The Historical Trials and Spiritual Meditations of the Stations of the Cross
As recorded by St. Francis of Assisi.
Introduction to the Franciscan Way of the Cross
Within the Franciscan tradition, the Via Crucis is not merely a historical commemoration but a strategic spiritual roadmap designed to align the believer's soul with the cruciform heart of the Savior. By retracing the steps of the Passion, the practitioner fosters a profound empathy for the suffering of Christ, transforming the path to Calvary into an interior journey of reformation. This devotion is framed by high theological stakes: the promotion of Christ's honor, the salvation of one's own soul, and the strategic gathering of all indulgences granted for this holy exercise to aid oneself and the poor souls in Purgatory.
The journey begins with a deliberate interior preparation, resolving to amend one's life through the following synthesis of the Franciscan tradition:
"O most merciful Jesus, with a contrite heart and penitent spirit, I bow down in profound humility before thy Divine Majesty. I adore thee as my Supreme Lord and Master; I believe in thee, I hope in thee, I love thee above all things. I am heartily sorry for having offended thee, my Supreme and only good. I resolve to amend my life, and although I am unworthy to obtain mercy, yet the sight of thy Holy Cross, on which thou didst die, inspires me with hope and consolation. I will therefore meditate on thy sufferings and visit the Stations of thy passion in company with thy sorrowful Mother and my guardian angel."
Ultimately, the goal is for the practitioner to be "drawn" to Christ, performing this devotion to live and die in perfect union with Him. We move now from the silence of preparation to the harsh, historical reality of the first trial.
Opening Prayers
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Trials of Condemnation and the Start of the Journey (Stations 1-3) The opening stations illustrate the strategic transition from the life of an innocent man to the heavy burden of the instrument of death. This sequence highlights the immediate physical and social consequences of the Cross as the weight of the world's sin begins its descent upon the shoulders of the Word Incarnate.
Encounters of Compassion and Shared Suffering (Stations 4-6) The path to Calvary is marked by strategic human interactions. These moments highlight how shared sorrow and small acts of service offer relief amidst the trial, serving as a "maternal accompaniment" that softens the brutality of the Way.
The Increasing Burden and the Weight of Repetition (Stations 7-9) The journey progresses to the theme of persistence against the debilitating effect of repeated failure. The second and third falls symbolize the crushing weight of habitual sin and the absolute necessity of divine grace to rise again.
The Culmination of the Sacrifice (Stations 10-12) The stations at the summit represent the ultimate acts of "superabundance of love." Here, Christ undergoes a total despoilment—physical, emotional, and spiritual—to win back the soul of man.
The Rest and the Tomb (Stations 13-14) The final stations focus on the descent and interment, emphasizing the Franciscan themes of final perseverance and total detachment from the vanities of the world.
Prayer of St. Francis before the Crucifix
Most High, glorious God, enlighten the darkness of my heart and give me true faith, certain hope, and perfect charity, sense and knowledge, Lord, that I may carry out your holy and true command. Amen.
V.) We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.
R.) Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
The First Station
Jesus Is Condemned To Death
V.) We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.
R.) Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
Historical Event: Though most innocent and incapable of sin, Jesus is delivered by Pilate to his enemies to be condemned to the most ignominious death, purely so that Pilate might "remain a friend of Caesar."
Franciscan Meditation: We must evaluate the "fearful crime" of offending God to avoid displeasing men. St. Francis challenges the disciple: should I desire to please men, I could not be Christ's servant. It is better to displease the entire world than to fail to please Jesus.
We contemplate the innocent Christ standing before Pilate, bearing false accusations for our redemption. Though he is the Just One, he accepts an unjust sentence, teaching us to trust in God's justice even when human judgment fails.
Psalm Prayer
Psalm Prayer
Ps. 26:12 “Deliver me not over to the will of them that trouble me: for unjust witnesses have risen up against me.”
Ps. 34:11 “Unjust witnesses rising up have asked me things I knew not.”
