The Way of the Cross

about spiritual life, based on the Holy Bible and Sr. Faustina's Diary

(from: "God Who is Rich in Mercy. Meditations and Prayers to The Divine Mercy", Misericordia Publications of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, Kraków, Poland, 2008)

Introductory Prayer
       Merciful Lord, my Master, I want to follow You faithfully. I desire to imitate You in my life in a way that will be more and more perfect; therefore, I am praying that, by meditating on Your passion, You will give me the grace of a greater understanding of the mysteries of spiritual life. 
       Mary, Mother of Mercy, ever faithful to Christ, lead me in the footsteps of the sorrowful passion of your Son and obtain for me the graces necessary to fruitfully observe of this Way of the Cross. I offer it for the intension of .....................

Station I - Jesus is condemned to death

"The chief priests and the entire Sanhedrin kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus in order to put him to death, but they found none, though many false witnesses came forward" (Mt 26:59-60)

Jesus: Do not be surprised that you are sometimes unjustly accused. I myself first drank this cup of undeserved suffering for the love of you (289). When I was before Herod, I obtained a grace for you; namely, that you would be able to rise above human scorn and follow faithfully in My footsteps (1164).

Sr. Faustina: We are sensitive to words and quickly want to answer back, without taking any regard as to whether it is God's will that we should speak. A silent soul is strong; no adversities will harm it if it perseveres in silence. The silent soul is capable of attaining the closest union with God (477). 

Merciful Jesus, hlep me to accept every humen judgment and do not let me ever condemn You in my neighbor. 

Station II - Jesus takes up his cross

"Then Pilate took Jesus and had him scourged. And the soldiers wove a crown out of thorns and placed it on his head, and clothed him in a purple cloak, and they came to him and said, «Hail King of the Jews!» ... Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple cloak. And he [Pilate] said to them, «Behold, the man!» When the chief priests and the guards saw him they cried out, «Crucify him, crucify him!» " (Jn 19:1-6).

Jesus: Do not be afraid of sufferings; I am with you (151). The more you will come to love suffering, My doughter, the purer your love for Me will be (279). 

Sr. Faustina: Jesus, I thank You for the little daily crosses, for opposition to my endeavors, for the hardships of communal life, for the misinterpretation of my intentions, for humiliations at the hands of others, for the harsh way in which we are treatet, for false suspicions, for poor health and loss of strength, for self-denial, for dying to myself, for lack of recognition in everything, for upsetting of all my plans (343).

Merciful Jesus, teach me to value the toil of life, sickness, and every suffering; teach me to carry this cross every day with love. 

Station III - Jesus falls the first time

"We had all gone astray like sheep, each following his own way; But the Lord laid upon him the guilt of us all. ... And he shall take away the sins of many, and win pardon for their offenses" (Is 53:6,12)

Jesus: My daughter, write that involuntary offenses of souls do not hinder My love for them or prevent Me from uniting Myself with them. But voluntary offenses, even the smallest, obstruct My graces, and I cannot lavish My gifts on such souls (1641).

Sr. Faustina: O my Jesus, how prone I am to evil, and this forces me to be constantly vigilant. But I do not lose heart. I trust God's grace, which abounds in the worst misery (606).

Merciful Lord, save me from every voluntary and conscious infidelity, even the smallest. 

Station IV - Jesus meets his blessed Mother

“Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted (and you yourself a sword will pierce).” (Lk 2:34-35)

Jesus: Listen, My daughter, although all the works that come into being by My will are exposed to great sufferings, consider whether any of them has been subject to greater difficulties than that work which is directly Mine – the work of Redemtion. You should not worry too much about adversities (1643). 

Sr. Faustina: I saw the Blessed Virgin ... (she) held me close to herself and said to me: Be courageous. Do not fear apparent obstacles, but fix your gaze upon the Passion of My Son, and in this way, you will be victorious (449). 

Mary, Mother of Mercy, be with me always, and especially in suffering, in the same way as you were on the way of the cross of your Son. 

Station V - Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus to carry the cross

"As they led him away they took hold of a certain Simon, a Cyrenian, who was coming in from the country; and after laying the cross on him, they made him carry it behind Jesus" (Lk 23:26). 

Jesus: I permit these adversities in order to increase his merit. I do not reward for good results but for the patiens and hardship undergone for My sake (86). 

