About the Stations of the Cross
Millions of people make pilgrimages to the Holy Land, to walk the same path as Jesus when he carried the Cross. There are 14 locations, also called stations, where major events of his crucifixion took place. Eight of these are found in the Bible and six were passed down through tradition.
Meditating on each Station of the Cross brings us closer to Christ through his Passion. Those who can’t visit the Holy Land are able to make a spiritual pilgrimage through prayer.
The following prayer is a modern adaption of the Stations of the Cross written by St. Alphonsus Liguori in 1761. A longer version is also available for download or viewing as a PDF.
PDF: Stations of the Cross
Videos: Stations of the Cross Playlist
Pray the Stations of the Cross
When praying in a group, the leader will read what is in black (V). Everyone will say what is in red (All or R).
Opening Prayer
All. Lord Jesus, as I walk this path with you, open my heart to the depth of your love. Help me to see my own life reflected in your journey to the cross. Give me the grace to follow you faithfully, to carry my own crosses with courage, and to live transformed by your mercy. Amen.
The First Station:
Jesus Is Condemned to Death
Meditation: After having been scourged and crowned with thorns, Jesus was unjustly condemned to be crucified.
V. Let Us Pray:
R. Jesus, it is because of my sins that you are going to die. Through the merits of your sorrowful journey, help me in my journey to heaven. Amen.
Sing Twice: Jesus, remember me,
when you come into your kingdom.
The Second Station:
Jesus Is Made to Carry the Cross
Meditation: Jesus received the Cross and freely offered to his Father the death he was about to undergo for us.
V. Let Us Pray:
R. Jesus, through the merits of your pain and suffering in carrying the Cross, help me to carry my cross, and embrace my own trials with patience and resignation. Amen.
Sing Twice: Jesus, remember me,
when you come into your kingdom.
The Third Station:
Jesus Falls the First Time
Meditation: Jesus fell for the first time onto the hard ground. The soldiers hit him and yelled at him to get up. He was in so much pain, but he got up and carried that heavy Cross for us.
V. Let Us Pray:
R. Jesus, the weight of my sins adds to your pain and suffering. Through the merits of your first fall, deliver me from falling into mortal sin. Amen.
Sing Twice: Jesus, remember me,
when you come into your kingdom.
The Fourth Station:
Jesus Meets His Mother
Meditation: Jesus met his mother Mary along his journey. They stared at each other with sorrow and joy because of their deep love.
V. Let Us Pray:
R. Jesus, through the sorrow and joy you had in meeting your mother, help me to behold Mary as my mother too. Amen.
Sing Twice: Jesus, remember me,
when you come into your kingdom.
The Fifth Station:
Simon Helps Jesus Carry the Cross
Meditation: When they saw how weak Jesus was they feared he might die on his journey, so they gave the Cross to a man named Simon to carry behind our Lord.
V. Let Us Pray:
R. Jesus, I accept the cross you give me and I will carry my cross without complaint to my own death. Amen.
Sing Twice: Jesus, remember me,
when you come into your kingdom.
The Sixth Station:
Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus
Meditation: A woman named Veronica, seeing Jesus suffering so much, with sweat and blood running into his eyes, wiped his face. By a miracle, he left an image of his face on the cloth.
V. Let Us Pray:
R. Jesus, your face was once clean but blood and sweat disfigured it; then Veronica wiped your face clean. My soul was once clean but sin has disfigured it. Through your suffering wipe my soul clean. Amen.
Sing Twice: Jesus, remember me,
when you come into your kingdom.
The Seventh Station:
Jesus Falls a Second Time
Meditation: Jesus fell for the second time under the weight of our sins. The fall renewed all the pain in his body and made his head throb.
V. Let Us Pray:
R. Jesus, so many times you have forgiven me and so many times I have sinned again. Through the merits of your second fall, help me to call on you every time I am tempted to sin. Amen.
Sing Twice: Jesus, remember me,
when you come into your kingdom.
The Eighth Station:
Jesus Meets the Women of Jerusalem
Meditation: Seeing Jesus walking to his death, the women of Jerusalem wept with compassion. But Jesus said to them, “Weep not for me, but for your children.”
V. Let Us Pray:
R. Jesus, I am sorry for all my sins and I weep because of the pain you endured to save me. Amen.
Sing Twice: Jesus, remember me,
when you come into your kingdom.
The Ninth Station:
Jesus Falls the Third Time
Meditation: Jesus was so weak that he could barely move, but the soldiers pushed him to walk faster, and he fell to the ground for the third time.
V. Let Us Pray:
R. Jesus, because I am weak you are going to Calvary. Give me strength to overcome my weakness and conquer temptation. Amen.
Sing Twice: Jesus, remember me,
when you come into your kingdom.
The Tenth Station:
Jesus Is Stripped of His Garments
Meditation: The soldiers grabbed Jesus and stripped off his clothes.
V. Let Us Pray:
R. Jesus, help me strip my soul of bad habits so I can give all my love to you, you who are so worthy of all my love. Amen.
Sing Twice: Jesus, remember me,
when you come into your kingdom.
The Eleventh Station:
Jesus Is Nailed to the Cross
Meditation: The soldiers pushed Jesus down and nailed his hands and feet to the Cross. Then they raised the Cross to publicly display the bloody and naked body of our Lord.
V. Let Us Pray:
R. Jesus, you suffered pain and humiliation on the Cross. May I never forget how you were pierced to save me. Amen.
Sing Twice: Jesus, remember me,
when you come into your kingdom.
The Twelfth Station:
Jesus Dies on the Cross
Meditation: After suffering on the Cross for three hours, Jesus gave up his life to the Father, and died.
(pause for a moment of silence)
V. Let Us Pray:
R. Jesus, through my sins I deserve to be punished. But your death is my hope, and by your grace, when I die I will join you in heaven. Amen.
Sing Twice: Jesus, remember me,
when you come into your kingdom.
The Thirteenth Station:
Jesus Is Taken Down from the Cross
Meditation: Two of his disciples took Jesus down from the Cross and placed his body in the arms of his mother.
V. Let Us Pray:
R. Holy Mary, mother of my Lord, so close to the heart of Jesus, hold me in your arms and pray for me to your Son. Amen.
Sing Twice: Jesus, remember me,
when you come into your kingdom.
The Fourteenth Station:
Jesus Is Laid in the Tomb
Meditation: The disciples laid Jesus in the tomb.
V. Let Us Pray:
R. Jesus, three days later you rose from the dead. Through your death and resurrection, may I be raised on the last day to be with you always. Amen.
Sing Twice: Jesus, remember me,
when you come into your kingdom.
Closing Prayer
V. Let Us Pray:
R. Lord Jesus, now that I have walked this path with you, thank you for loving me. You have shown me the depth of your love. Fill my heart with faith, hope, and charity. Give me the deep, true repentance I need to turn away from my sins, a firm desire to do your will, and the grace to live each day transformed by your mercy. Amen.
