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Stations of the Cross

with Bible passages and meditations from Julian of Norwich, selected by the Poor Clare Sisters at Ty Mam Duw, Wales. The music is from 'Triduum - Contemporary Sacred Music' by David Bevan and Neil Wright, and sung by the Holy Redeemer Choir. The narrator is James Burke-Dunsmore, who has played the role of Jesus for 16 years and will be in the Passion of Christ in Trafalgar Square on Good Friday.

The photos are from the Oberammergau Passion Play (Passionsspiele) 1910 and the Gregynog Passion Play 2000. More photos here on Totus2us's flickr group.

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1st Station of the Cross      
Jesus is condemned to death

We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

John 19: 10
Pilate said to him: “Do you not know that I have power to release you and power to crucify you?” Jesus answered: “You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above.”

Julian of Norwich - IX Revelation, Ch 22
Then said our good Lord Jesus Christ to me: "Are you well satisfied with my suffering for you?" And I said: "Yes, good Lord, in your mercy. Yes, good Lord, may you be blessed for ever!" Then said Jesus, our kind Lord: "If you are satisfied, I am satisfied. It is a joy, a bliss and an endless delight to me that I suffered my passion for you. And if it were needful or possible that I should suffer more, I would suffer more."

I love you Jesus, my love, above all things; I repent with my whole heart for having offended you. Never permit me to separate myself from you again. Grant that I may love you always, then do with me as you will.
Our Father ... Hail Mary ... Glory Be.

2nd station - Jesus receives the cross      

We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

John 19: 17
So they took Jesus and he went out, bearing his own cross to the place called the place of the Skull, in Hebrew, Golgotha.

Julian of Norwich - IX Revelation, Ch 22
And I saw that the love which made him suffer passes as far all his pains as heaven is above the earth. For his passion was a noble, precious and worshipful deed done in time by the working of love. And that love was without beginning, is now, and shall be forever.

I love you Jesus, my love, above all things; I repent with my whole heart for having offended you. Never permit me to separate myself from you again. Grant that I may love you always, then do with me as you will.
Our Father ... Hail Mary ... Glory Be.

3rd station - Jesus falls for the first time    

We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

Hebrews 5: 8-9
Although he was Son, he learned to obey through suffering, that being made perfect he might become the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him.

Julian of Norwich - XIV Revelation, Ch 51
When Adam fell, God's Son fell, as God's Son chose not to be parted from Adam. For Adam signifies to my understanding Everyman. Adam fell from life to death, into the vale of this wretched world and after that into hell; God's Son fell, with Adam, into the vale of the Maiden's womb, who was the fairest daughter of Adam; and for this end: to excuse Adam from blame in heaven and on earth.

I love you Jesus, my love, above all things; I repent with my whole heart for having offended you. Never permit me to separate myself from you again. Grant that I may love you always, then do with me as you will.
Our Father ... Hail Mary ... Glory Be.

4th station - Jesus is met by his blessed mother       

We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

II Maccabees 7; v 27-29
My Son, have pity on me, I carried you nine months in my womb, and nursed you for three years, and have reared you and brought you up. I beseech you, my Child, look at the heavens and the earth and see everything that is in them and know that it was God who made them all out of nothing. Accept death now so that in God’s mercy I may receive you back with your brothers.

Julian of Norwich - VIII Revelation, Ch 18
Here I saw a part of the compassion of Our Lady Saint Mary: for Christ and she were so made one in love, that the greatness of her loving was the cause of the greatness of her pain. In this, I saw an example of natural love, strengthened by grace, that creatures have for him; which kind love was most fully and over passingly shown in his sweet Mother. For ever the higher, the mightier, the sweeter that love be, the more sorrow it is to the lover to see that body in pain that is loved.

I love you Jesus, my love, above all things; I repent with my whole heart for having offended you. Never permit me to separate myself from you again. Grant that I may love you always, then do with me as you will.
Our Father ... Hail Mary ... Glory Be.

5th station - Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus to carry his cross      

We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

Luke 23: 26
And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus.

