The Stations of the Cross
as installed at Saint George

            The Stations of the Cross as installed at Saint George are based upon those said by Pope John Paul II 
        in 1991.  They are presented as an alternative of the traditional stations   The readings are from the
        New American Bible.  The link is presented to the referenced reading.

                         
        The 1st  Station             The 2nd Station           The 3rd Station              The 4th  Station          The 5th Station             The 6th Station            The 7th  Station

                                     
                The 8th Station           The 9th Station            The 10th Station          The 11th Station        The 12th Station         The13th  Station          The 14th  Station

        The Stations begin with an opening prayer.  At Saint George on successive Fridays in Lent,   we have 
        different readings and prayers on each week.  Those depicting our stations below will be those of the Second 
        Friday of Lent.  The opening prayer this week was from 2Timothy 2:8-13;

Remember Jesus Christ, descended from David, crucified, and raised from the dead.  If we died with him, we will also live with him;  if we endure, we will also reign with him.  If we disown him, he will also disown us; but if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.

        The second reader responds:

Father we pause from the cares an concerns of our daily lives to spend a 
few moments reflecting upon the events surrounding the death and resurrection 
you make your just ones holy, and you justify sinners who confess your name.  
Hear us as we humbly pray to you. Father, send your Spirit into our hearts, 
increase our faith and deepen our hope in the resurrection, 
we ask this in the name of Jesus.  
Amen

 

The First Station
  THE LAST SUPPER

            Luke 22: 24-30

Then an argument broke out among them about which of them should be regarded as the greatest. 
He said to them, 

"The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them and those in authority 
over them are addressed as 'Benefactors';

but among you it shall not be so. Rather, let the greatest among you be as 
the youngest, and the leader as the servant.
For who is greater: the one seated at table or the one who serves? 
Is it not the one seated at table? 
I am among you as the one who serves. It is you who have stood by me in my trials;
and I confer a kingdom on you, just as my Father has conferred one on me, 
that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom; 
and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel."

 

            SECOND READER

            Let us pray

          Lord Jesus, what you ask is hard.  It calls for courage and self-sacrifice, and I am weak and prone 
          to self-righteousness.  Please give me strength and don't let me turn from you.

          Lord, live in me, act in me, and love in me.  Not in me alone, but in everyone, 
          so that we may reveal your love for all.

            Amen.

The Second Station
THE AGONY IN THE GARDEN

John 17: 1-8

When Jesus had said this, he raised his eyes to heaven and said, 

"Father, the hour has come. Give glory to your son, so that your son may glorify you,

just as you gave him authority over all people, so that he may give eternal life to all you gave him.

Now this is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent, 
Jesus Christ.

I glorified you on earth by accomplishing the work that you gave me to do.

Now glorify me, Father, with you, with the glory that I had with you before the world began.

"I revealed your name to those whom you gave me out of the world. 
They belonged to you, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word.

Now they know that everything you gave me is from you,

because the words you gave to me I have given to them, and they accepted them and truly 
understood that I came from you, and they have believed that you sent me."

 

SECOND READER

            Let us pray

            Even at this hour Lord, your prayers are for me, and still I am a weak disciple.  
          But I willingly accept my weaknesses, my irritations and my moods, my headaches, and fatigue, 
          all the defects of my body, mind and soul.

         Because they are your will for me,, I will suffer these "handicaps" of my humanity.  
         Make me content with all my discontents, but give me the struengh to follow you.
           Amen.

 

The Third Station
JESUS IS ARRESTED

      Matthew 26: 47-50

While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived, accompanied by a large crowd, with swords and clubs, who had come from the chief priests and the elders of the people.

 

His betrayer had arranged a sign with them, saying, "The man I shall kiss is the one; arrest him."

 

Immediately he went over to Jesus and said, "Hail, Rabbi!" and he kissed him.

 

Jesus answered him, 

"Friend, do what you have come for." 

 

Then stepping forward they laid hands on Jesus and arrested him.

