Dedicated to the Culture of Life - Holy Ghost Catholic Church

Stations of the Cross:
Dedicated to the
Culture of Life
The Church of the Holy Ghost
Denver, CO

These stations of the cross include scriptural texts taken
from writings of St. John the Evangelist describing the inner
meaning to each moment of Christ’s way of the cross. The
meditations are the fruit of contemplation from various families
within Holy Ghost parish. We devoutly pray these
stations within the heart of Mary whose presence is made
known to us through the Stabat Mater, the traditional Marian
hymn that accompanies the stations of the cross. Images from
Michelangelo’s Pieta assist in the Marian theme of contemplation
of Christ’s suffering. As we spiritually walk the way
of the cross with Christ we seek to enter into the mystery of
each station knowing that as we confront our own way of the
cross through life, Christ walks with us and empowers us to
accomplish all things through his love. Stations of the cross
dedicated to the pro-life cause seek to inspire us to live the
culture of life with courage and integrity, with patience and
with perseverance. Great thanks is owed to the families who
contributed to making these stations a reality, as it is in their
own lives as they walk the way of the cross and the culture of
life.
1

Opening
Leader: Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament,
but the world will rejoice; you will be sorrowful, but your
sorrow will turn into joy. When a woman is in travail she has
sorrow, because her hour has come; but when she is delivered
of the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy
that a child is born into the world. So you have sorrow now,
but I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no
one will take your joy from you. In that day you will ask
nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask anything
of the Father, he will give it to you in my name. Until now
you have asked nothing in my name; ask, and you will
receive, that your joy may be full. (Jn 16:20-24)
All: (kneel) To thee, O LORD, I lift up my soul. O my God,
in thee I trust, let me not be put to shame; let not my enemies
exult over me. Yes, let none that wait for thee be put to
shame; let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.
Make me to know thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths.
Lead me in thy truth, and teach me, for thou are the God of
my salvation; for thee I wait all the day long. Be mindful of
thy mercy, O LORD, and of thy steadfast love,for they have
been from of old. (Psalm 25 1-6)
(stand)
At the cross her station keeping,
Mary stood in sorrow weeping
When her Son was crucified.
Stabat Mater dolorósa
Juxta Crucem lacrimósa,
Dum pendébat Filius.
2

The First Station:
Jesus is Condemned
Leader: We adore you, oh Christ, and we praise you.
All: (kneel) Because by your holy cross you have redeemed
the world.
Leader: (stand) For the Father
himself loves you, because you
have loved me and have believed
that I came from the Father. I
came from the Father and have
come into the world; again, I am
leaving the world and going to
the Father." His disciples said, "Ah, now you are speaking
plainly, not in any figure! Now we know that you know all
things, and need none to question you; by this we believe that
you came from God." Jesus answered them, "Do you now
believe? The hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you
will be scattered, every man to his home, and will leave me
alone; yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. I have
said this to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world
you have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome
the world." (John 16:27-33)
Meditation: When you called us “your beloved”, we said:
“Let it be done according to your will”, what a joyful time!
By saying Yes to you we said yes to life and many friends
3

ejoiced with us our second child. It sounded like the
Hosanna in the highest at your arrival to Jerusalem. Their joy
was colder with next child and was silenced with our fourth.
After arrival of our fifth blessings, the circle of friends shrunk
and not many would share our joy with us. Suddenly we fell
rejected and misunderstood. But we were happy and even
teaching others about NFP and the beauty of openness to life
in your parishes, Lord. Then your own people became
ashamed of us and we were told not to bring our children to
Church while engaged couples were present. Your greatest
gift, life, was looked upon as a prohibited sign …to be
laughed at… excluded … Where ever we go we witness, yet
we are judged, condemned…and in times of struggles to raise
our precious ones we are asked by the skeptical: “Where is
your God?”
All: (kneel) Why do the nations conspire, and the peoples plot
in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers
take counsel together, against the LORD and his anointed,
saying, "Let us burst their bonds asunder, and cast their cords
from us. "He who sits in the heavens laughs; the LORD has
them in derision. "I have set my kingon Zion, my holy hill. "I
will tell of the decree of the LORD: He said to me, "You are
my son, today I have begotten you. (Psalm 2: 1-4, 6-7)
(stand)
While she waited in her
anguish, Seeing Christ in
torment languish, Bitter
sorrow pierced her heart.
Cujus ánimam geméntem,
Contristátam et doléntem,
Pertransivit gladius.
4

