst of an angry mob

she approached you and wiped the blood from your face. This small act

of kindness meant so much to you and I am glad that there was someone

at Calvary who offered you consolation. I pray for all those who have

been kind to me in my own life. Sometimes just a smile has meant a lot at

the right moment. May all the kind words and actions of others be

blessed and rewarded by you my Lord who sees even the smallest act of

kindness that we do.

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your

dearly beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, whose face was wiped by Ve-

ronica, in atonement for my sins and the sins of the whole world.

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the tears of the Sorrowful Mother who loved

Jesus most on earth and who loves Jesus most ardently in heaven. For

the sake of Our Mother’s sorrowful tears, please hear my/our prayers.

Amen

The Seventh Station: Jesus Falls the Second Time


because by Thy Holy Cross thou has redeemed the world.

On this station we reflect on Christ’s second fall. This fall reminds us that

we, too, have fallen over and over again into the same offenses. Give us

the humility of true contrition and the grace of good confessions. Help us

to rise again from our falls with an increase of self -knowledge recogniz-

ing our need and dependence on Your grace and aid. I pray in reparation

for my own sins or pride and vanity. I pray for all those caught in sins of

addiction who fall over and over again because they are caught physically

or spiritually by drugs, alcohol or other forms of addiction. I ask for the

help we all need to overcome these obstacles in our lives.


dearly beloved Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ, who fell a many times, in repa-

ration for my sins and the sins of the whole world.




Amen

The Eight h Station: Jesus Speaks to the Women of Jerusalem



Jesus, You stopped and spoke to these women in the midst of Your Pas-

sion. You gave them words to reflect upon to strengthen them for what You

knew would be great trials for them in their own lives. How they must have

wondered at your wisdom. Did they understand your words to them? Do I

hear your words to me and do I understand? Lord , You died to bring us

into a full union and life with God, open our hearts and minds to hear You

as You speak to us through the events of our lives, through your Church,

and the sacred scriptures.

Eternal Father, I offer you the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly

beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who spoke to the women of Jerusa-

lem, in reparation for my sins and the sins of the whole world.

Eternal Father I offer you the tears of the sorrowful Mother who loved Je-

sus most on earth and who loves Him most ardently in heaven. For the

sake of our Mother’s sorrowful tears, please hear my/our prayers.

Amen

The Ninth Station: Jesus Falls the Third Time


Because by Thy Holy Cross Thou has redeemed the world.

The third fall of Jesus is the fall of complete exhaustion. We all come to

points of exhaustion and times when we feel we can hardly keep going on

with the many responsibilities we may shoulder or the worries which may

burden us in our lives. The burdens of our lives should all be buried in

Your third fall Jesus, so that with You we can rise again always with hope

in our hearts. I pray for anyone who is in danger of deep despair in their

life that you will give them hope and peace. Anchor us in your Love.


dearly beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who fell the third time at Cal-

vary, in atonement for my sins and the sins of the whole world.




Amen

The Tenth Station: Jesus is Stripped of His Garments

We adore Thee O Christ and we praise Thee ,


Jesus, your garments were stripped from your body and you suffered the

opening of many wounds all over again. Exhausted in every way you suf-

fered exposure to shame and every kind of insult. These wounds are what

we give You Jesus, while you offer all of us every possible mercy and

chance for healing. I pray for peace throughout the world. I pray that all

people will willingly lay down their hatred for others and any intentions to

bring harm. Jesus, may we all find the graces necessary to belong to You,

who gave up everything for all of us. May Holy Wisdom be imparted to

every person and all nations seeking justice and right judgment right now.

Eternal Father I offer Thee the Body, the Blood, the Soul and the Divinity of

Your dearly beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, whose robe was torn from

His body. in reparation for my sins and the sins of the whole world.




Amen

The Eleventh Station: Jesus is Nailed to the Cross


Because by Thy Holy Cross , Thou has redeemed the world.

Jesus, the word ‘excruciating’ refers to the pain of your passion and death

on Calvary. I cannot imagine how you were able to endure the whole or-

deal. I can imagine that your Holy Mother felt each stroke of the hammer in

as the nails entered Your hands and feet in her own heart. By these bitter

and deep wounds which you shared with Mary, I pray for healing in our

wounded world filled as it is with violence of man against other men. We

have wars, slavery, abuse of children, —every kind of act of hatred. Like

Cain we are guilty of killing our own brother. Please help all this to end and

bring to us a new era of Your Peace.


Your dearly beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who was nailed to the

cross, in reparation for my sins and the sins of the whole world.




Amen

The Twelfth Station: Jesus Dies on the Cross



Lord, Your arms are spread open to receive every one, and through Your

death the graces have been won for the salvation of all the world and the

renewal of all of creation. You have reversed our first Parent’s sin com-

pletely and yet you leave it to us to co-operate with the graces you have

won. You never force anything on us. Love is freely given but it must be

freely received. Open our hearts. May none of the blood shed for us on

Calvary be in vain. I pray for myself and for all my loved ones and for every

person in the world to find you and accept you into their lives. I pray for

non-believers and for the luke warm believer to realize the depth of Your

love that their hearts may be set on fire with love.


Your dearly beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who died on the cross, in

reparation for my sins and the sins of the whole world.




Amen

The Thirteenth Station: Jesus is Taken Down from the Cross.


Because by Thy Holy Cross, Thou has redeemed the world.

Mary received you once as a small child, an infant new born. Now she re-

ceives you, Lord Jesus, mangled and disfigured, bruised and beaten. She

does not shrink from you nor did she lose her faith in you. Mary was strong

at the foot of the cross, continually saying yes to God’s Will, even when it

meant the death of Jesus, who was her whole reason for living and being.

Thank you Jesus and Mary for all you suffered. I pray for an end to abortion

Lord. May every child be welcomed and received. May each life be seen as

precious no matter how frail or disabled. Each was made in your image

Lord and we do not have the right to take their life from them or to shrink

from them as if they are less than human..


Your dearly beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who was taken down from

the cross, in reparation for my sins and the sins of the whole world.




Amen

The Fourteenth Station: Jesus Is Laid in the Tomb


Because by Thy Holy Cross Thou has redeemed the world

Lord we reflect upon Your burial. The Lord of All Life is now wrapped in lin-

ens and carried to a cold sepulcher. You are sealed in the quiet of the earth

like that small seed you spoke of in the parables, a seed which was to grow

into a great tree and all the birds of the air would dwell in its branches. Je-

sus you are the Tree of Life and Your nourish us every time we approach

the sacraments and receive You in Communion. We pray for all the de-

ceased loved ones in our family and for all the sick and dying, may all find

Your healing Presence and the graces which they need at this present mo-

ment in time.

Eternal Father, we offer Thee the Body, the Blood, the Soul and Divinity of

Your dearly Beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ , who was wrapped in a

Shroud and buried in a tomb, in atonement for our sins and the sins of the

whole world.


sus most on earth and who loves Him most ardently in heaven. For the sake

of Our Mother’s sorrowful tears, please hear my/our prayers.

Amen

In Memoriam

Father Francis Cotter

OCDS

Who was my spiritual director when he lived in

Peterborough, NH. Lord, may Your Eternal

rest shine upon his soul and the souls of all

the faithful departed. Amen

Please say a Hail Mary for his soul and the

souls of all departed priests and religious.

Holy Face Studio

Brookline, NH

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