 

       SECOND READER

 Let us pray,

          My Lord Jesus, it must hurt to be betrayed by a friend and abandoned by others.  Give me your courage Lord when I am desolate because failure presses hard upon me and friends and family abandoned me.  Stretch out your hand, Lord, to lift me up. 

I know I must not cease, but persevere in doing good.  Alone there is nothing I can do.  With you, I can do anything you ask. 
Amen.

          

The Fourth Station
JESUS IS BROUGHT BEFORE THE SANHEDRIN

Luke 22: 66-71

When day came the council of elders of the people met, both chief priests and scribes, 
and they brought him before their Sanhedrin.

 

They said, "If you are the Messiah, tell us," but he replied to them, 

"If I tell you, you will not believe, and if I question, you will not respond.  
But from this time on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God."

 

They all asked, "Are you then the Son of God?" 
He replied to them, 

 

"You say that I am."

Then they said, "What further need have we for testimony? We have heard it from his own mouth."

 

SECOND READER

 Let us pray,

My Lord, Jesus, for proclaiming the truth you are condemned to death.  
Stir up your love in our hearts so that we might be ever faithful to all that you have taught us.  
Stir up your Holy Spirit within us so that we may fear nothing more than the evil of sin. 
Amen.

 

The Fifth Station
PETER DENIES JESUS 

   John 18: 15-27

Simon Peter and another disciple followed Jesus. 
Now the other disciple was known to the high priest, 
and he entered the courtyard of the high priest with Jesus.

 

But Peter stood at the gate outside. 
So the other disciple, the acquaintance of the high priest, 
went out and spoke to the gatekeeper and brought Peter in.

 

Then the maid who was the gatekeeper said to Peter, 
"You are not one of this man's disciples, are you?" 

He said, "I am not."

Now the slaves and the guards were standing around a charcoal fire that they had made, 
because it was cold, and were warming themselves. 
Peter was also standing there keeping warm.

The high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and about his doctrine.
Jesus answered him,

 
"I have spoken publicly to the world. 
I have always taught in a synagogue or in the temple area  
where all the Jews gather, and in secret I have said nothing.
Why ask me? Ask those who heard me what I said to them. They know what I said."

When he had said this, one of the temple guards standing there struck Jesus and said, 
"Is this the way you answer the high priest?"

Jesus answered him, 
"If I have spoken wrongly, testify to the wrong; but if I have spoken rightly,
 why do you strike me?"

Then Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.

Now Simon Peter was standing there keeping warm. And they said to him, 
"You are not one of his disciples, are you?" 

He denied it and said, "I am not."

One of the slaves of the high priest, a relative of the one whose ear Peter had cut off, said, 

"Didn't I see you in the garden with him?"

Again Peter denied it. 

And immediately the cock crowed. 

 

SECOND READER

 Let us pray,

Lord Jesus, You know how often through our words and actions we too deny knowing you 
and your way of love.  Fearful of not being accepted we often speak and act in ways 
contrary to your teaching.  Give us the courage always to follow you no matter how difficult 
the journey might be.  May all our words and actions proclaim our faith in you.

Amen.

 

The Sixth Station
JESUS IS BROUGHT BEFORE PILATE

 

John 18: 28-31

Then they brought Jesus from Caiaphas to the praetorium.  It was morning. 

And they themselves did not enter the praetorium, in order not to be defiled 
so that they could eat the Passover.

 

So Pilate came out to them and said, "What charge do you bring (against) this man?"

 

They answered and said to him, 
"If he were not a criminal, we would not have handed him over to you."

 

At this, Pilate said to them, 
"Take him yourselves, and judge him according to your law." 

The Jews answered him, "We do not have the right to execute anyone," 

 

SECOND READER

 Let us pray

My Lord, Jesus, You bowed to Pilate's rule and so the Son of God obeys a son of man.  Obedience will cost you your life.  For me, it costs an act of will ... nothing more.  
And yet, how hard it is for me to bend.

Lord, remove the blinders from my eyes that I may see that is is you whom I obey in all who govern me.

Amen.

