Stations of the Cross
Welcome to Wellspring’s
Stations of the Cross for Families.
The purpose of the stations of the cross is to use an imaginative prayer exercise to delve into the deep love of Christ. As we walk with Him, take time to connect and pray for those in this world who are weary, suffering and/or lost. Lean into the depth of His passion, grace, mercy and love for all and allow this to lead your heart to be transformed through compassion and gratitude.
Here are some tips for engaging this exercise:
Set aside a dedicated time.
Take your time, don’t rush through this. You can take several nights to work through this or complete it at one time.
Seek to pray, journal, feel things deeply, and be with Jesus. Don’t simply read through these, take the time to allow God to rearrange your priorities and values. Some stations of the Cross exercises have 14-16 stations; we chose 5 for you to focus on.
Read the Passion :: John 18:1-19:37
Jesus is Condemned to Die.
In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus is troubled and he goes to the Father in prayer. He asks Peter, John and James to “remain here and watch.” The disciples sleep and fall short of Jesus’ request to keep watch. He repeatedly wakes them and asks them to help him. Jesus is filled with sorrow and yet responds with love. He asks for help - and is denied. He finds them sleeping a third time and tells them his hour has come. Judas betrays Jesus with a kiss and Jesus is led away by the guards. Jesus was captured at night, taken away by soldiers, interrogated, tortured, crowned with sharp thorns and handed over to be condemned to death by Pontius Pilate – death on a cross.
Jesus, what a terrible injustice to see you condemned to death. Your own friends, the Roman judges and the soldiers didn’t recognize that you were the Son of God. We continue to condemn people unjustly today because of the color of their skin, political views, gender, disabilities, socio-economic status - yes, the list is endless.
Pray and Journal:
For ways we betray Christ and those close to us
For those who have betrayed us when we have asked for help
How are we like Pilate and cave to the pressures of this world and fail to speak up for those who need our voice?
For those we judge
Jesus, you were sold out by a friend and yet you remained loyal to the end. Forgive us when we sell out our faith in you, forgive us when we betray you and one another.
Give us the grace to see, respect and love you in all people, both innocent and guilty. Change our hearts that we may see with new eyes those we might otherwise condemn and judge.
Jesus, grant us courage to raise our voices and make your love known in this world. For the times we have failed to stand for truth, forgive us.
Jesus Takes Up His Cross.
As a cross beam weighing over 100 pounds is placed on his shoulders, Jesus is utterly alone and left to carry his cross by himself. No one is there to ease the burden, to help lighten the load. What loneliness Christ must have endured, as he began his climb up Golgotha. In a calm and courageous way, he put up with the threats of the Pharisees and the lack of understanding of his own disciples. He transforms the cross from a symbol of condemnation into one of liberation- that redeems the world.
There are burdens that we all carry, some are very obvious and others we take great care to hide. There are the burdens of illness, fear, isolation, depression, pain, disability, old age, dependence, addiction and loneliness. The invitation of Jesus on the cross is to hand over these burdens to him.
Pray and Journal:
For the lonely and isolated
For the vulnerable - foster children, those who have lost jobs, those who are high risk for Covid-19, for those enslaved to trafficking, for all refugees
For those who are feeling crushed by the anxiety of the pandemic
For our children isolated from their grandparents, classrooms, coaches, teams, activities
For those who are swallowed by apathy due to so many discouragements
For those who choose to numb and / or check out
May we see your presence Lord in all the burdens we carry today. Help us to share our burdens more freely with you and with those we trust. Give us strength to acknowledge our fears and our pain. May we be more aware of the crosses that others bear and make time to alleviate their burden. As we hold on to our crosses, may your face shine through the crosses we bear. We are not alone Jesus, open our hearts to see your presence alive in our lives. For the times we have failed to trust in you, forgive us.
Simon Helps Jesus.