The Second Station:
Jesus Takes up His Cross
Leader: We adore you, oh Christ, and we praise you.
All: (kneel) Because by your holy cross you have redeemed
the world.
Leader: (stand) Every one who
believes that Jesus is the Christ has
been born of God, and every one
who loves the parent loves the one
begotten by him. By this we know
that we love the children of God,
when we love God and obey his
commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his
commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.
For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and
this is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith. Who is
it that overcomes the world but he who believes that Jesus is
the Son of God? (1John 5:1-5)
Meditation: Lord Jesus, You embraced Your cross in a wonderful
act of love for all of humanity. Lord teach us to
embrace all children, even those with disabilities, accepting
the hardships, struggles, disappointments, setbacks, and pain.
As the parents of a disabled child, You have shown us the true
way to life through the suffering of the cross. We begin to
understand the bountiful joy of heaven, in union with You.
5

With every effort we make to raise this broken child in a
broken world, we learn how perfect this child truly is and
how much we need this child in our lives to save us from
ourselves. We fall on our knees with heartache and struggle,
yet realize that You are always with us. We become aware of
the multitude of gifts You bestow on us - the unfathomable
levels of strength, compassion, patience and love. We did not
understand at first, but because we trusted in You, we are
filled to the brim with hope. These children are the ‘pure of
heart’ and it is an honor to hold the hand of one who will see
God.
All: (kneel) O LORD, how many are my foes! Many are
rising against me; many are saying of me, there is no help for
him in God. But thou, O LORD, art a shield about me, my
glory, and the lifter of my head. I cry aloud to the LORD, and
he answers me from his holy hill. I lie down and sleep; I wake
again, for the LORD sustains me. I am not afraid of ten thousands
of peoplewho have set themselves against me round
about. Arise, O LORD! Deliver me, O my God! For thou do
smite all my enemies on the cheek, thou do break the teeth of
the wicked. Deliverance belongs to the LORD; thy blessing
be upon thy people! (Psalm 3)
(stand)
With what pain and desolation,
With what noble resignation,
Mary watched her dying Son.
O quam tristis et afflicta
Fuit illa benedicta
Mater Unigéniti!
6

The Third Station:
Jesus Falls the First Time
Leader: We adore you, oh Christ, and we praise you.
All: (kneel) Because by your holy cross you have redeemed
the world.
Leader: (stand) The next day
again John was standing with two
of his disciples; and he looked at
Jesus as he walked, and said,
"Behold, the Lamb of God!" The
two disciples heard him say this,
and they followed Jesus. Jesus turned, and saw them following,
and said to them, "What do you seek?" And they said to
him, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), "where are you staying?"
He said to them, "Come and see." (John 1:35-39)
Meditation: Like an expecting mother, Jesus, your burden is
heavy. You are tired, weak and can’t go on any longer. Your
friends have abandoned you and the crowd watches as you
fight to stand and not submit to the cultural pressures. We
pray for the scared mother-to-be who is contemplating the
world’s alternatives to motherhood. She has fallen from the
pressure of her burden. Jesus, help those who have been
given the gift of a child to see it as a blessing and not a cross
to bear. The weight of our sins upon the cross is already too
heavy to hold and you have fallen. But we trust you will stand
7

again and, along with the cross, lift any fears and confusions
from the hearts of mothers who question. Bless those who see the
truth with the strength and voice to encourage those who don’t.
Our sins and struggles were carried on your cross. You once
again rose to your feet for all of us - whether we are alive,
unborn, and those yet to come.
All: (kneel) Hear a just cause, O LORD; attend to my cry!
Give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit!From thee let
my vindication come! Let thy eyes see the right! If thou try
my heart, if thou visit me by night, if thou test me, thou will
find no wickedness in me;my mouth does not transgress.
With regard to the works of men, by the word of thy lips I
have avoided the ways of the violent. My steps have held fast
to thy paths, my feet have not slipped. (Psalm 17: 1-5)
(stand)
Ever-patient in her yearning
Though her tear-filled eyes
were burning, Mary gazed
upon her Son.
Quae maerébat, et dolébat,
Pia Mater, dum vidébat
Nati poenas inclyti.
8

The Fourth Station:
Jesus Meets His Mother
Leader: We adore you, oh Christ, and we praise you.
All: (kneel) Because by your holy cross you have redeemed
the world.
Leader: (stand) Beloved, I pray that
all may go well with you and that you
may be in health; I know that it is
well with your soul. No greater joy
can I have than this, to hear that my
children follow the truth. I hope to see
you soon, and we will talk together
face to face. (3 John: 2, 4, 14)
Meditation: Imagine, the utter anguish Mary felt as she
beheld her Son, now scourged and beaten almost beyond
recognition. She recalls the times she tenderly comforted
Him and held Him as a child, and now her heart is torn as,
helplessly, she can only watch. Indeed, Simeon’s prophecy
has been fulfilled, a sword of sorrow has pierced her hert.
But as they draw close, she sees in His eyes infinite love,
compassion, and mercy. He wants to comfort her even as He
suffers to redeem all of us. She hears again from the beginning,
the words of the angel, “Do not be afraid, Mary.” And
as she shares in His suffering, she recalls her response, “Be it
done to me according to thy word.”
9