Julian of Norwich - VIII Revelation, Ch 18
And all his disciples and all his true lovers then suffered anguish more than in their own bodily dying. For I am sure by my own feelings that the least of them loved him so far above himself, that it passes beyond the power of my telling. Here I saw a great oneness between Christ and us, to my understanding, for when he is in pain we are in pain.

I love you Jesus, my love, above all things; I repent with my whole heart for having offended you. Never permit me to separate myself from you again. Grant that I may love you always, then do with me as you will.
Our Father ... Hail Mary ... Glory Be.

6th station - Veronica wipes the face of Jesus       

We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

Isaiah 53: 2-3
He had no form or comeliness that we should look at him, no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and neglected, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces.

Julian of Norwich - II Revelation, Ch 10
And I saw in the face of the crucifix that hung before me a part of his passion, and it made me think of the holy veil of Veronica which is at Rome, which he portrayed with his own blessed face when he bore his hard passion. Of the brownness and blackness and ruefulness of this image many have marvelled how it may be, since he portrayed it with his own blessed face, who is the fairness of heaven and the flower of earth and the fruit of the Maiden's womb. But it was shown me that it is the image and likeness of our foul black deeds' shame in which our fair bright blessed Lord God was hid. Blessed may he be.

I love you Jesus, my love, above all things; I repent with my whole heart for having offended you. Never permit me to separate myself from you again. Grant that I may love you always, then do with me as you will.
Our Father ... Hail Mary ... Glory Be.

7th station - Jesus falls the second time    

We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

Hebrews 2: 10
For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons of glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through suffering.

Julian of Norwich - XIV Revelation, Ch 51
And in this his woe he suffered seven great pains. The first was the sore bruising he took in his falling, which was to him a pain proper to his human condition; the second was the heaviness of his body; the third was the feebleness following from these two; the fourth that he was blinded in his reason and stunned in his mind, to such length that he had almost forgotten his own love; the fifth was that he might not rise; the sixth was most marvellous to me, that he lay all alone and I saw none to help him; and the seventh was that the place where he lay was hard and grievous. And I marvelled how this servant might meekly suffer there all this woe.

I love you Jesus, my love, above all things; I repent with my whole heart for having offended you. Never permit me to separate myself from you again. Grant that I may love you always, then do with me as you will.
Our Father ... Hail Mary ... Glory Be.

8th station - The women of Jerusalem mourn for our Lord       

We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

Luke 23: 27-28
And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who bewailed and lamented him. But Jesus turned to them and said: “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.”

Julian of Norwich - XVI Revelation, Ch 77
But specially and highly and with full lovely manner of look, it was shown me that we shall meekly bear and suffer the penance that God himself gives us with a mind to his blessed Passion. For when we have a mind in his blessed Passion, with pity and love, then we suffer with him as did his friends who saw it. Flee we to our Lord and we shall be comforted.

I love you Jesus, my love, above all things; I repent with my whole heart for having offended you. Never permit me to separate myself from you again. Grant that I may love you always, then do with me as you will.
Our Father ... Hail Mary ... Glory Be.

9th station - Jesus falls for the third time       

We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

Hebrews 2: 9
For we see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels, crowned with glory and honour because of the suffering of death, so that, by the grace of God, he might taste death for every man.

Julian of Norwich - XIV Revelation, Ch 51
And I saw that it is right and fitting by virtue of the Lord's greatness and his own worship that his dearworthy servant, whom he loved so much, should be truly and blissfully rewarded, above all that he would have been if he had not fallen. Yes, and to such a length, that his falling and his woe shall be turned into high and overpassing worship and endless bliss.

I love you Jesus, my love, above all things; I repent with my whole heart for having offended you. Never permit me to separate myself from you again. Grant that I may love you always, then do with me as you will.
Our Father ... Hail Mary ... Glory Be.

10th station - Jesus is stripped of his garments       

We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

Philippians 2: 6-8
Jesus did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross.

