VADEMECUM, Collection of Prayers of the Divine Word Missionaries
Way of the Cross from the Liturgy
Opening hymn
L. “The reason why Christ died for our sins, once for all, the just man for the sake of the unjust, was that he might lead you to God… Christ suffered in the flesh: therefore arm yourselves with his same mentality. Those who have suffered in the body have broken with sin. You are not to spend what remains of your earthly life on human desires but on the will of God. Rejoice in the measure that you share Christ’s sufferings. When his glory is revealed, you will rejoice exultantly” (1 Pet 4:1- 2,13).
First Station:
Jesus is condemned to death
L. We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
(Genuflect or bow)
A. Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
L. “They demanded with loud cries that Jesus be crucified, and their shouts increased in violence. Pilate then decreed that what they demanded should be done. He released the one they asked for, who had been thrown in prison for insurrection and murder, and delivered Jesus up to their wishes” (Lk 23:23-25). (kneel/pause)
L. When he was made to suffer, he did not counter with threats,
A. Instead, he delivered himself up to the One who judges justly (1 Pet 2:23).
L. Let us pray.
A. Father in heaven, the love of your Son led him to accept the sufferings of the cross, that his brothers and sisters might glory in new life. Help us to embrace the world you have given us, that we may transform the darkness of its pain, into the life and joy of the resurrection. Grant this through Christ, our Lord. Amen. (Fifth Sunday, Lent, II)
Second Station: Jesus accepts the cross
L. We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
A. Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
L. “Upon him was the punishment that makes us whole, by his stripes we were healed. We had all gone astray like sheep, each following one’s own way; but the Lord laid upon him the guilt of us all” (Is 53:5-6). (kneel/pause)
L. God did not spare his own Son.
A. But handed him over for the sake of us all (Rm 8:32).
L. Let us pray.
A. “Almighty, ever-living God, you have given the human race, Jesus Christ, our Savior, as a model
of humility. He fulfilled your will, by becoming man and giving his life on the cross. Help us to bear witness to you, by following his example of suffering, and make us worthy to share in his resurrection. We ask this through the same Christ, our Lord. Amen. (Passion Sunday I)
Third Station: Jesus falls the first time
L. We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
A. Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
L. “I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard: my face I did not shield from buffets and spitting. The Lord God is my help, therefore I am not disgraced; he is near, who upholds my right” (Is 50:6-8). (kneel/pause)
L. Ihearthewhispersofthecrowd,thatfrightenme from every side.
A. But my trust is in you, O Lord, I say: You are my God” (Ps 31:13-15).
L. Let us pray.
A. All-powerful God, by the suffering and death of your Son, strengthen and protect us in our weakness. May the sacrifice of Christ, your Son, bring us to eternal life. This we ask through the same Christ, our Lord. Amen. (Monday, Holy Week)
Fourth Station:
Jesus meets his afflicted Mother
L. We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
A. Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
L. “Simeon said to Mary his mother: This child is destined to be the downfall and the rise of many in Israel, a sign that will be opposed, and you yourself shall be pierced with a sword, so that the thoughts of many hearts may be laid bare” (Lk 2:34-35). (kneel/pause)
L. Come, all you who pass by the way, look and see, A. Whether there is any suffering like my suffering,
which has been dealt me (Lam 1:12).
L. Let us pray.
A. Lord, hear the prayers of those who turn to you in their sorrows. As we honor the compassionate love of the Virgin Mary, may we see in our sufferings a share in the sufferings of Christ, for the good of the Church. We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord. Amen. (Sept. 15, Communion)
Fifth Station:
The cross is laid on Simon of Cyrene
L. We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
A. Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
L. “Jesus said to his disciples: Anyone who wishes to come after me, must deny one’s very self, take up the cross, and begin to follow in my footsteps.
Whoever would have one’s life will lose it, but whoever loses one’s life for my sake, will find it”(Mt 16:24-25). (kneel/pause)
L. Anyonewhodoesnottakeupthecrossandfollow me,
A. Cannot be my disciple (Lk 14:27).
L. Let us pray.
A. Merciful Father, fill our hearts with your love, and keep us faithful to the Gospel of your Son. Give us the grace to rise above our human weakness. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen. (Friday, Third Week of Lent)
Sixth Station:
Veronica wipes the face of Christ
L. We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
A. Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
L. “There was in him no stately bearing, to make us look at him, nor appearance that would attract us to him. He was spurned and avoided by people, a man of suffering, accustomed to infirmity, one of those from whom people hide their faces, spurned, and we held him in no esteem” (Is 53:2-3). (kneel/ pause)
L. Hide not your face from me; your presence, O Lord, I seek.
A. You are my helper; cast me not off (Ps 27:8-9).3
L. Let us pray.
A. Lord, come to us; free us from the stain of our sins. Help us to remain faithful to a holy way of life, and guide us to the inheritance you have promised. Grant this through Christ our Lord. Amen. (Thursday, Fifth Week of Lent)
Seventh Station: Jesus falls a second time
L. We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
A. Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
L. “Even though I want to do what is right, a law that leads to wrong-doing is always ready at hand. My inner self agrees with the law of God, but I see in my body’s members another law at war with the law of my mind… What a wretched man I am! Who can free me from this body under the power of death? All praise to God, through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Ro 7:21-25). (kneel/pause)
L. Be not far from me, for I am in distress;
A. Be near, for I have no one to help me (Ps 22:11).L. Let us pray.
A. Father in heaven, form in us the likeness of your Son, and deepen his life within us. Send us as witnesses of Gospel joy, into a world of fragile peace and broken promises. Touch the hearts of all people with your love, that they in turn may love one another. We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen (Eighth Sunday, II)
Eighth Station:
Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem
L. We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
A. Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
L. “Jesus said to his disciples: Blessed are you who are weeping; you shall laugh. Blessed shall you be when people hate you, when they ostracize you and insult you and declare your name as evil because of the Son of Man. On the day they do so, rejoice and exult, for your reward shall be great in heaven” (Lk 6:21-23). (kneel/pause)
L. Those that sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.
A. Although they go forth weeping, carrying the seed to be sown, they shall come back rejoicing, carrying their sheaves (Ps 126:5- 6).