Ps. 37:13 “But I, as a deaf man, heard not: and as a dumb man not opening his mouth.”
Ps. 21:20 “O Lord, be not thou far from me: O my help, look unto my defence.”
Ps. 30:2 “In thee, O Lord, have I hoped, let me never be confounded.”
Ps. 42:1 “Judge me, O God, and distinguish my cause from the nation that is not holy.”
Ps. 55:23 “Cast thy care upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee.”
Ps. 61:8 “So will I sing a psalm to thy name for ever and ever.”
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, for our redemption you were born and circumcised, rejected by the Jews, betrayed with a kiss by Judas, seized, bound, and led in chains to Annas, Caiaphas, Herod, and Pilate, and you stood before them to be mocked, smitten with palm and fist, with the scourge and rod. Your face was defiled with spitting. You were crowned with thorns and accused by false witnesses. You were condemned, and as an innocent Lamb led to slaughter, bearing your own cross, pierced with nails. [141] p. 45.3, Sarum Missal, Innocent III
[Pray the Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be prayers one time]
Lord Jesus, crucified, have mercy on us!
Stabat Mater
At the Cross her station keeping,
stood the mournful Mother weeping,
close to Jesus to the last.
The Second Station
Jesus Carries His Cross
V.) We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.
R.) Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
Historical Event: Exhausted and bleeding, Jesus beholds the Cross and does not recoil; instead, he most willingly stretches out his arms, lovingly embraces it, and tenderly kisses the instrument of his execution.
Franciscan Meditation:The inner reality of the disciple is tested here; one cannot be a follower of Christ while refusing to carry the Cross. We are called to "glory in nothing save the cross," ensuring that the world is crucified to us and we to the world.
Christ accepts the instrument of his death, transforming the cross from symbol of shame to sign of salvation. In embracing what was meant to destroy him, he shows us how to accept our own crosses with patient love.
Psalm Prayer
Psalm Prayer
Ps. 3:4 “But thou, O Lord art my protector, my glory, and the lifter up of my head.”
Ps. 17:7 “In my trouble I called upon the Lord, and I cried to my God.”
Ps. 45:2 “God is our refuge and strength; a helper in troubles, which have found us exceedingly.”
Ps. 61:2 “Hear, O God, my supplication; be attentive to my prayer.”
Ps. 12:2 “How long, O Lord, wilt thou forget me unto the end?”
Ps. 56:4 “In what day soever I shall call upon thee, behold I know thou art my God.”
Ps. 143:10 “Teach me to do thy will, for thou art my God.”
Ps. 106:6 “And they cried to the Lord in their tribulation; and he delivered them.”
In self-indulgence Adam reached his hands to the tree. In loving patience Christ fixed his hands to the cross. Therefore the punishment borne by innocence became the freedom of the debtor, for debts are remitted to debtors paid by him who owed nothing. [130] p. 41.1, Old Gallican
[Pray the Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be prayers one time]
Lord Jesus, crucified, have mercy on us!
Stabat Mater
Through her heart, His sorrow sharing,
all His bitter anguish bearing,
now at length the sword has passed.
The Third Station
Jesus Falls the First Time
V.) We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.
R.) Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
Historical Event:Weakened by the heavy weight, Jesus falls exhausted to the ground.
Franciscan Meditation:Here we find the "So What?" of the physical fall: while the Cross was "light and sweet" to Jesus because of His love, it was the weight of our "sins and misdeeds" that rendered the journey "insupportable." The practitioner is invited to exchange the crushing weight of sin for the "sweet yoke" of the commandments.
Under the weight of our sins, the sinless one stumbles, showing his complete identification with our human weakness. His falling reveals both the crushing burden of sin and the power of divine love that rises again.
Psalm Prayer
Ps. 37:24 “For I am ready for scourges: and my sorrow is continually before me.”
Ps. 68:30 “I am poor and sorrowful: thy salvation, O God, hath set me up.”