 

 

 

The Seventh Station
JESUS IS SCOURGED AND CROWNED

John 19:1-3

Then Pilate took Jesus and had him scourged.

 

And the soldiers wove a crown out of thorns and placed it on his head, 

and clothed him in a purple cloak, and they came to him and said, 

 

"Hail, King of the Jews!" 

 

And they struck him repeatedly.

SECOND READER

 Let us pray

Lord, Jesus, A passage in Isaiah says, 

"You were pierced for our transgressions, you were crushed for our iniquities" 

The punishment that brought us our peace, was upon You, and by your wounds we are healed.  You bore all of this to free us from weakness and sin.  Strengthen us in our baptismal resolutions, by which we renounced sin and Satan, so that we might rise to new life of joyful service, free of all selfishness.

Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

The Eighth Station
JESUS IS CONDEMNED TO DEATH

John 19:4-7

Once more Pilate went out and said to them, 

 

"Look, I am bringing him out to you, so that you may know that I find no guilt in him."

 

So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple cloak. 

And he said to them, 

 

"Behold, the man!"

 

Then the chief priests and the guards saw him they cried out, 

 

"Crucify him, crucify him!" 

 

Pilate said to them, 

 

"Take him yourselves and crucify him. I find no guilt in him."

 

The Jews answered, 

"We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die, 
because he made himself the Son of God."

SECOND READER

 Let us pray

Lord, Jesus, I take up my cross daily when I welcome the monotony that often marks my day, the summer's heat ... the winter's cold, my disappointments, tensions, setbacks and cares, ... discomforts of all kinds, ...

Remind me often that in carrying my cross, I carry yours with you and though I bear only a spinter of your cross, you carry all of mine.  

Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

The Ninth Station
JESUS MEETS SIMON AND THE WOMEN OF JERUSALEM

Luke 23: 26-28

As they led him away they took hold of a certain Simon, a Cyrenian, who was coming in from the country; and after laying the cross on him, they made him carry it behind Jesus.

A large crowd of people followed Jesus, including many women who mourned and lamented him.

Jesus turned to them and said, 

"Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me;
 weep instead for yourselves and for your children,"

 

SECOND READER

 Let us pray

My Lord, Jesus, Simon was humiliated in being forced to help you carry the cross, but in this act, he found salvation for himself and for his family.  Help me to realize that every time I wipe a dish, help a child, yield to another in traffic, or a line, each time I feed the hungry, clothe the naked, teach the ignorant, or lend my hand in any way, no matter to whom, my name is Simon, and the kindness I extend to them, I readily give to you.

Amen

 

The Tenth Station
JESUS IS CRUCIFIED

Mark 15:22-27

They brought him to the place of Golgotha (which is translated Place of the Skull).

 

They gave him wine drugged with myrrh, but he did not take it.

 

 Then they crucified him and divided his garments by casting lots for them to see 

what each should take.

 

It was nine o'clock in the morning when they crucified him.

 

The inscription of the charge against him read, 

 

"The King of the Jews."

 

With him they crucified two revolutionaries, one on his right and one on his left.

SECOND READER

Let us pray

Lord, Jesus, I offer you my all, whatever I possess and more, I offer you myself.  Take from me the craving for prestige, and wealth.  Remove from me every trace of envy of my neighbor.  Release me from the sin of pride and my longing to be exalted.  Indeed, lead me to the lowest place. 

May I be poor in spirit, Lord, so that I can be rich in you. 

Amen.

 

 

The Eleventh Station
JESUS SPEAKS FROM THE CROSS

John 19:25-27

Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, 

Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala.

 

When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother,

 

 "Woman, behold, your son."

 

Then he said to the disciple,

 

"Behold, your mother." 

 

And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.

 

SECOND READER

Let us pray

Lord, Jesus, I know what you are telling me.  In giving your Blessed Mother to John's care you also give her to us.  To watch the pain in those we love is harder than to bear our own.  

To follow after you, with Mary as my example, I too, must stand and watch the suffering of my dear ones, the heartaches, sicknesses and grief of those I love.  And I must let them watch mine.