L. Let us pray.
A. Lord, may the suffering and death of Jesus, your only Son, make us pleasing to you. Alone we can do nothing, but may his perfect sacrifice, win for us your mercy and love. We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord. Amen. (Passion Sunday, prayer over gifts)
Ninth Station: Jesus falls the third time
L. We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
A. Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
L. “All who see me scoff at me; they mock me with parted lips, they wag their heads saying, He relied on the Lord; let him deliver him, let him rescue him, if he loves him” (Ps 22:6-8). (kneel/pause)
L. OLord,myheartthrobs,mystrengthforsakesme; A. The very light of my eyes has failed me.
L. Let us pray.
A. Father, in your plan of salvation, your Son Jesus Christ accepted the cross, and freed us from the power of the enemy. Increase our faith in its saving power, and strengthen our hope in the life it promises. We ask this through the same Christ our Lord. Amen. (Wednesday, Holy Week)
Tenth Station:
Jesus is stripped of his garments
L. We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
A. Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
L. “You must lay aside your former way of life, and old self which deteriorates through illusion and desire, and acquire a fresh, spiritual way of thinking. You must put on that new man created in God’s image, whose justice and holiness are born of truth” (Ep 4:22-23). ( kneel/pause)
L. I have been crucified with Christ, and the life I live now is not my own,
A. Christ is living in me.
L. Let us pray.
A. Father, you have taught us to overcome our sins by prayer, fasting and works of mercy. When we are discouraged by our weakness, give us confidence in your love. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. (Third Sunday, Lent I)
Eleventh Station: Jesus is nailed to the cross
L. We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
A. Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
L. “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that all who believe may have eternal life in him. Yes, God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him may not die, but may have eternal life” (Jn 3:14-16). (kneel/pause)
L. They have pierced my hands and my feet, A. I can count all my bones (Ps 22:17f).
L. Let us pray.
A. Father, look with love upon your people, the love which our Lord Jesus Christ showed us, when he delivered himself to evil people, and suffered the agony of the cross. Grant this through the same Christ our Lord. Amen. (Holy Thursday, Chrism Mass)
Twelfth Station: Jesus dies on the cross
L. We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
A. Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
L. “Your attitude must be that of Christ. Though he was in the form of God, he did not deem equality with God something to be grasped at. Rather, he emptied himself, and took the form of a slave, being born like a man. He was known to be of human estate, and it was thus that he humbled himself, obediently accepting even death, death on a cross!” (Ph 2:5-8). (kneel/pause)
L. If we have died with Christ, we believe that we are also to live with him.
A. We know that his death was death to sin, once for all: his life is life for God. So we too must be dead to sin but alive for God in Christ Jesus (Ro 6:8-11).
L. Let us pray.
A. Almighty and eternal God, you have restored us to life by the triumphant death and resurrection of Christ. Continue this healing work in us. May we who participate in this mystery never cease to serve you. We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord. Amen. (Good Friday)
Thirteenth Station:
Jesus is placed in the arms of his mother
L. We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
A. Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
L. “Cry out to the Lord; mourn, O Daughter Zion! Let your tears flow like a torrent day and night: let there be no respite for you, no repose for your eyes. Pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord” (Lam 2:18). (kneel/pause)
L. Tears are upon her cheeks,
A. With not one to console her (Lam 1:2)L. Let us pray.
A. God of mercy, receive the prayers we offer in praise of your name, in memory of the sorrows of the Mother of Jesus. While she stood beside the cross of her Son, you gave her to us as our loving mother, through Christ our Lord. Amen. (Liturgy, September 15)
Fourteenth Station: Jesus is laid in the tomb
L. We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
A. Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
L. “The hour has come for the Son of man to be glorified. I solemnly assure you, unless the grain of wheat falls to the earth and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat. But if it dies, it produces much
fruit. The one who hates the life in this world preserves it to life eternal” (Jn 12:23-25). (kneel/ pause)
L. You will not suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption;
A. You will show me the path of life, fullness of joy in your presence, the delights at your right hand forever (Ps 16:10-11).
L. Let us pray.
A. God our Father, your Word, Jesus Christ, spoke peace to a sinful world, and brought us the gift of reconciliation, by the suffering and death he endured. Teach us, the people who bear his name, to follow the example he gave us; may our faith, hope, and charity turn hatred to love, conflict to peace, death to eternal life. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. (Fourth Sunday of Lent, II)
Concluding Prayer
L. “TherighthandoftheLordhasstruckwithpower. I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord.
A. The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. By the Lord has this been done; it is wonderful in our eyes” (Ps 118:16,17,22).
L. Let us pray.
A. Father, help us to be like Christ your Son, who loved the world and died for our salvation. Inspire us by his love, guide us by his example, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Fifth Sunday of Lent I)
Éditions Verbum Bible 