Ps. 21:15 “My strength is dried up like a potsherd.”
Ps. 142:4 “Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name.”
Ps. 144:14 “The Lord lifteth up all that fall.”
Ps. 117:13 “Being pushed I was overturned that I might fall: but the Lord supported me.”
Ps. 27:7 “The Lord is my helper and my protector.”
Almighty God, grant that we who have failed in our weakness through so many troubles may be relieved by the intervention of the Passion of your only Son; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. [135] p. 43.1, Gregorian
[Pray the Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be prayers one time]
Lord Jesus, crucified, have mercy on us!
Stabat Mater
O how sad and sore distressed
was that Mother, highly blest,
of the sole-begotten One.
The Fourth Station
Jesus Meets His Afflicted Mother
V.) We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.
R.) Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
Historical Event:Jesus encounters Mary, whose most tender heart experiences "unspeakable pangs" as she beholds her Son laden with the burden of the Cross.
Franciscan Meditation:This is a call to participation. We ask to feel the pains that pierced their hearts, seeking the "Mother of Sorrows" to let us participate in their mutual suffering so that we may enjoy her assistance at the hour of our death.
The sword foretold by Simeon pierces Mary's heart as she encounters her suffering son on the road to Calvary. In this meeting of mother and son, divine love and human compassion unite in perfect sorrow.
Psalm Prayer
Psalm Prayer
Ps. 24:16 “Look thou upon me, and have mercy on me.”
Ps. 30:10 “Hear, O Lord, and have mercy on me: be thou my helper.”
Ps. 68:21 “In thy sight are my humiliation and my labour.”
Ps. 87:15 “Why, O Lord, dost thou cast off my prayer?”
Ps. 72:26 “My flesh and my heart hath fainted away: thou art the God of my heart.”
Ps. 129:1 “Out of the depths I have cried to thee, O Lord.”
Ps. 132:1 “Remember, O Lord, David and all his meekness.”
O Lord, purify your family, and cleanse it from all corruption of evil, that those who have been redeemed by their Lord's Passion may never again be stained by the unclean spirit, but may be possessed by eternal salvation; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. [132] p. 42.2, Leonine
[Pray the Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be prayers one time]
Lord Jesus, crucified, have mercy on us!
Stabat Mater
Christ above in torment hangs,
she beneath beholds the pangs
of her dying glorious Son.
The Fifth Station
Simon Helps Jesus Carry His Cross
V.) We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.
R.) Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
Historical Event:Simon is compelled to assist, and Jesus, in His humility, accepts the help of a creature to carry the instrument of salvation.
Franciscan Meditation:This station offers a sharp reproach to the believer who hears the Lord's invitation but "declines." To bear the Cross "reluctantly" is to miss the path; we must voluntarily join Him in his "bloody footsteps" to reach eternal life.
A stranger is pressed into service, unknowingly participating in humanity's salvation through one act of reluctant assistance. Simon's burden becomes his blessing, as helping Christ transforms ordinary service into sacred privilege.
Psalm Prayer
Psalm Prayer
Ps. 81:7 “Thou calledst upon me in affliction, and I delivered thee.”
Ps. 118:173 “Let thy hand be with me to save me.”
Ps. 54:23 “He shall sustain thee.”
Ps. 120:1 “I have lifted up my eyes to the mountains, from whence help shall come to me.”
Ps. 120:2 “My help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”
Ps. 132:18 “Upon him shall my sanctification flourish.”
Ps. 89:2 “For thou hast said: Mercy shall be built up for ever.”
Jesus, our God, you gave your cheek to those who struck you, and for our sakes you endured mockery. Teach us by the example of your Passion to take your easy yoke and your light burden and learn from you, since you are gentle and lowly in heart. [145] p. 46.3, Mozarabic
[Pray the Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be prayers one time]
Lord Jesus, crucified, have mercy on us!