The weight of the cross is excruciating. Jesus collapses onto the ground, inhaling the sand and dust of Golgotha, no doubt coughing and struggling to breathe. As he lies motionless, trapped by the weight of the cross beam, continuing on seems impossible. He doesn’t even have the strength to stand. Jesus is no longer able to carry his cross alone and a stranger, Simon the Cyrene, is asked to help.
Pray and Journal:
Jesus, you experienced the ultimate injustice and it breaks your heart. Jesus, we pray you sustain those now who are weary and hopeless.
Lord, help us to grasp our opportunities to be a Simon in our world. In those times when we can help, let us have the generosity to do so. Inspire us Lord to speak for those who cannot defend themselves and give to those in need.
We lift up those who suffer mentally and emotionally. Jesus, be especially present to each of them as they seek to continue on, You stand with all who are collapsing under the weight of pain and suffering.
We pray for all who are weary from illness, worry, finances, despair and fatigue from news/social media.
Jesus, give strength and stamina for parents when frustrated and exhausted by additional roles they are filling.
We pray for frontline workers: medical personnel, first responders, teachers and for all who assist the stranger in need.
Jesus, help us realize that with every kind deed and gesture of authentic love, we participate in your love for our world. For the times we have failed to reach out with compassion, forgive us. Jesus, sometimes we hurt you and those we love. Sometimes our selfishness is so strong that we are not even aware of the pain we are causing others. Your example on the Cross calls us to empty ourselves in love, to let go of our ego and defensiveness and pride. For your faithfulness to God the Father and to us through your humiliation, suffering, and death — thank you.
Jesus is Nailed to the Cross.
Huge iron nails are hammered through his wrists and through his ankles. Iron through human flesh, the flesh must yield. Jesus, nailed to the cross, cannot move. As the cross is put in place, he hangs there between us and God, a blood stained victim for love. Nails don’t hold Jesus to the cross; love does. It is his love for each of us, his desire to die for our sins, his yearning to grant us salvation that fastens him to the wood cross. Nothing can separate us from his love.
Pray and Journal:
Jesus was crucified for...
The ten children who die every minute of hunger in our world
Victims of physical, emotional, sexual abuse
Victims of violence
Persecuted Christians
Those who don’t know you Jesus and for those who feel far away from you or doubt your presence.
Jesus was crucified for every person.
Jesus, may all know that you are always with us. We pray for those who feel separated from your love. We trust you Jesus with those in the midst of death and darkness that your love is there. Sometimes our selfishness is so strong that we are not even aware of the pain we are causing others. Your example on the Cross calls us to empty ourselves in love, to let go of our ego and defensiveness and pride. For your faithfulness to God the Father and to us through your humiliation, suffering, and death — thank you.
Jesus Dies.
With head bowed, Jesus breathes his last. His words are not of condemnation but of forgiveness; ‘Father forgive them, for they know not what they do’. In the midst of his anguish and suffering Jesus calls upon his Father to forgive those who are putting him to death. This is the real challenge of the cross, forgiveness even to those who hurt us most. It is finished, and in this moment, we gaze upon the humility of our God, whose love will defeat death. As the earth shakes and rocks are split, the cross remains, and the redemptive power of love takes root.
Pray and Journal:
Pray for those who have hurt you and let go of this hurt
Seek forgiveness for those you have hurt, judged, put down
Strengthen the faithful - pray for the worldwide church, our bishops, priests and pastors.
Help us not to dilute your ultimate act of love and forgiveness. Transform our hearts today by deepening our understanding of your love and sacrifice.
In this pandemic, we remember in a special way, all who have died, particularly those who have died alone and those who have died with no one to pray for them. We remember that Jesus died on the cross so that we do not have to face death alone. He is present, and his redemptive love accompanies us home.
In order to claim the resurrection, we must also claim the cross. Because of the cross, we know death does not have the final word. Jesus, thank you for the agony you experienced so that one day we will be united with you.