Sr. Faustina: O my Jesus, You do not give a reward for the succsessful performance of a work, but for the good will and labor undertaken. Therefore, I am completely at peace, even if all my undertakings and afforts should be thwarted or should come to naught. If I do all that is in my power, the rest is not my business (952). 

O Jesus, my Lord, let every thought, word and action be undertaken exclusively out of love for You. Purify my intentions. 

Station VI - Veronica wipes the face of Jesus

"The was in him no stately bearing to make us look at him, nor appearance that would attract us to him. He was spurned and avoided by men, a man of suffering, accustomed to infirmity, one of those from whom men hide their faces, spurned, and we held him in no esteem" (Is 53:2-3)

Jesus: Know that whatever good you do to any soul, I accept it as if you had done it to Me (1768).

Sr. Faustina: I am learning how to be good from Jesus, from Him who is goodness itself, so that I may be called a daughter of the heavenly Father (669). Great love can change small things into great ones, and it is only love which lends value to our actions (303).

Lord Jesus, my Master, make merciful my eyes, hands, lips, heart... Keep transforming me into mercy.

Station VII - Jesus falls a second time

"Yet it was our infirmities that he bore, our sufferings that he endured, while we thought of him as stricken, as one smitten by God and afflicted" (Is 53:4)

Jesus: The cause of your falls is that you rely too much upon yourself and too little on Me (1488). Without special help from Me, you are not even capable of accepting My graces (738). 

Sr. Faustina: Jesus, do not leave me alone... You know, Lord, how weak I am. I am an abyss of wretchedness, I am nothingness itself; so what will be so strange if You leave me alone and I fall? (1489)  So You, Jesus, must stand by me constantly like a mother by a helpless child - and even more so (264).

May Your grace, Lord, support me, so that I may not constantly fall into the same errors; and when I fall, help me to get up and praise Your mercy.  

Station VIII - Jesus consoles the women of Jerusalem

"A large crowd of people followed Jesus, including many women who mourned and lamented him. Jesus turned to themand said, 'Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep instead for yourselves'". (Lk 23: 27-28)

Jesus: O how pleasing to Me is living faith! (1420). I desire that you would all have more faith at the present time (352).

Sr. Faustina: I fervently beg the Lord to strengthen my faith, so that in my drab, everyday life I will not be guided by human dispositions, but by those of the spirit. Oh, how everything drags man towards the earth! But lively faith maintains the soul in the higher regions and assigns self-love its proper place; that is to say, the lowest one (210).

Merciful Lord, I thank You for holy baptism and the grace of faith. Again and again I call: Lord, I believe! Increase my faith!

Station IX - Jesus falls the third time

"Though he was harshly treated, he submitted and opened not his mouth. Like a lamb led to the slaughter or a sheep before the shearers, he was silent and opened not his mouth... But the Lord was pleased to crush him in infirmity" (Is 53:7-10).

Jesus: My child, know that the greatest obstacles to holiness are discouragement and an exaggerated anxiety. These will deprive you of the ability to practice virtue... I am always ready to forgive you. As often as you beg for it, you glorify My mercy. (1488).

Sr. Faustina: My Jesus, despite Your graces, I see and feel all my misery. I begin my day with battle and end it with battle. As soon as I conquer one obstacle, ten more appear to take its place. But I am not worried, because I know that this is the time of struggle, not peace (606).

Mercifull Lord, I give You this, which is exclusively my own property, that is, sin and humen weaknes. I beg of You, let my wretchedness be drowned in Your unfathomable mercy.

Station X - Jesus is stripped of his garments

"When the soldiers...took his clothes and divided them into four shares, a share for each soldier. They also took his tunic, but the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from the top down. So theysaid to one another, 'Let's not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it will be', in order that the passage of the scripture might be fulfilled" (Jn 19:23-24).

Sr. Faustina: Jesus was suddenly standing before me, stripped of His clothes, His body completely covered with wounds, His eyes flooded with tears and blood, His face disfigured and covered with spittle. The Lord then said to me:

Jesus: The bride must resemble her Betrothed.

Sr. Faustina: I understood these words to their very depth. There is no room for doubt here. My likeness to Jesus must be through suffering and humility (268).

Jesus, gentle and humble of Heart, touch my heart and make it like Your own. 