Stabat Mater
Is there one who would not weep,
whelmed in miseries so deep,
Christ's dear Mother to behold?
The Sixth Station
Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus
V.) We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.
R.) Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
Historical Event:Impelled by devotion, Veronica offers her veil to wipe the disfigured face of the Lord, and He rewards this "small service" by imprinting His holy countenance upon the cloth.
Franciscan Meditation:The practitioner is asked what return they make for such benefits. We respond by consecrating the heart entirely to His service, asking Him to imprint His sacred image there so it may never be effaced by sin.
A woman's compassion breaks through the crowd's cruelty, offering Christ a small comfort that etches his image on her veil. In this simple act of mercy, we see how love responds to suffering with tender care.
Psalm Prayer
Psalm Prayer
Ps. 26:8 “My heart hath said to thee: My face hath sought thee: thy face, O Lord, will I still seek.”
Ps. 33:6 “Come ye to him and be enlightened: and your faces shall not be confounded.”
Ps. 43:4 “Send forth thy light and thy truth.”
Ps. 79:4 “Show us thy face, and we shall be saved.”
Ps. 118:135 “Make thy face to shine upon thy servant.”
Ps. 30:17 “Let thy face shine upon thy servant; save me in thy mercy.”
Ps. 66:2 “May God have mercy on us, and bless us: may he cause the light of his countenance to shine upon us.”
Today, O good Jesus, you did not hide your face from shame and spitting for us. Today, Jesus our Redeemer, you were mocked, struck by unbelievers, and crowned with thorns for us. [151] p. 48.3, Mozarabic
[Pray the Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be prayers one time]
Lord Jesus, crucified, have mercy on us!
Stabat Mater
Can the human heart refrain
from partaking in her pain,
in that Mother's pain untold?
The Seventh Station
Jesus Falls A Second Time
V.) We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.
R.) Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
Historical Event:Under the weight of the Cross, Jesus falls again, but the "cruel executioners" strike and push Him, refusing Him even a moment of rest.
Franciscan Meditation:It is the "frequent repetition of sins" that truly oppresses Jesus. The disciple must plea for a "helping hand" to reform their life, recognizing that without His grace, we are unable to carry out the resolution to never sin again.
Exhausted by loss of blood and brutal treatment, Christ falls again, demonstrating the depths of his self-emptying love. Yet even in this second collapse, he shows us the grace to rise and continue.
Psalm Prayer
Psalm Prayer
Ps. 37:18 “I am afflicted and humbled exceedingly.”
Ps. 68:10 “Save me, O God: for the waters are come in even unto my soul.”
Ps. 21:16 “They have dug my hands and feet.”
Ps. 70:9 “O God, come to my assistance.”
Ps. 94:18 “If I said: My foot is moved: thy mercy, O Lord, assisted me.”
Ps. 145:8 “The Lord lifteth up all that are cast down.”
Ps. 39:14 “Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me.”
Almighty God, grant that we who are always afflicted by our own transgressions, may be delivered by the Passion of your only Son; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. [136] p. 43.2, Gregorian
[Pray the Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be prayers one time]
Lord Jesus, crucified, have mercy on us!
Stabat Mater
Bruised, derided, cursed, defiled,
she beheld her tender Child
All with bloody scourges rent:
The Eighth Station
Jesus Speaks to the Holy Women
V.) We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.
R.) Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
Historical Event:Jesus instructs the mourning women not to weep for Him, but for themselves and their children.
Franciscan Meditation:St. Francis identifies the "profitable tears" that the Lord desires: Tears shed from true Contrition for one's sins. Tears for the cause of the suffering (our own transgressions). Abundant tears that move the heart through divine grace.
Christ pauses to console the weeping women, redirecting their sorrow toward repentance and the fate of Jerusalem. Even in his agony, he thinks of others, teaching us to look beyond our own suffering.
Psalm Prayer
Psalm Prayer
Ps. 77:6 “I thought upon the days of old.”
Ps. 118:136 “My eyes have sent forth springs of water.”