As we labor to preserve the sanctity of Life in our world, may we
look to this meeting of Jesus and Mary to strengthen us. Though
the forces of evil seem overwhelming, and the work required
difficult, may we be ever willing to struggle on, to suffer with
Christ, to not be afraid, and to say “be it done...according to thy
word.” We pray that mothers, who are feeling helpless and hopeless,
who are afraid, and who are considering abortion, may also
meet Jesus along the way, and through the intercession of Mary,
choose Life for their precious unborn child.
All: (kneel) Deliver me from my enemies, O my God, protect
me from those who rise up against me, deliver me from those
who work evil, and save me from bloodthirsty men. O my
Strength, I will sing praises to thee; for thou, O God, are my
fortress. My God in his steadfast love will meet me; my God
will let me look in triumph on my enemies. But I will sing of
thy might; I will sing aloud of thy steadfast love in the morning.
For thou has been to me a fortress and a refuge in the day
of my distress. O my Strength, I will sing praises to thee, for
thou, O God, art my fortress, the God who shows me steadfast
love. (Psalm 59: 1-2, 9-10, 16-17)
(stand)
Who, that sorrow contemplating,
On that passion
meditating, Would not share
the Virgin's grief?
Quis est homo, qui non
fleret, Matrem Christi si
vidéret In tanto supplicio?
10

The Fifth Station:
Jesus is Helped by Simon of
Cyrene to Carry His Cross
Leader: We adore you, oh Christ, and we praise you.
All: (kneel) Because by your holy cross you have redeemed
the world.
Leader: (stand) For this is the
message which you have heard from
the beginning, that we should love
one another, and not be like Cain who
was of the evil one and murdered his
brother. And why did he murder him?
Because his own deeds were evil and
his brother's righteous. Do not wonder,
brethren, that the world hates you. We know that we have
passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He
who does not love abides in death. Any one who hates his
brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has
eternal life abiding in him. By this we know love, that he laid
down his life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for
the brethren. But if any one has the world's goods and sees his
brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does
God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in
word or speech but in deed and in truth. (1 John 3:1-11)
11

Meditation: Who among us wants to carry a cross? As for
Simon of Cyrene it is something generally forced upon us.
Simon was a foreigner in Jerusalem on that Good Friday who
just happened to be standing in the wrong place when a detail of
Roman soldiers grabbed him roughly. They ordered him to assist
a convicted man to haul the heavy cross to that man’s place of
execution. What do imagine went through Simon’s mind as he
was pressed into such an unpleasant duty? “Why me? Why not
someone else? What if somebody I know or work with sees me
helping a condemned man? What will they think of me?” How
mortifying this experience must have been for Simon. He
undoubtedly felt that he did not deserve such treatment; after all,
he was only minding his own business. He hadn’t done anything
wrong. The weight of life’s sufferings and burdens can be crushing,
but such times may be moments of grace to share in the cross
of Christ by bearing all things with patience and joy. Like Christ,
the suffering of the world wait upon someone, anyone, who will
bow themselves low enough to be under the cross with them and
to be a companion on the way of life.
All: (kneel) Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who
shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure
heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false, and does not
swear deceitfully. He will receive blessing from the LORD, and
vindication from the God of his salvation. Such is the generation
of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob.
(Psalm 24: 3-6)
(stand)
Christ she saw, for our
salvation, Scourged with
cruel acclamation, Bruised
and beaten by the rod.
Quis non posset contristári,
Christi Matrem contemplári
Doléntem cum Filio?
12

