Special Prayer for Monday in HOLY WEEK
O Almighty God, may the merits of the Passion of Thy Only-begotten Son give us new strength, for our own weakness brings nothing but failure in the face of so many afflictions. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit, One God forever and ever. Amen.
DailyWAY OF THE CROSS Devotion
OPENING SCRIPTURE READING
"The Son of Man is destined to suffer grievously, to be rejected, and to be
raised up on the third day. If anyone wants to be a follower of Mine, let
him renounce himself and take up his cross every day and follow Me. For
anyone who wants to save his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his
life for My sake, that man will save it" (Luke 9: 22-24).
STATIONS OF THE CROSS
1. Jesus is condemned to die
We adore you, O Lord, and we praise You. Because by Your holy cross, You
have redeemed the world. (genuflect or make the sign of the cross)
MEDITATION: Lord Jesus, often I judge others and fail to be understanding or loving. Help me to see
the people in my life through Your eyes, not the eyes of Pontius Pilate.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be
2. Jesus willingly takes up His Cross
We adore you, O Lord, and we praise You. Because by Your holy cross, You
have redeemed the world. (genuflect or make the sign of the cross)
MEDITATION: Lord Jesus, You embraced Your cross to redeem the world. Help
me to embrace the crosses in life-the hardships, struggles,
disappointments, and pain. Only by recognizing my own weakness, can I
discover Your strength.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be
3. Jesus falls for the First Time
4. Jesus meets His Blessed Mother
We adore you, O Lord, and we praise You. Because by Your holy cross, You
have redeemed the world. (genuflect or make the sign of the cross)
MEDITATION: Lord Jesus, Your mother Mary's grief was surpassed by her love
for you. So often You come to me in others and their love gives me new
life. Help me to see how often You love me through the people in my life.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be
5. Simon the Cyrene helps Jesus carry His Cross
We adore you, O Lord, and we praise You. Because by Your holy cross, You
have redeemed the world. (genuflect or make the sign of the cross)
MEDITATION: Lord Jesus, sometimes I am indifferent to the needs of others
in my life. I even neglect those whom I love. Help me to see that loving
others is the surest way to find You in my life.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be
6. Veronica wipes the Holy Face of Jesus
We adore you, O Lord, and we praise You. Because by Your holy cross, You
have redeemed the world. (genuflect or make the sign of the cross)
MEDITATION: Lord Jesus, at times I am afraid to reach out to others. I do
nothing when I should act; I say nothing when I should speak out. Give me
a deeper and more courageous faith. Help me to trust that You are with me.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be
7. Jesus falls for the Second Time
We adore you, O Lord, and we praise You. Because by Your holy cross, You
have redeemed the world. (genuflect or make the sign of the cross)
MEDITATION: Lord Jesus, failure and disappointment sometimes lead me to
despair. I hide behind my pride and self-pity, withdrawing from You and
others. Give me the hope I need and help me never to be afraid to begin
again.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be
8. Jesus comforts the Women of Jerusalem
We adore you, O Lord, and we praise You. Because by Your holy cross, You
have redeemed the world. (genuflect or make the sign of the cross)
MEDITATION: Lord Jesus, Your great compassion for others overwhelms me. I
feel petty and selfish when I think of You and the way You love. Help me
to pour out my love, that You might fill me with Your Love.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be
9. Jesus falls for the Third Time
We adore you, O Lord, and we praise You. Because by Your holy cross, You
have redeemed the world. (genuflect or make the sign of the cross)
MEDITATION: Lord Jesus, Your failing strength makes me see how helpless I
am. Without You, I can do nothing. Help me to rely on Your strength, to
see how much I need You.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be
10. Jesus is stripped of His garments
We adore you, O Lord, and we praise You. Because by Your holy cross, You
have redeemed the world. (genuflect or make the sign of the cross)
MEDITATION: Lord Jesus, seeing You so cruelly humiliated makes me realize
how I cling to my accomplishments, my possessions, my way. Help me to let
go of those things in my life that prevent me from growing closer to You
and others.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be
11. Jesus is nailed to the Cross
We adore you, O Lord, and we praise You. Because by Your holy cross, You
have redeemed the world. (genuflect or make the sign of the cross)
MEDITATION: Lord Jesus, I can never doubt Your great love for me when I
see You crucified. Help me to see Your cross as the great sign of Your
love for me.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be
12. Jesus dies on the Cross
We adore you, O Lord, and we praise You. Because by Your holy cross, You
have redeemed the world. (genuflect or make the sign of the cross)
MEDITATION: Lord Jesus, Your broken and lifeless body calls me to deeper
faith. You chose death, even death on the cross. Help me to see my
crosses as ways of loving You.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be
13. Jesus is taken down from the Cross
We adore you, O Lord, and we praise You. Because by Your holy cross, You
have redeemed the world. (genuflect or make the sign of the cross)
MEDITATION: Lord Jesus, seeing Your body taken from the cross reminds me
how fearful I am of letting go of my own life. I am frightened when I
think of being unimportant, useless, and helpless. Help me to place my
life in Your hands.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be
14: Jesus is Laid in the Tomb
We adore you, O Lord, and we praise You. Because by Your holy cross, You
have redeemed the world. (genuflect or make the sign of the cross)
MEDITATION:
Lord Jesus, when I see the great stone sealing Your tomb, I
feel alone and abandoned. Even though You sometimes seem distant or absent
in my life, help me always to believe in Your closeness and loving presence.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be
CLOSING SCRIPTURE READING
"On the first day of the week, at the first sign of dawn, they went to the
tomb with spices they had prepared. They found that the stone had been
rolled away from the tomb, but on entering they discovered that the body of
the Lord Jesus was not there. As they stood there not knowing what to
think, two men in brilliant clothes suddenly appeared at their side.
Terrified, the women lowered their eyes. But the two men said to them,
"Why look among the dead for someone who is alive? He is not here; He has
risen. Remember what He told you when He was still in Galilee: that the
Son of Man had to be handed over to the power of sinful men, be crucified,
and rise again on the third day?" And they remembered His words" (Luke
24: 1-8).
CLOSING PRAYER
Lord Jesus, help me to walk with You each day of my life, even to Calvary. The sorrow and joy, the pain and healings, the failures and triumphs of my
life are truly small deaths and resurrections that lead me to closeness
with You. Give me the faith and trust I need to walk with You always. Amen.
|
April 17, 2000 volume 11, no. 76
LENTEN MEDITATIONS
To print out text of Today's issue, go to:
SECTION ONE |
SECTION TWO |
SECTION THREE
|
Search for anything from the last three years in past issues of the DailyCATHOLIC:
|