The stations of the cross are a powerful prayer experience. The best way to pray these is to do them at your church meditating on each of the stations. You may also do them at home or in the adoration chapel at church. I have included the stations of the cross by St. Alphonsus Liguori below. These are some of my favorite stations. You can find many different versions of the stations of the cross online or in booklets at your favorite Catholic bookstore.

These are the 14 Stations of the Cross

1. Jesus is condemned to death.
2. Jesus is given His cross.
3. Jesus falls down for the first time.
4. Jesus meets His mother Mary.
5. Simon of Cyrene is forced to carry the cross.
6. Veronica wipes blood off of Jesus’ face.
7. Jesus falls down for the second time.
8. Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem.
9. Jesus falls down for the third time.
10. Jesus is stripped of His clothing.
11. Jesus is nailed to the cross – the Crucifixion.
12. Jesus dies on the cross.
13. Jesus’ body is removed from the cross – the Deposition or Lamentation.
14. Jesus’ body is placed in the tomb.

Stations of the Cross by St. Alphonsus Liguori

Opening Prayer

My Lord Jesus Christ, you have made this journey to die for me with infinite love. So many times I have sinned, but I repent sincerely because I love you. Pardon me, my God. I will love you all my life.

First Station: Jesus Is Condemned to Death

V. We adore you, Christ, and we praise you.

R. Because by your holy Cross, you have redeemed the world.

Meditation: Jesus, after having been scourged and crowned with thorns, was unjustly condemned by Pilate to die on the Cross.

Prayer: Jesus, it is because of my sins that You are going to die. Through the merits of Your sorrowful journey, help me in my journey to Heaven. I love You, Jesus. I repent of my sins. Help me to never sin again and to love You always and to do Your will.

Second Station: Jesus Is Made to Bear His Cross

V. We adore you, Christ, and we praise you.

R. Because by your holy Cross, you have redeemed the world.

Meditation: Jesus, in making this journey with the Cross on His shoulders, thought of us, and offered for us, to His Father, the death that He was about to undergo.

Prayer: Jesus, I embrace all the suffering that you send to me. Through the merits of your pain in carrying Your Cross, help me to carry my cross with patience and resignation. I love you, Jesus. I repent of my sins. Help me to never sin again and to love you always and to do your will.

Third Station: Jesus Falls the First Time

V. We adore you, Christ, and we praise you.

R. Because by your holy Cross, you have redeemed the world.

Meditation: Jesus fell for the first time under His Cross. He had been scourged and had a crown of thorns on His head, and the soldiers hit Him. He was in so

much pain He could barely walk, but He had to carry the heavy Cross.

Prayer: Jesus, the weight of my sins adds to your suffering and makes it infinitely worse. Through the merits of your first fall, deliver me from falling into mortal sin. I love you, Jesus. I repent of my sins. Help me to never sin again and to love you always and to do your will.

Fourth Station: Jesus Meets His Mother

V. We adore you, Christ, and we praise you.

R. Because by your holy Cross, you have redeemed the world.

Meditation: Jesus met His Mother Mary along His journey. They loved each other so deeply.

Prayer: Jesus, through the sorrow and joy you had in meeting your Mother Mary, help me to be truly devoted to her. Mary, help me to remember in my heart the suffering your Son underwent for me. I love you, Jesus. I repent of my sins. Help me to never sin again and to love you always and to do your will.

Fifth Station: Simon Helps Jesus Carry His Cross

V. We adore you, Christ, and we praise you.

R. Because by your holy Cross, you have redeemed the world.

Meditation: When the Jews saw how weak Jesus was, they feared He might die on the way, before He was crucified, so they forced a man named Simon the Cyrenian to carry the Cross behind our Lord.

Prayer: Jesus, I accept the cross you give to me, and I accept how you want me to die. I offer all my sufferings and troubles to you. I love you, Jesus. I repent of my sins. Help me to never sin again and to love you always and to do your will.

Sixth Station: Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus

V. We adore you, Christ, and we praise you.

R. Because by your holy Cross, you have redeemed the world.

Meditation: A woman named Veronica, seeing Jesus suffering so much, and sweat and blood dripping down His face, gave Him a towel to wipe His face. By a miracle, He left an image of His face on the towel.

Prayer: Jesus, your face was once clean and good to look upon, but blood and sweat disfigured it, and Veronica wiped Your face clean. My soul was once clean and beautiful when I was baptized, but sin disfigured it. Through your suffering, wipe my soul clean. I love you, Jesus. I repent of my sins. Help me to never sin again and to love You always and to do Your will.

