THE WAY OF THE CROSS BY ST. ALPHONSUS LIGUORI

"You must follow Me along the Way of the Cross so that you can make restitution for the sins of mankind." (Divine Appeal 17)

"... pray the Holy Rosary and the Stations of the Cross daily. Many swords will wound your heart." (Divine Appeal 281)

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

While kneeling before the altar, express an Act of Contrition, and set the intention of obtaining indulgences, whether for yourself or for the souls in purgatory.

Act of Contrition: 

O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended you. I detest all my sins because of your just punishments, but most of all because they offend you, my God, who are all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of your grace, to sin no more and to avoid the occasions of sin. Amen.

Opening prayer

My Lord, Jesus Christ, You have made this journey to die for me with unspeakable love; and I have so many times ungratefully abandoned You.  But now I love You with all my heart; and, because I love You, I am sincerely sorry for ever having offended You. Pardon me, my God, and permit me to accompany You on this journey. You go to die for love of me; I want, my beloved Redeemer, to die for love of You. My Jesus, I will live and die always united to You.

The First Station

Jesus is Condemned to Death (Mt 27:22-23, 26)

V. We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You.
R. Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.

Meditation: 

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

Prayer:

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

Our Father…Hail Mary…Glory Be…

The Second Station

Jesus Carries His Cross (Mt 27:27-31)

V. We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You.
R. Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.

Meditation: 

Consider how Jesus, in making this journey with the Cross on His shoulders thought of us, and for us offered to His Father the death He was about to undergo.

Prayer:

My most beloved Jesus, I embrace all the tribulations You have destined for me until death. I beseech You, by the merits of the pain You did suffer in carrying Your Cross, to give me the necessary help to carry mine with perfect patience and resignation. I love You, Jesus my love; I repent for having offended You. Never permit me to separate myself from You again. Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me what You will.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be…

The Third Station
Jesus falls for the first time (Is 53:4-6)

V. We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You.
R. Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.

Meditation: 

Consider this first fall of Jesus under His Cross. His flesh was torn by the scourges, His head crowned with thorns, and He had lost a great quantity of blood. He was so weakened that He could scarcely walk, and yet He had to carry this great load upon His shoulders. The soldiers struck Him rudely, and thus He fell several times on His journey.

Prayer:

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.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be…

The Fourth Station

Jesus Meets His Mother (Lk 2:34-35,51)

V. We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You.
R. Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.

Meditation: 

Consider the meeting of the Son and the Mother, which took place on this journey. Jesus and Mary looked at each other, and their looks became as so many arrows to wound those hearts which loved each other so tenderly. 

Prayer: 

My most loving Jesus, by the sorrow You experienced in this meeting, grant me the grace of a truly devoted love for Your most Holy Mother. And You, my Queen, who was overwhelmed with sorrow, obtain for me by your intercession a continual and tender remembrance of the Passion of Your Son. I love You, Jesus my love; I repent for ever having offended You. Never permit me to offend You again. Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me what You will.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be…

The Fifth Station
Symon Cyrene Helps Jesus Carry His Cross (Lk 23:26-27)

V. We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You.
R. Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.

Meditation: 

Consider how the Jews, seeing that at each step Jesus took was weakening Him to the point of expiring, and fearing that He would die on the way, when they wished Him to die the ignominious death of the Cross, constrained Simon the Cyrenian to carry the Cross behind our Lord.

Prayer: 

My most sweet 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.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be…

The Sixth Station

Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus (Is 53:2-3)

V. We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You.
R. Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.

Meditation: 

Consider how the holy woman named Veronica, seeing Jesus so afflicted, and His face bathed in sweat and blood, presented Him with a towel, with which He wiped His adorable face, leaving on it the impression of His holy countenance.

Prayer:  

My most beloved Jesus, Your face was beautiful before, but in this journey it has lost all its beauty, and wounds and blood have disfigured it. Alas, my soul also was once beautiful, when it received Your grace in Baptism, but I have disfigured it since by my sins. You alone, my Redeemer, can restore it to its former beauty. Do this by Your Passion, O Jesus. I repent for having offended You. Never permit me to offend You again. Grant that I may love You always, and then do with me what You will.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be…

The Seventh Station

Jesus Falls for the Second Time (Lam 3:1-2,9,16)

V. We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You.
R. Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.

Meditation: 

Consider the second fall of Jesus under the Cross, a fall which renews the pain of all the wounds of the head and members of our afflicted Lord.

Prayer:  

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.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be…

The Eighth Station

Jesus Meets the Women of Jerusalem (Lk 23:28-31)

V. We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You.
R. Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.

Meditation: 

Consider how those women wept with compassion at seeing Jesus in such a pitiable state, streaming with blood, as He walked along. But Jesus said them: Weep not for Me, but for your children.