 

I do believe, for those who love you, all things work for good.  Lord, 
They must.

Amen

 

 

 

The Twelfth Station
THE HEART OF JESUS IS PIERCED

John 19: 29-37

There was a vessel filled with common wine.  So they put a sponge soaked in wine on a sprig of hyssop and put it up to his mouth.

When Jesus had taken the wine, he said, 

 

"It is finished." 

 

And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit.

 

PAUSE

 

Now since it was preparation day, in order that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the Sabbath, for the Sabbath day of that week was a solemn one, the Jews asked Pilate that their legs be broken and they be taken down.

 

So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and then of the other one who was crucified with Jesus.

 

But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs,but one soldier thrust his lance into his side, and immediately blood and water flowed out.

 

An eyewitness has testified, and his testimony is true; he knows that he is speaking the truth, so that you also may (come to) believe.

 

For this happened so that the scripture passage might be fulfilled: 

"Not a bone of it will be broken."

And again another passage says: 

"They will look upon him whom they have pierced."

 

SECOND READER

Let us pray

Lord, Jesus, your cross has become your pulpit.  What can I do or say in response?  You have told us that we too must accept crucifixion if we are to accept resurrection with you.  Help us to rejoice in the sufferings that come with our daily duties, seeing in them the road to the cross of resurrection.

Amen.

 

 

The Thirteenth Station
JESUS IS BURIED

Matthew 27:67-61

When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph, who was himself a disciple of Jesus.

He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus; then Pilate ordered it to be handed over.

Taking the body, Joseph wrapped it (in) clean linen and laid it in his new tomb that he had hewn in the rock.

Then he rolled a huge stone across the entrance to the tomb and departed.

But Mary Magdalene and the other Mary remained sitting there, facing the tomb.

 

SECOND READER

Let us pray

Lord, Jesus, You returned to our Father all that he had given you , so that He might restore it all to you a hundred-fold in the glorious resurrection.  Help us to give generously of ourselves in all that we do, so that like you, we may be made perfect in a new resurrection.

Amen.

 

The Fourteenth Station
THE RESURRECTION

Matthew 28: 1-10

After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.

 

And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, approached, rolled back the stone, and sat upon it.

 

His appearance was like lightning and his clothing was white as snow.

 

The guards were shaken with fear of him and became like dead men.

 

Then the angel said to the women in reply, 

 

"Do not be afraid! I know that you are seeking Jesus the crucified.

He is not here, for he has been raised just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.  Then go quickly and tell his disciples, 

 

'He has been raised from the dead, and he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him.' 

 

Behold, I have told you."

 

Then they went away quickly from the tomb, fearful yet overjoyed, and ran to announce this to his disciples.

 

And behold, Jesus met them on their way and greeted them. 

 

They approached, embraced his feet, and did him homage.

 

Then Jesus said to them, 

 

"Do not be afraid. Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me."

SECOND READER

Let us pray  Almighty God and Father, on the edge of sadness, when all seemed lost, you restored to us Jesus whom we thought defeated and conquered.  Help us to empty ourselves of self-concern that we might, in every failing, see your hand and in every defeat, see your victory.  These things we ask i the name of your son Jesus, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit now and forever.

Amen.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

The cross was not something that just happened to Jesus.  He came to die.  The corss was his purpose in coming.  He is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. (Rev: 14) His incarnation would have now meaning without the cross.  He came in the flesh to take sin away not to accomplish something for Himself.

The cross of Christ is the revealed truth of God's judgment on sin.  It was the supreme triumph and it shook the very foundations of hell.  there is nothing in time or eternity more absolutely certain and irrefutable than what Jesus accomplished on the cross.  He made it possible for the entire human race to be brought back to a relationship with God.  He made redemption the foundation of human life.  That is to say, he made a way for every individual to become a child of God and an heir to heaven.

For a look at the traditional stations you can see them at our page of our photos taken at 
the shrine in Emmittsburg Md.