Seventh Station: Jesus Falls a Second Time

V. We adore you, Christ, and we praise you.

R. Because by your holy Cross, you have redeemed the world.

Meditation: Jesus fell the second time under the Cross. The fall renews all the pain in His body and makes His head throb.

Prayer: Jesus, so many times you have forgiven me, and so many times I have sinned again. Through the merits of your second fall, help me and preserve me in your grace until I die. Help me to call on you every time I am tempted. I love you, Jesus. I repent of my sins. Help me to never sin again and to love you always and to do your will.

Eighth Station: Jesus Meets the Women of Jerusalem

V. We adore you, Christ, and we praise you.

R. Because by your holy Cross, you have redeemed the world.

Meditation: These women wept with compassion at seeing Jesus walking to His death. But Jesus said to them, “Weep not for me but for your children.”

Prayer: Jesus, I am sorry for all my sins, because of the pain and sadness they cause you, who loves me so much. I love you, Jesus. I repent of

my sins. Help me to never sin again and to love you always and to do your will.

Ninth Station: Jesus Falls the Third Time

V. We adore you, Christ, and we praise you.

R. Because by your holy Cross, you have redeemed the world.

Meditation: Jesus fell for the third time. He was so weak and the soldiers pushed Him to walk faster, but He could barely move.

Prayer: Jesus, by my weakness in temptation, you are going to Calvary. Give me strength to conquer temptation. I love you, Jesus. I repent of my sins. Help me to never sin again and to love you always and to do your will.

Tenth Station: Jesus Is Stripped of His Garments

V. We adore you, Christ, and we praise you.

R. Because by your holy Cross, you have redeemed the world.

Meditation: The soldiers snatched Jesus’ robe off Him.

Prayer: Jesus, help me to strip my soul of bad habits so I can give all my love to you, who are so worthy of all my love. I love you, Jesus. I repent of my sins. Help me to never sin again

and to love you always and to do your will.

Eleventh Station: Jesus Is Nailed to the Cross

V. We adore you, Christ, and we praise you.

R. Because by your holy Cross, you have redeemed the world.

Meditation: Jesus was thrown down onto the Cross. He stretched out His arms and offered His life to the Father for our salvation. The soldiers nailed Him to the Cross and pushed the Cross to stand up.

Prayer: Jesus, keep my heart. Keep me always close to you. I love you, Jesus. I repent of my

sins. Help me to never sin again and to love You always and to do Your will.

Twelfth Station: Jesus Dies on the Cross

V. We adore you, Christ, and we praise you.

R. Because by your holy Cross, you have redeemed the world.

Meditation: After suffering for three hours on the Cross, Jesus gave up His life to the Father and died.

Prayer: Jesus, through my sins, I deserve to be punished, but your death is my hope. Through the merits of your death, give me the grace that when I die, I will die as you want me to. I entrust my soul into your hands. I love you, Jesus. I repent of my sins. Help me to never sin again and to love you always and to do your will.

Thirteenth Station: Jesus Is Taken Down from the Cross

V. We adore you, Christ, and we praise you.

R. Because by your holy Cross, you have redeemed the world.

Meditation: Two of Jesus’ disciples took Jesus down from the Cross and Mary His Mother held Him close to her heart.

Prayer: Mary, sorrowful Mother, pray to your Son for me. Jesus, you have died because you love me. Help me to love you always. I love you, Jesus. I repent of my sins. Help me to never sin again and to love you always and to do your will.

Fourteenth Station: Jesus Is Laid in His Tomb

V. We adore you, Christ, and we praise you.

R. Because by your holy Cross, you have redeemed the world.

Meditation: The two disciples and Mary laid Jesus in a tomb.

Prayer: Jesus, You rose on the third day. Through your Resurrection, make me rise glorious on the last day, to be always with you in Heaven, praising and loving you. I love you, Jesus. I repent of my sins. Help me to never sin again and to love you always and to do your will.

Closing Prayer

Jesus, I kneel before you and ask you: fill my heart with faith, hope, and charity, with true repentance for my sins, and a firm desire of amendment.

Closing Meditation: God has loved us from all eternity. Before we existed, before He created us, before He created the world, He loved each of us already. From all eternity, God loves us.

God Bless!

The Regular Catholic Guy