Julian of Norwich - I Revelation, Chs 5 & 6
Our good Lord showed me in the spirit a sight of his homely loving. I saw that he is to us everything that is good and comfortable to our help. He is our clothing that for love is wound round us and wraps us up and shrouds us, and all encloses us and is twined about us for tender love, that he may never leave us. For as the body is clad in flesh and the flesh in the skin and the bones in the flesh and the heart in the whole, so are we clad and enclosed in the goodness of God. Yes, and he is yet more homely, for all these vanish and pass away but the goodness of God is ever whole and more near to us without any comparison."

I love you Jesus, my love, above all things; I repent with my whole heart for having offended you. Never permit me to separate myself from you again. Grant that I may love you always, then do with me as you will.
Our Father ... Hail Mary ... Glory Be.

11th station - Jesus is nailed to the cross       

We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

Luke 23: 33-34
And when they came to the place which is called the skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on the right and one on the left. And Jesus said: “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”

Julian of Norwich - I Revelation, Ch 6 & XIV Revelation Ch 61
We pray to God by his holy flesh and by his precious blood, his holy Passion, his dear worthy death and worshipful wounds. For all the blessed kindness and endless life that we have is through all this: it is all the goodness of God. For the blessed wounds of our Saviour be open, and enjoy to heal us.

I love you Jesus, my love, above all things; I repent with my whole heart for having offended you. Never permit me to separate myself from you again. Grant that I may love you always, then do with me as you will.
Our Father ... Hail Mary ... Glory Be.

12th station - Jesus dies on the cross       

We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

John 19; 30, 33-34, 37
And Jesus said: “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. And when they saw that Jesus was already dead they did not break his legs. But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear and at once there came out blood and water. As it is written: “They shall look on him whom they have pierced.”

Julian of Norwich - X Revelation, Ch 24
Then with a glad countenance our Lord looked unto his side and gazed there rejoicing. With his sweet looking, he led forth the understanding of me his creature by the same wound to the side within. And there he showed a fair, delectable place that is large enough for all mankind that shall be saved to rest in peace and in love. And with that he brought to my mind his dearworthy blood and precious water which he let pour out for love, and with the sweet beholding he showed his blessed heart cloven in two. And with this our good Lord said blissfully: "See how much I love you," as if he had said: "My darling, behold and see your Lord, the God that made you, and your endless joy. For now I have died for you and suffered all that can possibly be suffered, all my bitter pain and hard travail are turned into endless bliss and joy for you and for me. See what satisfying bliss I have in your salvation, and for my love rejoice with me."

I love you Jesus, my love, above all things; I repent with my whole heart for having offended you. Never permit me to separate myself from you again. Grant that I may love you always, then do with me as you will.
Our Father ... Hail Mary ... Glory Be.

13th station - Jesus is taken down from the cross 

We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

Hebrews 2: 14
Since therefore the children share in the same flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same nature that through death he might destroy him who has the power of death, that is the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong bondage.

Julian of Norwich - XIV Revelation, Ch 51
And his body being slain and dead, he yielded his soul into the Father's hands with all mankind for whom he was sent. At this point be began first to show his might, for he went into hell and there uprooted Adam from the bitter valley and rightfully knit him to himself in high heaven. His body was in the grave until Easter morning, but from that time he was never more to be counted among the dead. For then was rightfully ended the struggling and the writhing, the groaning and the moaning. And our foul deadly flesh, which God's Son took on him - which was Adam's old serving robe - was by our Saviour made fair, new, white and bright and of endless cleanness. Now the Son is seated, very God and Man, in his city in rest and peace; which his Father had made over to him of his endless purpose. And the Father is in the Son and thd Holy Ghost in the Father and the Son.

I love you Jesus, my love, above all things; I repent with my whole heart for having offended you. Never permit me to separate myself from you again. Grant that I may love you always, then do with me as you will.
Our Father ... Hail Mary ... Glory Be.