Ps. 125:5 “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.”
Ps. 50:19 “A sacrifice to God is an afflicted spirit.”
Ps. 33:19 “The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a contrite heart.”
Ps. 94:19 “According to the multitude of my sorrows in my heart, thy comforts have given joy to my soul.”
Ps. 125:6 “Coming they shall come with joyfulness.”
O Christ, Son of God, your Father gave you up for us all when he received you as a true sacrifice for us. Receive the prayers of your people. Save those you have redeemed. Give life to those you have delivered. Do not let those you redeemed perish eternally. Since you were crucified for all, give us forgiveness of sins in this life, and eternal joy in the life to come. [146] p. 47.1, Mozarabic
[Pray the Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be prayers one time]
Lord Jesus, crucified, have mercy on us!
Stabat Mater
For the sins of His own nation,
saw Him hang in desolation,
Till His spirit forth He sent.
The Ninth Station
Jesus Falls the Third Time
V.) We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.
R.) Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
Historical Event:Arriving exhausted at the foot of Calvary, Jesus falls a third time, his strength utterly spent.
Franciscan Meditation:The "So What?" layer here is the most harrowing: these "fearfully oppressive" sins, had Jesus not taken them upon Himself, would have "plunged the believer into the abyss of Hell." This realization must kindle an earnest desire for final perseverance in penance.
At Golgotha's threshold, Christ collapses a final time, having poured out his strength completely for our salvation. This third fall shows the absolute completeness of his self-gift.
Psalm Prayer
Psalm Prayer
Ps. 40:2 “He brought me out of the pit of misery.”
Ps. 68:15 “I am sunk in the deep mire.”
Ps. 142:7 “My spirit failed within me.”
Ps. 30:10 “Thou hast turned all his couch in his sickness.”
Ps. 117:14 “The Lord is my strength and my praise.”
Ps. 72:24 “Thou hast held me by my right hand.”
Ps. 54:18 “He shall redeem my soul in peace.”
Lord Jesus Christ, you went to the wood of the cross for the redemption of the world to enlighten the whole world which was in deep darkness. Shine your light into our souls and bodies that we may receive your light eternal; with the Father and the Holy Spirit you live and reign, one God, now and forever. [149] p. 48.1, Sarum Missal
[Pray the Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be prayers one time]
Lord Jesus, crucified, have mercy on us!
Stabat Mater
O thou Mother! fount of love!
Touch my spirit from above,
make my heart with thine accord:
The Tenth Station
Jesus is Stripped of His Garments
V.) We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.
R.) Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
Historical Event:The garments, adhering to His wounds, are cruelly torn away, removing parts of His bloody skin and renewing every laceration so that He might die "possessed of nothing."
Franciscan Meditation:We are called to "lay aside the former self" with all its sinful inclinations. We must be willing to die to "things temporal" and our own will in order to live for God forever.
The final humiliation: stripped naked before the mocking crowd, Christ is reduced to absolute poverty and vulnerability. In losing everything, he shows us that true wealth is found only in God.
Psalm Prayer
Psalm Prayer
Ps. 21:19 “They parted my garments amongst them; and upon my vesture they cast lots.”
Ps. 34:15 “They rejoiced against me, and came together.”
Ps. 68:8 “I am become a stranger to my brethren.”
Ps. 108:25 “I became a reproach to them.”
Ps. 68:21 “My heart hath expected reproach and misery.”
Ps. 30:19 “Let the lying lips be made dumb.”
Ps. 70:1 “In thee, O Lord, I have hoped.”
Truly, O Savior, for us your body was red with blood. You "washed your garment in wine, and your clothes in the blood of grapes," for you are God alone, crucified for us, whom the old transgression gave over to death. [155] p. 50.2, Old Gallican
[Pray the Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be prayers one time]
Lord Jesus, crucified, have mercy on us!
Stabat Mater
Make me feel as thou hast felt;
make my soul to glow and melt
with the love of Christ my Lord.