The Sixth Station:
Jesus is Cared for by Veronica
Leader: We adore you, oh Christ, and we praise you.
All: (kneel) Because by your holy cross you have redeemed
the world.
Leader: (stand) And now I beg
you, lady, not as though I were
writing you a new commandment,
but the one we have had from the
beginning, that we love one
another. And this is love, that we
follow his commandments; this is the commandment, as you
have heard from the beginning, that you follow love. Look to
yourselves, that you may not lose what you have worked for,
but may win a full reward. (2 John 5-6; 8)
Meditation: Who were you, Veronica, and why did you do
what you did? Were you a village girl, a mother, a slave?
Were you a disciple of Jesus, or just a passerby? You saw a
man, condemned to death, a man for whom death was imminent,
a man beaten bloody, a criminal, worthless in the eyes
of society. What was the use of wiping his face with a pristine
cloth? It must have seemed a pointless, almost stupid act to
those in proximity, especially the Roman soldiers and unbelieving
Jews. Did you not care that by wiping this bloody,
spittle-spewn face, your virgin cloth would be forever
13

uined? Or that the Roman soldiers could have struck you down
with one blow? No, you did not worry and you did not care
about the reaction of others. You saw only Christ, your savior.
You saw a man deeply suffering. Your heart swelled, and with
deep pity and unfathomable courage, you broke from the
crowd, and in a supreme act of mercy surrendered your
precious possession to the face of Jesus. Your faith transformed
what to others was a pointless act. You were a fool for Christ.
But as a result, He rewarded you and us with a permanent image
of his wounded countenance, a permanent reminder of His deep
abiding love for us.
Do we not have in our times those who would dismiss as pointless
and worthless acts of tender care toward the elderly, the sick
and the abandoned? Toward those whose needs require the
surrendering of our precious possessions. May we, like Veronica,
show others seemingly pointless acts of mercy in His name, no
matter the cost to ourselves and our possessions.
All: (kneel) The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom
shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom
shall I be afraid? Thou have said, "Seek my face." My heart says
to thee, "Thy face, LORD, do I seek." Hide not thy face from
me.I believe that I shall see the goodness of the LORD in the
land of the living! Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your
heart take courage; yes, wait for the LORD! (Psalm 27: 1, 9-10,
13-14)
(stand)
Christ she saw with life-blood
failing, All her anguish
unavailing, Saw him breathe
his very last.
Pro peccátis suae gentis
Vidit Jesum in torméntis,
Et flagéllis súbditum.
14

The Seventh Station:
Jesus Falls the Second Time
Leader: We adore you, oh Christ, and we praise you.
All: (kneel) Because by your holy cross you have redeemed
the world.
Leader: (stand) Let not your
hearts be troubled; believe in God,
believe also in me. In my Father's
house are many rooms; if it were
not so, would I have told you that
I go to prepare a place for you?
And when I go and prepare a
place for you, I will come again
and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.
And you know the way where I am going. Thomas said to
him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going; how can
we know the way?" Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the
truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me.”
(John 14: 1-6)
Meditation: O my Jesus, you have fallen again under the
weight of the cross and the weight of my sins. I want to ease
your pain, but I feel helpless as I stand in the crowd watching
your suffering. May this fall remind me of those who have
fallen and need my help. Many of your children are without
the comfort of a family to call their own. I am so busy with
15

my own life that I often forget about the orphaned and abandoned
of this world. Help me to be attentive to your will.
Help me to better love the orphans of this world. Help me to
discern your call and to know if you are calling me to be a
mother or a father to one of your little ones. Give me the courage
to love those who are most in need of a family, with my
prayers, words, actions, and if necessary, my whole life. And
help me to carry my cross along with you and not be afraid of
the hazards along the way.
All: (kneel) Arise, O LORD! confront them, overthrow them!
Deliver my life from the wicked by thy sword, from men by
thy hand, O LORD, from men whose portion in life is of the
world. May their belly be filled with what thou hast stored up
for them; may their children have more than enough; may
they leave something over to their babes. As for me, I shall
behold thy face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be
satisfied with beholding thy form. (Psalm 17: 13-15)
(stand)
Mary, fount of love's devotion,
Let me share with true emotion
All the sorrow you endured.
Vidit suum dulcem
natum Moriéndodesolátum,
Dum emisit
spíritum.
16

The Eighth Station:
Jesus Meets the Women
of Jerusalem
Leader: We adore you, oh Christ, and we praise you.
All: (kneel) Because by your holy cross you have redeemed
the world.
Leader: (stand) "Woman, believe
me, the hour is coming when
neither on this mountain nor in
Jerusalem will you worship the
Father. You worship what you do
not know; we worship what we
know, for salvation is from the
Jews. But the hour is coming, and
now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in
spirit and truth, for such the Father seeks to worship him. God
is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit
and truth." The woman said to him, "I know that Messiah is
coming (he who is called Christ); when he comes, he will
show us all things." Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am
he." (Jn 4:21-16)
Meditation: Jesus, as you carry your cross you see a group of
women along the road. As you pass by you see they are sad
and weeping. You stop to spend a moment with them, to offer
17

