Parish Resources – Lough Derg Way of the Cross

In St Patrick’s Basilica on Lough Derg, the Way of the Cross is presented in fourteen stained-glass windows created by the renowned artist Harry Clarke (1889-1931).

The following texts are those prayed in common by pilgrims to Lough Derg and reproduced with permission.

 

Click here for more resources from our April issue.

 

The invitation and responses before and after each Station are as follows:

Before

We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you. Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world. 

After

I love you, Jesus, my love above all things. I repent with my whole heart of having offended you. Never permit me to separate myself from you again. Grant that I may always love you and then do with me what you will.

 

1st Station: Jesus is condemned to death

We adore you, etc.

Pilate said, ‘What shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?’ The crowd replied, ‘Let him be crucified’. Pilate took water and washed his hands before the crowd saying, ‘I am innocent of this man’s blood; it is your concern.’

Yes, Lord, it is my concern. It is my concern that those with whom I live and work get fair play, even if that means standing against the crowd. When I have to make decisions which affect peoples’ lives, help me to make them with understanding and care. I love you, Jesus, etc.

 

2nd Station: Jesus takes up his cross

We adore you, etc.

The cross was heavy, a beam of solid wood; the journey, a struggle through narrow and uneven streets, with a hostile crowd looking on. Lord, we each have a cross to carry.

When life is difficult, tedious or painful we sometimes complain and look for an easy way out. Give us strength each day to carry our cross. I love you, Jesus, etc.

 

3rd Station: Jesus falls for the first time

We adore you, etc.

It was no wonder that he fell. Jesus had suffered so much already that he could not see properly to pick his way through the city streets.

There are times, Lord, when we cannot hide our weakness or when we have to admit our failings not only to ourselves but also to others. Give us some of your courage to accept the limitations in our lives. I love you, Jesus, etc.

4th Station: Jesus meets his mother

4th Station: Jesus meets his mother We adore you, etc. It was now three years since he had left home. Mary had brought him into the world, and cared for him as a child. Now she was with him again to give him some of her strength, just by being there in his time of need. Lord, we too can help – our families, our friends, those we love and those we do not even know very well – just by being there, by being available, by keeping in touch, by turning up in times of trouble. I love you, Jesus, etc.

5th Station: Simon helps Jesus to carry his cross

We adore you, etc.

Simon was a native of Cyrene, a foreigner in Jerusalem, perhaps a pilgrim celebrating Passover. He found himself forced to help Jesus in carrying his cross.

Lord, Simon met with you in a way he had never expected. At times we too can suddenly be faced with someone in need of our help. May we not turn away, but willingly offer whatever help we can give. I love you, Jesus, etc.

6th Station: Veronica wipes the face of Jesus We adore you, etc. Veronica was not like Simon; nobody asked her to help. She pushed her way in through the crowd and wiped the blood from his face with a towel. Veronica saw your face, Lord, and your face left an impression. Your face is the face of suffering and need, the face of the aged of the undernourished child, of the refugee. Your face today is around us if only we look. ‘I was sick and you visited me; naked and you clothed me.’ I love you, Jesus, etc.

6th Station: Veronica wipes the face of Jesus

7th Station: Jesus falls for the second time

We adore you, etc

In spite of the help he fell again. He was being hurried by the soldiers, the road was uphill, and his strength was failing with every step of the way.

Lord, you are always ready to lift us when we fall. May your example teach us to be understanding towards others, to help rather than to judge, to support rather than to condemn. I love you, Jesus, etc.

 

8th Station: The women of Jerusalem weep for Jesus

We adore you, etc.

These women were moved to sympathy for Jesus. He acknowledged their tears but he knew there was nothing they could do for him now. He asked them to look to themselves and to their children.

You do not wish us, Lord, to go on weeping about what has happened in the past. We cannot change the past but we can do a great deal about the future. I love you, Jesus, etc.

 

9th Station: Jesus falls for the third time

We adore you, etc.

This was the final fall, Jesus had reached the very limit of physical endurance. And yet his spirit was not broken.

Lord, we know that you walk with us each day as we face the cares and challenges of life. Help us to keep going, especially in times of weakness, and to trust you in times of depression and despair. I love you, Jesus, etc.

10th Station: Jesus is stripped of his clothes

10th Station: Jesus is stripped of his clothes We adore you, etc. Now everything was taken from him, even his clothes. Although he was God he emptied himself, to become as we all are. And he was humbler yet, even to accepting death on the cross. Lord, we worry about our life and what we are to eat, about our body and how we are to clothe it. But life means more than food, and the body more than clothing. You humbled yourself to become like us: may we become more like you. I love you, Jesus, etc.

11th Station: Jesus is nailed to the cross

We adore you, etc.

‘Without beauty, without majesty we saw him, a thing despised and rejected by men, a man to make people hide their faces.’ (Is 53:2-3)

It was all very cruel and barbaric, Lord. Blinded by hatred, nobody stopped to think. It is sad that we still treat people in this way, when we fail to see in them the image of God. Forgive us, Lord, for the violence in our lives and our society. I love you, Jesus, etc.

 

12th Station: Jesus dies on the cross

We adore you, etc.

From the sixth hour there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them; they do not know what they are doing. Into your hands I commend my spirit.’

Saviour of the world, you died as you lived, with a heart close to God and open to everyone. You have shown us how to live a full life; you have given us a reason to live and a reason to die. Soften our hearts towards those who make us suffer. Save us from self-pity and despair. At the thought of dying we place all our trust in you. I love you, Jesus, etc.

13th Station: The body of Jesus is taken down from the cross We adore you, etc. The crowd had left the hill. A few friends remained, to mourn the dead and to keep vigil. They placed the body in the arms of his mother. Lord, your mother felt the sadness that we all feel when we lose our loved ones in death. Help us to bear our bereavements with dignity, courage and hope. I love you, Jesus, etc.

13th Station: The body of Jesus is taken down from the cross

14th Station: The body of Jesus is laid in the tomb

We adore you, etc.

It was now evening; the long day of suffering was over. The disciples prepared the body for burial and laid it to rest in a tomb. They closed up the tomb and went away.

Lord, you alone give us rest after toil; you give us life after death. If I should walk in the valley of darkness no evil would I fear: you are there. Give eternal life, Lord, to our relatives and friends who have died; and may the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. I love you, Jesus, etc.

 

Prayer to the Risen Lord

On the third day you rose from the dead. You ascended into heaven and sit at the right hand of God, continually interceding for us.

You have gone before us, Lord, not to abandon us but to be our hope. We are your pilgrim church on earth, on our way to our heavenly homeland. May we follow in your footsteps. To the weary and the wounded may we offer comfort and compassion. May we be a sign of hope in a troubled world.

 

Dying you destroyed our death.

Rising you restored our life.

Lord Jesus, come in glory.

 

For the Pope’s intentions: Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.