Prayer Celebration Directions

GATHERING SONG
GATHERING PRAYER
Leader		God, our Creator, your Son put his trust in you. You ask the same of us. Today as we join Jesus on his way to Calvary, help us to open our hearts.
All		Amen.
THE STATIONS (The reader parts can be read by one or several readers.)
Reader		The first station: Jesus is condemned to die. Pilate didn’t want to have anything to do with Jesus.
All		Lord Jesus, help us to be kind to others.
Reader		The second station: Jesus takes up his cross. Jesus had to do things he didn’t like to do, just like us.
All		Jesus, help us to complain less.
Reader		The third station: Jesus falls. Jesus felt the heavy burden of his cross.
All		Teach us to carry our crosses.
Reader		The fourth station: Jesus meets his mother. Jesus, your mother, Mary, was by your side when you needed her.
All		Jesus, help us to turn to Mary.
Reader		The fifth station: Simon helps Jesus. Simon helped you, Jesus, when your cross was very heavy.
All		Teach us, Jesus, to help others.
Reader		The sixth station: Veronica wipes Jesus’ face. Jesus, how good it must have felt to have your face wiped clean of blood and sweat.
All		Jesus, help us to do good things for other people.
Reader		The seventh station: Jesus falls a second time. Jesus, your cross must have been very heavy.
All		Help us to care about those who suffer injustice.
Reader		The eighth station: Jesus meets the women. Jesus, the women were sad because of your suffering.
All		Jesus, help us to think about others in pain.
Reader		The ninth station: Jesus falls the third time. Jesus, we know how much you must have been hurting.
All		Teach us to try again when we fall.
Reader		The tenth station: Jesus is stripped. Jesus, the soldiers even ripped the clothes off your back.
All		Help us not take things from others.
Reader		The eleventh station: Jesus is nailed to the cross. Jesus, you gave up everything for us, even your life.
All		Jesus help us to make do with less.
Reader		The twelfth station: Jesus dies. (Pause.) Jesus, by your death, you gave yourself completely to your Father.
All		Help us to give more of ourselves to others.
Reader		The thirteenth station: Jesus is taken down from the cross. Jesus, your friends took care of your lifeless body.
All		Jesus, help us to care for our friends.
Reader		The fourteenth station: Jesus is buried. Jesus, your friend, Joseph of Arimathea, gave you his own tomb.
All		Jesus, teach us to share what we have with others.
Leader		Let us take up our own crosses in Jesus’ name.
All		Amen.
CLOSING SONG