them some encouragement. Although you are in pain and suffering
from the torture of your accusers, you stop and try to help
them. Your thoughts are not on your physical condition, but on
the distress of the mothers and grandmothers and other women
who show such compassion and sorrow for you.
Throughout your life you talked to women, prayed for them and
were moved to tears when you saw their great suffering. You
accepted the signs of hospitality that women offered you and
healed those who had sinned. Now you were not focused on your
pain and exhaustion, but on the plight of those who looked with
pity and compassion on you. You told them, "Daughters of Jerusalem,
do not weep for me; weep instead for yourselves and for
your children.”
As adults, we can become so absorbed in ourselves and our own
needs that we forget about the needs of others. We take others for
granted, and often ignore their needs. May we be granted the
grace of a compassionate life for others as a mother has for her
child, or a grandmother has for her grandchildren.
All: (kneel) Give ear, O my people, to my teaching; incline your
ears to the words of my mouth! We will not hide them from their
children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of
the LORD, and his might, that the next generation might know
them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their
children, so that they should set their hope in God, and not forget
the works of God, but keep his commandments. (Psalm 78: 1, 4,
6-7)
(stand)
Virgin, ever interceding, Hear
me in my fervent pleading: Fire
me with your love of Christ.
Eja mater, fons amóris,
Me sentíre vim dolóris
Fac, ut tecum lúgeam.
18

The Ninth Station:
Jesus Falls the Third Time
Leader: We adore you, oh Christ, and we praise you.
All: (kneel) Because by your holy cross you have redeemed
the world.
Leader: (stand) Peace I leave with
you; my peace I give to you; not as
the world gives do I give to you.
Let not your hearts be troubled,
neither let them be afraid. You
heard me say to you, `I go away,
and I will come to you.' If you
loved me, you would have rejoiced,
because I go to the Father; for the Father is greater than I. And
now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does
take place, you may believe. I will no longer talk much with
you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no power
over me; but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that
the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go.
(John 14: 27-31)
Meditation: Our beloved Jesus, our hearts feel Your suffering
and Your pain as You fall for the third time. Following
You, we pick up our crosses and willingly carry the heavy
burdens in our life. We carry hope on this path as we fall
again and again. This journey we freely accept as we embrace
Your holy and redeeming cross, but the journey is sometimes
so painful.
Even more painful is to see our children and grandchildren suffer
through disease, but even worse, we see them suffer through the
19

unjust humiliations heaped on them by those who do not understand
the beauty of gentleness and humility. We remember how
You embraced our sufferings, how the heavy burden of our
sufferings made You fall. Pointing to Your example, we comfort
our children and grandchildren through their falls as we love and
nurture them out of their heavy-heartedness. In doing so, Your
promise is fulfilled and our own burdens become lighter. We rise
to walk again, embracing our crosses with courage and hope.
Each step taken can be overwhelming and disheartening. The
enemy relishes in our disappointments and uses them to push us
toward sorrow, grief, and despair, but each time we awaken your
Spirit within us it speaks clearly and says --- “I am with you”.
Again we rise. Again we remember Your struggle, Your falls, and
Your embracing and forgiving love as You rise again --- for us.
Again and again, we remember Your words “I am with you.”
You give us hope! You give us love!
Never will we let go of Your hope…. never will we let go of
Your love… never will we forget the way of Your cross. Your
falls have given us Love… Your falls have given us Life.
All: (kneel) The hapless is crushed, sinks down, and falls by his
might. He thinks in his heart, "God has forgotten, he has hidden
his face, he will never see it." Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up thy
hand; forget not the afflicted. O LORD, thou will hear the desire
of the meek; thou will strengthen their heart, thou will incline thy
ear to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, so that man
who is of the earth may strike terror no more. (Psalm 10: 10-11,
17-18)
(stand)
Mother, may this prayer be
granted: That Christ's love
may be implantedIn the
depths of my poor soul.
Fac, ut árdeat cor meum In
amándo Christum Deum,
Ut sibi compláceam.
20

The Tenth Station:
Jesus is Stripped of His Clothes
Leader: We adore you, oh Christ, and we praise you.
All: (kneel) Because by your holy cross you have redeemed
the world.
Leader: (stand) Do not love the
world or the things in the world.
If any one loves the world, love
for the Father is not in him. For all
that is in the world, the lust of the
flesh and the lust of the eyes and
the pride of life, is not of the
Father but is of the world. And the world passes away, and the
lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides for ever. (1
John 2:12-14)
Meditation: Oh Jesus, your persecutors attempted to strip
you of all human dignity as they tore your garments off your
tender and wounded body. This was the final act of humiliation
before your ultimate sacrifice of love upon the cross. Yet
in this public humiliation, Lord, you surrendered to God’s
Will in perfect obedience, as you surrendered in silence to
those who tried to shame you before killing you. In turn,
Lord, you clothed yourself in the garments of meekness,
humility, forgiveness, and love. It is your glory that shines
bright through this act of humiliation.
21

