The Way of the Cross by St. Francis of Assisi

The Way of the Cross by St. Francis of Assisi

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

Preparatory Prayer

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, with the intention of promoting Thy honor and saving my soul.

I desire to gain all the indulgences granted for this holy exercise for myself and for the Poor Souls in Purgatory. O merciful Redeemer, who has said, "And I, if I be lifted from earth, will draw all things to Myself," draw my heart and my love to Thee, that I may perform this devotion as perfectly as possible, and that I may live and die in union with Thee. Amen.

STATIONS

STATION ONE Jesus is Condemned to Death

STATION TWO Jesus is made to carry His Cross

STATION THREE Jesus falls the first time

STATION FOUR Jesus meets His Sorrowful Mother

STATION FIVE Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry His Cross

STATION SIX Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus

STATION SEVEN Jesus falls the second time

STATION EIGHT The women of Jerusalem weep over Jesus

STATION NINE Jesus Falls the third Time

STATION TEN Jesus is stripped of His Garmets

STATION ELEVEN Jesus is nailed to the Cross

STATION TWELVE Jesus is raised on the cross and dies

STATION THIRTEEN Jesus is taken from the Cross and given to His Mother

STATION FOURTEEN Jesus is Laid in the Sepulchre

Concluding Prayer

Almighty and eternal God, merciful Father, who hast given to the human race Thy beloved Son as an example of humility, obedience, and patience, to precede us on the way of life, bearing the cross: Graciously grant us that we, inflamed by His infinite love, may take up the sweet yoke of His Gospel together with the mortification of the cross, following Him as His true disciples, so that we shall one day gloriously rise with Him and joyfully hear the final sentence: "Come, ye blessed of My Father, and possess the kingdom which was prepared for you from the beginning," where Thou reignest with the Son and the Holy Ghost, and where we hope to reign with Thee, world without end. Amen.

Visit to Our Lady after the Stations

by Saint Francis of Assisi
Photo Credit abcdz2000