STATIONS OF THE CROSS

DURING COVID19 PANDEMIC

The First Station: Jesus is Condemned to Death

Fr. Ariel: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
All: Because by your holy Cross, you have redeemed the world.
(Mark 14:61-64)
LET US PRAY: Lord Jesus, at the beginning of the Lenten season, the Church put ashes on
our forehead and reminded us that we are dust and to dust we shall return. The Coronavirus
made us realize this very clearly. We are nothing but dust. We feel our helplessness in the face
of the virus which we don’t even see. Like you, humanity is condemned to death. But we are
not afraid, O Lord. Because you have already conquered death by rising again. O Lord Jesus,
help us to trust in you during this difficult time in history. Amen.

The Second Station: Jesus Carries his Cross

Fr. Ariel: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
All: Because by your holy Cross, you have redeemed the world.
John 19:14-17)
LET US PRAY: Lord, you take upon yourself the burden of the cross and all that weighs
us down. Give us the strength to walk onward, uncrushed by the weight this pandemic put on
our shoulders. May we help others to endure in the trials and suffering of their lives, with joy
undefeated. We pray for a swift end to this pandemic. Amen.

The Third Station: Jesus Falls for the First Time

Fr. Ariel: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
All: Because by your holy Cross, you have redeemed the world.
(John 15: 18-20)
LET US PRAY: Jesus, when we fall and feel discouraged, may we know that you are
especially close to us, bearing our shame and giving us the strength to stand up on our feet and
begin to walk again. Make our hearts tender toward all those who fall under the weight of this
cross. Grant us renewed charity and unity during this worldwide crisis. May the desire for
holiness burn within us. We pray for a swift end to this pandemic. Amen.

The Fourth Station: Jesus Meets His Afflicted Mother

Fr. Ariel: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
All: Because by your holy Cross, you have redeemed the world.
(John 19:25-27)
LET US PRAY: All suffering is embraced by God when Jesus and his mother meet on
the way of the cross. Jesus is every child lost prematurely; Mary is every parent grieving for his
or her child. Lord be close to all who lose or become distant from people they love. During this
pandemic draw families closer together; let barriers fall down and closer relationships form. We
pray for a swift end to this pandemic. Amen.
The Fifth Station: Simon of Cyrene Helps Jesus to Carry His Cross
Fr. Ariel: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
All: Because by your holy Cross, you have redeemed the world.
(Mark 15:20-22)
LET US PRAY: Lord Jesus, may I be unashamed to accept help when I need it, and may
I be eager to offer it when others have needs. May our mutual dependence be a source of joy
and an occasion of grace, knitting us together in the community of your love. We pray for our
government leaders, medical personnel, priests, armed services, first responders, all who need
extraordinary grace at this moment. We pray for a swift end to this pandemic. Amen.

The Sixth Station: Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus

Fr. Ariel: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
All: Because by your holy Cross, you have redeemed the world.
(Matthew 25:37-40)
LET US PRAY: Lord Jesus, may I see with your compassion and smile with your
radiance, so that your unfailing tenderness is made flesh and blood in me. May I always be alert
to those who feel invisible and despised. May I help them to recognize that they are your
brothers and sisters sharing in your dignity. We implore special graces for families, children,
elderly, sick. We ask you to provide for the employed and the unemployed, for the economic
needs of all people during this worldwide crisis. We pray for a swift end to this pandemic.
Amen.

The Seventh Station: Jesus Falls for the Second Time

Fr. Ariel: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
All: Because by your holy Cross, you have redeemed the world.
(Isaiah 53:4-6)
LET US PRAY: Lord Jesus, lift me to my feet when fear of the virus brings me down.
When I feel battered by the storms of life, with neither the energy or strength to carry on, then
may I know that you, the strong Son of God, will bear me onward until I arrive at home in God.
We pray for a swift end to this pandemic. Amen.