May that glory be reflected, Oh Lord, in a woman’s gift of her
body to nurture and nourish life. Stripped of all fear and intimidation
a woman’s gift of motherhood, be it physical or spiritual,
shares in your total self-giving, Jesus: “This is my body which is
for you.”
Help those of us who promote a culture of life to surrender to
God’s Will and act always under the impulse of love, never
resentment, as we celebrate and witness to the dignity of motherhood.
Clothe us with the confidence that the joy of our humanity
lays not in what the world thinks is freedom but in the truth that
we are free to be like you. Let your Love, Truth, and your Glory
shine through us as we continue to promote the dignity of all
human life.
All: (kneel) Let the grown of the prisoners come before thee
according to thy great power preserve those doomed to die!
Return sevenfold into the bosom of our neighborsthe taunts with
which they have taunted thee, O Lord! Then we thy people, the
flock of thy pasture,will give thanks to thee for ever; from
generation to generation we will recount thy praise. (Psalm 79:
11-13)
(stand)
At the cross, your sorrow sharing,
All your grief and torment
bearing, Let me stand and
mourn with you.
Sancta Mater, istud agas
Crucifixi fige plagas
Cordi meo válide.
22

The Eleventh Station:
Jesus is Nailed to the Cross
Leader: We adore you, oh Christ, and we praise you.
All: (kneel) Because by your holy cross you have redeemed
the world.
Leader: (stand) "When you
have lifted up the Son of man,
then you will know that I am
he, and that I do nothing on my
own authority but speak thus as
the Father taught me. And he
who sent me is with me; he has
not left me alone, for I always do what is pleasing to him." As
he spoke thus, many believed in him. Jesus then said to the
Jews who had believed in him, "If you continue in my word,
you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and
the truth will make you free." (Jn 8: 28-32)
Meditation: Now the moment has come for the Son of God
to be nailed to the Cross. The helplessness, the hatred and
rejection, the excruciating pain up to this point leave one
wondering if it could get any worse. It could and it did as
Jesus was mercilessly nailed to the Cross and raised up for
three agonizing hours. A hideous sight: God mocked and subjected
to the prideful, cruel and selfish judgments of man. A
mother’s sorrow as she stands nearby, uniting herself to her
23

Son with holy resignation, trusting entirely the Father’s will at a
time of utter darkness and confusion.
Far from hidden now, the humility and obedience of the Lamb
and His Most Holy Mother are lifted high for all to see. Just as
there was an appointed time for His coming, so would there be
for His dying – both were accepted from the hand of the Father
with humility, obedience, and LOVE. In the mystery of God’s
plan there is so very much we cannot understand. Is it our place
to tamper with the gift of life?
As we diligently pray for greater reverence for Life from conception
until death, and as we strive whole-heartedly to see this
reverence realized in the laws of our country, let us call to mind
the suffering Jesus endured to redeem us all from sin. Let us
meditate upon the example of humility and obedience given us in
Christ and His Mother – who sacrificed all for LIFE – that our
own hearts may be ever more open to His life-giving grace. May
the fruits of these virtues blossom in our thoughts, words and
actions towards those whose hearts we hope to see change!
All: (kneel) I have been as a portent to many; but thou are my
strong refuge. My mouth is filled with thy praise, and with thy
glory all the day. Do not cast me off in the time of old age;
forsake me not when my strength is spent. For my enemies speak
concerning me, those who watch for my life consult together, and
say, "God has forsaken him;pursue and seize him, for there is
none to deliver him. "O God, be not far from me; O my God,
make haste to help me! (Psalm 71: 7-12)
(stand)
Fairest maid of all creation,
Queen of hope and consolation,
Let me feel your grief sublime.
Tui nati vulneráti, Tam
dignáti pro me pati,
Poenas mecum dívide.
24

The Twelfth Station:
Jesus Dies
Leader: We adore you, oh Christ, and we praise you.
All: (kneel) Because by your holy cross you have redeemed
the world.
Leader: (stand) In this the 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 for our sins.
Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one
another. No man has ever seen God; if we love one another,
God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. By this we
know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given
us of his own Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the
Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world. (1 John 4:
9-14)
Meditation: Lord Jesus, your death is our hope. Before your
death on the cross, death was the final chapter for us. There is
no more truth in this. Death is now only the prelude to a great
symphony. The final chapter is the Heavenly Banquet where
all our tears will be wiped away. We cling to this truth in faith.
25