The Eleventh Station
Jesus is Nailed to the Cross
V.) We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.
R.) Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
Historical Event:Jesus is violently thrown upon the wood, His hands and feet pierced. Amidst these "excruciating pains," He remains silent and patient to please His Heavenly Father.
Franciscan Meditation:This is the renunciation of our own impatience and fretful complaints. We commit our destiny to Him, asking Him to "scourge, scathe, and punish" us in this world, provided He spares us in the next.
Iron pierces sacred flesh as love triumphs over hatred, the innocent victim freely offering himself for the guilty. In this moment, all human cruelty meets infinite divine mercy.
Psalm Prayer
Psalm Prayer
Ps. 21:17 “They have numbered all my bones.”
Ps. 21:16 “They have dug my hands and feet.”
Ps. 37:12 “My friends and my neighbours have drawn near.”
Ps. 68:22 “They gave me gall for my food.”
Ps. 55:5 “My heart is troubled within me.”
Ps. 30:6 “Into thy hands I commend my spirit.”
Ps. 85:17 “Show me a token for good.”
Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your hands on the cross and you redeemed us by your blood. Forgive me, a sinner, for none of my thoughts are hidden from you. Pardon I ask, pardon I hope for, pardon I trust I have. You are compassionate and merciful. Spare and forgive me. [140] p. 44.2, Ambrosian
[Pray the Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be prayers one time]
Lord Jesus, crucified, have mercy on us!
Stabat Mater
Holy Mother! pierce me through,
in my heart each wound renew
of my Savior crucified:
The Twelfth Station
Jesus Dies on the Cross
V.) We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.
R.) Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
Historical Event:The Savior hangs in the air, a visual proof of love: His head is bent to kiss us, His arms are extended to embrace us, and His heart is open to receive us.
Franciscan Meditation:In this "superabundance of love," the Son of God dies that man may live. The practitioner offers a prayer of total belonging: "For thee alone do I desire to live and to die."With the moment of death, the focus shifts from the violence of the executioners to the tender and somber handling of the lifeless body.
"It is finished." The sacrifice is complete, the price is paid, divine justice and mercy meet in perfect love. In this death, all death is conquered.
Psalm Prayer
Psalm Prayer
Ps. 21:2 “O God, my God, look upon me: why hast thou forsaken me?”
Ps. 30:6 “Into thy hands I commend my spirit.”
Ps. 87:4 “My soul is filled with evils.”
Ps. 68:22 “In my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.”
Ps. 15:10 “Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell.”
Ps. 116:15 “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.”
Ps. 30:25 “Do ye manfully, and let your heart be strengthened.”
O loving Wisdom of the living God, living Word and Power of God the eternal Father, your birth is from of old, from ancient days, Son of God the eternal Father. You are God, without whom nothing is, by whom all things were created. You are God above us, and you became fully human for our sakes. You have willed us to be what we are. Give us what you have promised to all, that your passion may be our deliverance, and your death our life, and your cross our redemption, and your wounds our healing. [138] p. 43.4, Old Gallican
[Pray the Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be prayers one time]
Lord Jesus, crucified, have mercy on us!
Stabat Mater
Let me share with thee His pain,
who for all my sins was slain,
who for me in torments died.
The Thirteenth Station
Jesus is Taken Down From the Cross
V.) We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.
R.) Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
Historical Event:The lifeless body of Jesus is taken down and placed upon the "bosom of his divine mother."
Franciscan Meditation:We consider the "purity of heart" required to receive the Body of Christ. If Mary’s bosom was the worthy resting place for His mangled body, how much more must we seek a "new heart" to receive Him worthily in the "adorable sacrament of the altar."
Mary receives her dead son's body, the pieta made flesh, a mother's love cradling infinite love incarnate. In her arms, death itself is held with tenderness.
Psalm Prayer
Psalm Prayer
Ps. 129:1 “Out of the depths I have cried to thee, O Lord.”