Station XI - Jesus is nailed to the cross

"Those passing by reviled him, shaking their heads and saying, 'You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself if you are the Son of God, (and) come down from the cross!' Likewise the chief priests with the scribes and elders mocked him and said, 'He saved others; he cannot save himself...He trusted in God; let him deliver him now if he wants him'" (Mt 27:39-43).

Jesus: My pupil, have great love for those who cause you suffering. Do good to those who hate you (1628).

Sr. Faustina: O my Jesus, you know what efforts are needed to live sincerely and unaffectedly with those from whom our nature flees, or with those who, deliberately or not, have made us suffer. Humanly speaking, this is impossible. At such times more than at others, I try to discover the Lord Jesus in such a person and for this same Jesus, I do everything for such people (766).

O purest Love, rule in all Your plenitude in my heart and let me love even the things that, humanly speaking, are impossible to love. 

Station XII - Jesus dies on the cross

"It was now about noon and darkness cameover the whole land until three in the afternoon... Jesus cried out in a loud voice, 'Father, into your hands, I commend my spirit'; and when he had said this he breathed his last" (Lk 23:44-46). "But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, thet did not break his legs, but one soldier thrust his lance into his side, and immediately blood and water flowed out" (Jn 19:33-40).

Jesus: All this is for the salvation of souls. Consider well, My daughter, what you are doing for their salvation (1184).

Sr. Faustina: Then I saw the Lord nailed to the cross. When He had hung on it for a while, I saw a multitude of souls crucified like Him. Then I saw a second multitude of souls, and a third. The second multitude were not nailed to [their] crosses, but were holding them firmly in their hands. Te third were neither nailed to [their] crosses, nor holding them firmly in their hands, but were dragging [their] crosses behind them and were discontent. Jesus then said to me:

Jesus: Do you see these souls? Those who are like Me in the pain and contempt they suffer will be like Me also in glory. And those who also resemble Me less in pain and contempt will also bear less resemblance to Me in glory (446).

O Jesus, my Savior, hide me in the depth of Your Heart, so that strengthened by Your grace, I may imitate You in the love of the cross and participate in Your glory. 

Station XIII - Jesus is laid in the arms of his blessed Mother

"The centurion who witnessed what had happened glorified God and said, 'This man was innocent beyond doubt.' When all the people who had gathered for this spectacle saw what had happened, they returned ome beating their breasts; but all his acquaintances stood at a distance" (Lk 23:47-49).

Jesus: Most dear to Me is the soul that strongly believes in My goodness and has complete trust in Me. I heap My confidence upon it and give it all it asks (453).

Sr. Faustina: I fly to Your mercy, Compassionate God, who alone are good. Although my misery is great, and my offenses are many, I trust in Your mercy, because You are the God of mercy; and, from time immemorial, it has never been heard of, nor do heaven or earth remember, that a soul trusting in Your mercy has been disappointed (1730).

Merciful Jesus, every day increase within me trust in Your mercy, so I may always and everywhere give witness to Your infinite goodness and love.

Station XIV - Jesus is laid in the tomb

"They took the body of Jesus and bound it with the burial cloths along with the spices, according to the Jewish burial custom. Now in the place where he had been crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had yet been buried. So they laid Jesus there because of the Jewish preparation day; for the tomb was close by" (Jn 19:40-42).

Jesus: You are not yet in your homeland; so go, fortified by My grace, and fight for My kingdom in humen souls; fight as a king's child would; and remember that the days of your exile will pass quickly, and with them the possibility of earning merit for heaven. I expect from you... a great number of souls who will glorify My mercy for all eternity (1489).

Sr. Faustina: Every soul You have entrusted to me, Jesus, I will try to aid with prayer and sacrifice, so that Your grace can work in them. O great lover of souls, my Jesus, I thank You for the immense confidence with which You have deigned to place souls in our care (245).

Merciful Lord, I pray for the souls that You have entrusted to me; do not let any of them perish, not even one. 

The prayer after the way of the cross

O my Jesus, my only hope, thank You for the book which You have opened before my soul's eyes. That book is Your Passion which You underwent for the love of me. It is from this book that I have learned how to love God and souls. In this book there are found for us inexhaustible treasures. O Jesus, how few souls understand You in Your martyrdom of love! ...Happy the soul that has come to understand the love of the Heart of Jesus! (304)

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