No matter what losses you allow us to endure – our own death,
the deaths of loved ones – they are not the last chapter! So we
shall not despair. We may grieve, but not despair.
Only you can bring forth Easter from our Good Fridays. But it
will only come forth by abandoning to you in our darkness, so
that you can transform our death into life.
Help us to see with eyes of faith so we can trust in you.
All: (kneel) My God, my God, why have thou forsaken me? Why
are thou so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning?
O my God, I cry by day, but thou do not answer; and by night, but
find no rest. Yet thou are holy,enthroned on the praises of Israel.
In thee our fathers trusted; they trusted, and thou did deliver
them. To thee they cried, and were saved; in thee they trusted,
and were not disappointed. Yet thou are he who took me from the
womb; thou did keep me safe upon my mother's breasts. Upon
thee was I cast from my birth, and since my mother bore me thou
have been my God. (Psalm 22: 1-5, 9-11)
(stand)
Let me, to my latest breath, In
my body bear the death Of your
dying Son divine.
Fac, ut portem Christi
mortem, Passiónis fac
consórtem, Et plagas
recólere.
26

The Thirteenth Station:
Jesus is Taken Down
from the Cross
Leader: We adore you, oh Christ, and we praise you.
All: (kneel) Because by your holy cross you have redeemed
the world.
Leader: (stand) Greater love has no man
than this, that a man lay down his life for
his friends. You are my friends if you do
what I command you. No longer do I call
you servants, for the servant does not
know what his master is doing; but I have
called you friends, for all that I have
heard from my Father I have made known
to you. You did not choose me, but I
chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear
fruit and that your fruit should abide; so that whatever you
ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. This I command
you, to love one another. (Jn 15: 13-17)
Meditation: Death has come. Christ hands over His life and
steps into the abyss. He is lowered from The Cross. Death has
its momentary victory, as in the case of my 90 year old father
who passed away. Who is this? Are you the one so full of life just
days ago? I barely recognize you. Your labored breathing still
echoes in my ears like a limping, distant symphony. I wanted it
to stop for mercy's sake, but I wanted it to go on as a sign you had
not left me. Are these the hands that created, labored and
comforted? How quickly they turn cold as veins disappear and
lifelessness sets in. Your eyes, so easy to look into, remain open
but not seeing, needing help to close in their surrender. I lower
27

them for you, drinking in their color one last time. Your face
which drew me close and helped me to believe in love, now
confronts me with the look of a distant and unknowable horizon.
Bewilderment sets in; fear threatens to devour me. Truths I
believe in seem far away and dreamlike. My heart is pierced, as
was Mary’s, and in that moment, I share a communion of grief
with The Immaculate One. But with love, she had the strength to
bear the full weight of Christ as He was laid in her arms. With
love, her heart was prepared to wash Her Son one final time.
Strengthened by love, I do the same for my father. In love, we
can both say, “It is finished.” Ecce Homo! Behold Christ as He is
lowered from His Cross! Behold the Sacred Body from Whom
all Love flows! From conception to natural death, we belong to
You, O Lord. Lift the shroud from the world’s eyes! In the old
and infirm we care for Christ in His Flesh. When they are lowered
from their crosses, disfigured with age and spent in love, we
behold The Son who “became man and dwelt among us.” Whom
do we take down from the Cross? He is love poured out upon us.
He is reflected in each of us.
All: (kneel) My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the
LORD; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God. Blessed
are the men whose strength is in thee, in whose heart are the
highways to Zion. As they go through the valley of Baca they
make it a place of springs;the early rain also covers it with pools.
They go from strength to strength; the God of gods will be seen
in Zion. For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand elsewhere.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my Godthan
dwell in the tents of wickedness. (Psalm 84:1-2, 5-10)
(stand)
Virgin of all virgins blest!
Listen to my fond request: Let
me share your grief divine.
Virgo vírginum praeclára,
Mihi jam non sis amára:
Fac me tecum plángere.
28

The Fourteenth Station:
Jesus is Laid in the Tomb
Leader: We adore you, oh Christ, and we praise you.
All: (kneel) Because by your holy cross you have redeemed
the world.
Leader: (stand) And he who sat
upon the throne said, "Behold, I make
all things new." Also he said, "Write
this, for these words are trustworthy
and true." And he said to me, "It is
done! I am the Alpha and the Omega,
the beginning and the end. To the
thirsty I will give from the fountain of
the water of life without payment. He who conquers shall
have this heritage, and I will be his God and he shall be my
son. (Rev. 21:5-7)
Meditation: Your body is wrapped, you are laid to rest, stone
rolls on stone, separating you from us. O Jesus, we see you no
more. You are utterly hidden from us. No more words, no
more miracles, no more smiles, no more embraces, only stillness,
and distance, and darkness.
We think of the many who buried themselves in the tomb of
abortion to be covered in despair but have risen again through
your created hope, Oh Lord. Indeed, the grave of abortion
29