Ps. 43:2 “For thou art God my strength.”
Ps. 147:3 “Who healeth the broken of heart.”
Ps. 34:18 “The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a contrite heart.”
Ps. 72:26 “My flesh and my heart hath fainted away.”
Ps. 30:12 “O Lord my God, I will give praise to thee for ever.”
Ps. 85:9 “Mercy and truth have met each other.”
By the shedding of the blood of Christ our Lord, peace has been established in heaven and earth. Truly precious is the covenant of peace made by the offering of that holy blood! Not with gold or silver, not with gems or pearls, but with the blood that poured from the side of the Savior, which gladdened heaven, purified earth, and terrified hell. [150] p. 48.2, Gallican Sacramentary
[Pray the Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be prayers one time]
Lord Jesus, crucified, have mercy on us!
Stabat Mater
Let me mingle tears with thee,
mourning Him who mourned for me,
all the days that I may live:
The Fourteenth Station
Jesus is Laid in the Sepulcher
V.) We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You.
R.) Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.
Historical Event: Jesus is interred in a "stranger's sepulcher," for He who had nowhere to rest His head in life would not even have a grave of His own in death.
Franciscan Meditation:The "So What?" layer is one of absolute detachment. Because Jesus was "not from this world," the believer must "despise the world" and its deceitful vanities to avoid perishing with it, journeying instead toward the "heavenly home."
In apparent defeat, infinite love rests in the earth, preparing the greatest victory: the defeat of death itself. The tomb becomes the womb of resurrection.
Psalm Prayer
Psalm Prayer
Ps. 4:9 “In peace in the selfsame I will sleep, and I will rest.”
Ps. 15:9 “My flesh also shall rest in hope.”
Ps. 87:6 “I am counted among them that go down to the pit.”
Ps. 129:5 “My soul hath relied on his word.”
Ps. 62:2 “He only is my rock and my salvation.”
Ps. 29:6 “At evening weeping shall have place, and in the morning gladness.”
Ps. 117:24 “This is the day which the Lord hath made.”
Today, good Shepherd, you laid down your life for the sheep on the cross... Today you were laid in the guarded tomb, and the saints burst open their tombs. Today, good Jesus, you put an end to our sins, that on the day of your resurrection we may joyfully receive your holy body, and be refreshed with your sacred blood. [151] p. 48.3, Mozarabic
[Pray the Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be prayers one time]
Lord Jesus, crucified, have mercy on us!
Stabat Mater
By the Cross with thee to stay,
there with thee to weep and pray,
is all I ask of thee to give.
Closing Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, who walked the way of sorrows for our salvation, we thank you for the gift of these sacred stations. Through the psalm prayers of your servant Francis, we have accompanied you on the road to Calvary. Grant that meditating on your passion, we may embrace our own crosses with patient love, die to sin, and rise to new life in you. May the psalms that Francis prayed become our own prayer, uniting us to your redemptive suffering and glorious resurrection. Amen.
O Christ, only Son of the eternal Father, for us you were slain this day, the Innocent for the ungodly. Remember the price of your blood, and blot out the sins of all your people. As you patiently endured reproaches... give us the infinite blessedness of your heavenly kingdom. As we bow down in reverence for your Passion, lift us up with the heavenly joys of your resurrection. [152] p. 49.1, Mozarabic
Remaining Verses of Stabat Mater
Virgin of all virgins blest!,
Listen to my fond request:
let me share thy grief divine;
Let me, to my latest breath,
in my body bear the death
of that dying Son of thine.
Wounded with His every wound,
steep my soul till it hath swooned,
in His very Blood away;
Be to me, O Virgin, nigh,
lest in flames I burn and die,
in His awful Judgment Day.
Christ, when Thou shalt call me hence,
by Thy Mother my defense,
by Thy Cross my victory;
While my body here decays,
may my soul Thy goodness praise,
safe in paradise with Thee. Amen.