Prayer: 

My Jesus, laden with sorrows, I weep for the offences I have committed against You, because of the pains they have deserved, and still more because of the displeasure they have caused You, who has loved me so much. It is Your love, more than the fear of hell, which causes me to weep for my sins. My Jesus, I love You more than myself; I repent for having offended You. Never permit me to offend You again. Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me what You will.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be…

The Ninth Station

Jesus Falls for the Third Time (Lam 3:27-32)

V. We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You.
R. Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.

Meditation:

Consider the third fall of Jesus Christ. His weakness was extreme, and the cruelty of His executioners was excessive, who tried to hasten His steps when He had scarcely strength to move.

Prayer:  

My outraged Jesus, by the merits of the weakness You did suffer in going to Calvary, give me strength sufficient to conquer all human respect, and all my wicked passions, which have led me to despise Your friendship. I love You, Jesus my love, with my whole heart; I repent for having offended You. Never permit me to offend You again. Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me what You will.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be…

The Tenth Station

Jesus is Stripped of His Garments (Mt 27:33-36)

V. We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You.
R. Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.

Meditation:

Consider the violence with which the executioners stripped Jesus. His inner garments adhered to His torn flesh, and they dragged them off so roughly that the skin came with them. Be compassionate to your Saviour who was cruelly treated, and say to Him:

Prayer:  

My innocent Jesus, by the merits of the torment You felt, help me to strip myself of all affection to things of earth, in order that I may place all my love in You, who are so worthy of my love. I love You, O Jesus, with my whole heart; I repent for having offended You. Never permit me to offend You again. Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me what You will.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be…

The Eleventh Station

Jesus is Nailed to the Cross (Mk 15:25-27)

V. We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You.
R. Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.

Meditation

Consider how Jesus, after being thrown on the Cross, extended His hands, and offered to His Eternal Father the sacrifice of His death for our salvation. These barbarians fastened Him with nails, and then, raising the Cross, allowed Him to die with anguish on this infamous gibbet.

Prayer:

My despised Jesus! Loaded with contempt, nail my heart to Your feet, that it may ever remain there, to love You, and never quit You again. I love You more than myself; I repent for having offended You. Never permit me offend You again. Grant that I may love You always; and then do with me what You will.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be…

The Twelfth Station

Jesus Dies on the Cross (Mt 27:45-47,50)

V. We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You.
R. Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.

Meditation:

Consider how Jesus, after three hours Agony on the Cross, consumed at length with anguish, abandons Himself to the weight of His body, bows His head, and dies.

Prayer:

O my dying Jesus, I kiss devoutly the Cross on which You died for love of me. I have merited by my sins to die a miserable death; but Your death is my hope. Ah, by the merits of Your death, give me grace to die, embracing Your feet, and burning with love for You. I yield my soul into Your hands. I love You with my whole heart; I repent for ever having offended You. Never permit me to offend You again. Grant that I may love You always, and then do with me what You will.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be…

The Thirteenth Station

Jesus is Taken Down From the Cross (Mt 27:54-55)

V. We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You.
R. Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.

Meditation:

Consider how, after the death of our Lord, two of His disciples, Joseph and Nicodemus, took Him down from the Cross, and placed Him in the arms of His afflicted Mother, who received Him with unutterable tenderness, and pressed Him to her bosom.

Prayer: 

O Mother of sorrow, 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, permit me to love You, my Jesus, and I repent for ever having offended You. Never permit me to offend You again. Grant that I may love You always and then do with me what You will.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be…

The Fourteenth Station

Jesus is Laid in the Tomb (Mt 27:57-60)

V. We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You.
R. Because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.

Meditation: 

Consider how the disciples carried the body of Jesus to bury it, accompanied by His holy Mother, who arranged it in the sepulchre with her own hands. They then closed the tomb, and all withdrew.

Prayer: 

O my buried Jesus, I kiss the stone that encloses You. But You rose again on the third day. I beseech You, by Your resurrection, make me rise gloriously with You on the last day, to be always united with You in heaven, to praise You and love You forever. I love You, and I repent for ever having offended You. Never permit me to offend You again. Grant me that I may love You always; and then do with me what You will.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be…

For the intentions of the Holy Father.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be…

Prayer Before the Crucifix

Look down upon me, good and gentle Jesus while before Your face I humbly kneel and,
with burning soul, pray and beseech You to fix deep in my heart lively sentiments
of faith, hope, and charity; true contrition for my sins, and a firm purpose of amendment.
While I contemplate, with great love and tender pity, Your five most precious wounds,
pondering over them within me and calling to mind the words which David,
Your prophet, said to You, my Jesus: “They have pierced My hands and My feet,
they have numbered all My bones.”

Amen.

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