The Eighth Station: Jesus Meets the Women of Jerusalem

Fr. Ariel: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
All: Because by your holy Cross, you have redeemed the world.
(Luke 23:27-29)
LET US PRAY: Lord Jesus, give me a new heart of flesh so I may rejoice with those who
rejoice and share sorrow with those who are saddened. Peel away the shell of my selfishness
that holds others at a distance, so I may be one with their lives, free to act with your own
spontaneous generosity as we help and serve those affected by coronavirus. Dress us in the
armor of your protection. We pray for a swift end to this pandemic. Amen.
The Ninth Station: Jesus Falls for the Third Time
Fr. Ariel: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
All: Because by your holy Cross, you have redeemed the world.
(Psalms 118:25-28)
LET US PRAY: Lord Jesus, after so many falls, let me not lose hope for happiness and
holiness. If you are with me, then I am not doomed to be stuck in the endless repetition of my
failures. May your grace arise in the wilderness of my heart. Grant a new beginning even today.
Help your people to arise beyond what is physical to see the spiritual dynamic at work in the
present crisis that besets the world. We pray for a swift end to this pandemic. Amen.

The Tenth Station: Jesus Is Stripped of His Clothes

Fr. Ariel: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
All: Because by your holy Cross, you have redeemed the world.
(Matthew 27:34-35)
LET US PRAY: Lord Jesus, I fear to be seen as I am, with my foolish fears and hidden
failures. I would be ashamed and wish to hide, like Adam and Eve. But for us, you have been
stripped naked and borne the jeers of the world. Comfort those who feel despised. Clothe me
with your love, please. Clothe humanity in your garment of love. We pray for a swift end to this
pandemic. Amen.

The Eleventh Station: Jesus is Nailed to the Cross

Fr. Ariel: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
All: Because by your holy Cross, you have redeemed the world.
(Luke 23:33-34)
LET US PRAY: Lord Jesus, your life had seemed so full of promise, and yet it ended in
the disgrace of the cross. Embrace all those who seem to be utter failures. And as you are close
to us in these dark moments in the history of the world, so may we share with you in the
radiance of your resurrection. As we journey our way of the cross now, help us to focus on the
light at the end of the tunnel—resurrection. We pray for a swift end to this pandemic. Amen.

The Twelfth Station: Jesus Dies on the Cross

Fr. Ariel: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
All: Because by your holy Cross, you have redeemed the world.
(Luke 33:44-46)
LET US PRAY: Lord Jesus, be with us in the hour of our death. May those who feel
abandoned by God know that he is closer than we can imagine. May those who feel that there is
no God at all discover his intimate presence. Before our death, inspire us to offer reparation for
our sins that we may be well prepared for our particular judgment. We pray for a swift end to
this pandemic. Amen.

The Thirteenth Station: Jesus is Taken Down from the Cross

Fr. Ariel: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
All: Because by your holy Cross, you have redeemed the world.
(John 19:33-34, 38)
LET US PRAY: Lord Jesus, now you are lowered from the cross into the hands of those
who loved you and who stayed by your side to the end. May we have the courage to remain
faithful to you despite the difficulties and fears we are experiencing right now. Grant, us to be
faithful to you and all those whom we love. We pray for a swift end to this pandemic. Amen.

The Fourteenth Station: Jesus is Placed in the Tomb

Fr. Ariel: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
All: Because by your holy Cross, you have redeemed the world.
(Matt 27:59-60)
LET US PRAY: Lord Jesus, now you are laid to rest in the tomb. May we rest in your
love, confident that even when the future is obscure, we nestle in your Father’s care. Grant us
patient endurance until we hear your final summons to the fullness of life. Graciously calm our
fears, and increase faith, hope, and love. We pray for a swift end to this pandemic. Please
impart your divine wisdom to our medical experts that a cure for the COVID-19 virus is soon
discovered. Amen.

The Closing Station: The Resurrection of Jesus

Fr. Ariel: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
All: Because by your holy Cross, you have redeemed the world.
(Mark 16: 1-6)

LET US PRAY:
I believe in God,
the Father Almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried;
He descended into hell;
on the third day He rose again from the dead;
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
from there He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Holy Catholic Church,
the communion of Saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting. AMEN.