14th station - Jesus is placed in the tomb  

We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you.
Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

1 John 4: 9-10
In this love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the expiation of our sins.

Julian of Norwich - Ch 86
Would you learn your Lord's meaning in this thing? Learn it well; Love was his meaning. Who showed it to you? Love. What did he show you? Only Love. And for what reason did he show you? For love. Hold on to this, and you will learn more of the same. But you will never, without end, learn in it any other meaning. So it was that I learned that love is our Lord's meaning. And I saw full surely in this, and in all that God created, in us and for us; that he loved us, and his love was never exhausted nor ever shall be. And in this love he has done all his works. And in this love he has made all things to profit us. And in this love our life is everlasting. In our making we had a beginning, but the love in which we were created in him was from without beginning; and in all this we shall see God, without end. May Jesus grant this by his grace. Amen.

I love you Jesus, my love, above all things; I repent with my whole heart for having offended you. Never permit me to separate myself from you again. Grant that I may love you always, then do with me as you will.
Our Father ... Hail Mary ... Glory Be.

Message on the Way of the Cross

Pope John Paul II - message at World Youth Day Paris 1997

(in English, French, Italian, Portuguese & Spanish)

"Master, where do you live?" This evening, my dear young people, you have come to follow Christ as he advances on the way to his Passion. Lift your eyes to the face of the One who comes towards you and calls you. Whom do you seek in this Jesus, marked by sorrow, "his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance"? He is the Servant of God, the Son of the Most High who, carrying our pain, has made himself the servant of us all. Look upon him, listen to him in his pain and trial! It is in him, who experienced human weakness in everything except sin, that you will find healing for your hearts.

Through the weakness of a humiliated and despised man, God manifested his omnipotence. Jesus, the Innocent One, by freely accepting to go to the extreme of obedience to his Father who had sent him, became the witness of God's boundless love for all humanity. The mystery of our salvation is accomplished in the silence of Good Friday when a man, abandoned by all, bearing the weight of our sufferings, was delivered up to death on a Cross, his arms wide open in the gesture of embracing every man and woman. Could greater love be shown? A mystery that is difficult to grasp, a mystery of infinite love! A mystery that inaugurates the new and transfigured world of the Kingdom. On this cross, death has been overcome; from the death of the Son of God made man, life has sprung. His fidelity to the Father's divine plan of love has not been in vain, it has led to the resurrection.

The suffering Christ still dwells among the men and women of today. In order to reveal his power, God has come to share our deepest misery. In every person who is afflicted, beaten, mistreated, rejected, we can discover the Lord who travels the paths of humanity bearing his cross. Dear friends, the Crucified One is ever with you, by the side of those who toil, who suffer, who die. All of you who toil and labour under your burden, come to where Christ dwells, carry your cross with him, present him the offering of your lives, and he will give you rest. At your side, the loving presence of Mary, Mother of Jesus and your mother, will guide you and give you courage and comfort.

In a world in which evil appears to triumph, where hope sometimes seems extinguished, be close to one another as Christ has made himself close to you, in union with the martyrs of the faith, of brotherhood and of concern for others, with the witnesses to justice and freedom, with the victims of intolerance and discrimination, with all those who in so many nations torn apart by hatred or war have given their lives for their brothers and sisters. Do not look away; have the courage to reach out, to make a fraternal gesture, after the example of Simon of Cyrene who helped Jesus on his way to Calvary. Be daring artisans of reconciliation and of peace. Live together in solidarity and brotherly love. Make the Cross of the Saviour shine so as to announce to the world the victory of the Risen One, the victory of life over death!

Dear friends, contemplating the Cross of Christ, listening in silence to the word which he addresses to you, discover this God who counts on man, who confides in you and never despairs of anyone. He offers you his strength in order to make fruitful the seeds of peace and reconciliation which are in everyone's heart. The most humble acts of charity and fraternity witness to the presence of God. This evening, gathered together as members of the Church, Jesus again invites you to be open to his loving gaze upon you, to receive the forgiveness which will give you the courage to start out again on the road of life. He calls you to enter his light in order to begin a time of conversion and reconciliation. The sacrament of penance that you is being offered for you to receive is the sacrament of a love accepted and shared in the joy of a reconciled heart and of rediscovered brotherhood. Dear friends, accept this love which transforms your lives and opens to you the horizons of truth and freedom.