invites despair, but you, Lord, have gone before them and give
them the way to victory. The hope you have created in them robs
the tomb of abortion of its power.
We thank you, Lord Jesus, for all the times you raised us up when
we thought there was no tomorrow. Thank You for being the joy
that overcomes sorrow. May we who have been touched by the
power of your steadfast love reach those trapped in the emptiness
of despair that they too may know the fullness of your joy.
All: (kneel) Let me hear what God the LORD will speak, for he
will speak peace to his people, to his saints, to those who turn to
him in their hearts. Surely his salvation is at hand for those who
fear him, that glory may dwell in our land. Steadfast love and
faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each
other. Faithfulness will spring up from the ground, and righteousness
will look down from the sky. Yes, the LORD will give what
is good, and our land will yield its increase. Righteousness will
go before him, and make his footsteps a way. (Psalm 85:8-13)
(stand)
Savior, when my life shall leave
me, Through your mother's
prayers receive me With the
fruits of victory.
Juxta Crucem tecum
stare, Et me tibi sociáre
In planctu desídero.
30

Closing Prayer
Leader: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning
with God; all things were made through him, and without him
was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and
the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness has not overcome it. He was in the world,
and the world was made through him, yet the world knew him
not. He came to his own home, and his own people received
him not. But to all who received him, who believed in his
name, he gave power to become children of God; who were
born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will
of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt
among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory,
glory as of the only Son from the Father. (John 1: 1-5, 10-14)
All: (kneel) I love the LORD, because he has heard my voice
and my supplications. Because he inclined his ear to me,
therefore I will call on him as long as I live. The snares of
death encompassed me; the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me; I
suffered distress and anguish. Then I called on the name of
the LORD: "O LORD, I beseech thee, save my life!" For thou
have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my
feet from stumbling; I walk before the LORD in the land of
the living. I kept my faith, even when I said, "I am greatly
afflicted"; I said in my consternation, "Men are all a vain
hope. "What shall I render to the LORD for all his bounty to
me? I will lift up the cup of salvationand call on the name of
the LORD, I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence
of all his people, in the courts of the house of the LORD, in
your midst, O Jerusalem. (Psalm 116: 1-4, 8-13, 18-19)
31

(stand)
Christus Vincit
Christus vincit, Christus regnat,
Christus, Christus ímperat.
Summo Pontíficiet
universáli Papæ pax,
vita et salus perpétua.
Christus vincit,
Christus regnat, Christus,
Christus ímperat.
Christus vincit, Christus regnat,
Christus, Christus ímperat.
Témpora bona véniant, pax
Christi véniat, regnum Christi
véniat.
Christus vincit, Christus regnat,
Christus, Christus ímperat.
Christ is the victor,
Christ is King, Christ is
the ruler of the world.
To the Supreme Pontiff
and universal Pope,
everlasting peace, life
and salvation.
Christ is the victor,
Christ is King, Christ is
the ruler of the world.
Christ is the victor,
Christ is King, Christ is
the ruler of the world.
May good times come,
May the peace of Christ
come, May the kingdom
of Christ come.
Christ is the victor,
Christ is King, Christ is
the ruler of the world.
32

By the prayers and life-struggles of the families of Holy
Ghost parish, these stations have been made possible. Praised be
Jesus Christ for their dedication and perseverance in the life of
the spirit.
First Station: Peter and Dana Stur and Family
Second Station: Kevin and Linda Walsh and Family
Third Station: Kyle and Jessica Roche and Family
Fourth Station: Andrew and Rachel Schreffler and Family
Fifth Station: Francis and Jeanne Pierson
Sixth Station: Stephen and Elisa Fleischer and Family
Seventh Station: Joseph and Deborah Nowak and Family
Eighth Station: William and Annette Newland
Ninth Station: Greg and Janie Stephan
Tenth Station: Greg and Adriana Frazier and Family
Eleventh Station: Vince and Kristin Palermo and Family
Twelfth Station: Christian and Melissa Brugger and Family
Thirteenth Station: Timothy and Catherine Hubka and Family
Fourteenth Station: Brice and Stephanie Buches and Family
33

The Church of the Holy Ghost
1900 California Street
Denver, CO
303-292-1556
www.holyghostchurch.info
The Church of the Holy Ghost is staffed by:
The Oblates of the Virgin Mary
2 Ipswich Street
Boston, MA 02215
617-536-4141