Stations of the Cross
Lord Jesus was sentenced to death
We bow to You, Lord Jesus Christ, and we bless You because You have deigned to redeem the world through Your Cross and Your Passion.
On the eve of Passover, at 5:30 a.m., a court (Sanhedrin) convened, presided over by Archkalan Joseph Caiaphas, and at 6:00 a.m. Jesus was taken to the palace of Pontius Pilate to the place of Litostrotos (Hebrew: Gabbata)From the Gospel according to St. John 19:6-7/12/16:
When the chief priests and servants saw Jesus, they shouted, “Crucify him! Crucify!” Pilate said to them, “Take Him and crucify Him yourselves! For I find no fault in Him.” The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to the law he must die, because he made himself the Son of God.” From then on Pilate tried to release Him. But the Jews cried out, “If you release Him, you are no friend of Caesar. Whoever makes himself king opposes Caesar.” Then he handed Him over to them to be crucifiedWho suffered wounds for us, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us!
Lord Jesus takes the cross on his shoulders,
We bow to You, Lord Jesus Christ, and we bless You because You have deigned to redeem the world through Your Cross and Your Passion.
The station is located at the wall of the Chapel of Condemnation, near the Basilica of Ecce Homo. From the Gospel according to St. Matthew 27:27-31: Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus with them into the praetorium and gathered the whole cohort around Him. They stripped Him of His clothes and put a scarlet robe on Him. They plaited a crown of thorns and put it on His head and put a reed in His right hand. Then they knelt before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they spit on Him, took a reed and beat Him on the head. And when they had mocked Him, they took off His cloak, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified.Who suffered wounds for us, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us!
Lord Jesus falls under the cross for the first time,
We bow to You, Lord Jesus Christ, and we bless You because You have deigned to redeem the world through Your Cross and Your Passion.
The station was founded by Polish soldiers during the war in Palestine, nearby there is a Franciscan chapel with a cross carried by Bishop Radoński on Good Friday 1941. from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah 53:3 Despised and rejected by people, a man of sorrows, familiar with suffering, like someone from whom one hides one’s face, despised so much that we treated Him as nothing.Who suffered wounds for us, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us!
Lord Jesus meets his Mother,
We bow to You, Lord Jesus Christ, and let us tell you that You have deigned to redeem Your world through the Cross and Passion.
The station was founded in 1957 by Poles, sculpture by Tadeusz Zieliński. Between the 3rd and 4th stations there is the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary Spasmos (Meetings), a church built in the 5th century. At the 4th station there was a triptych by the Gdańsk goldsmith and amber craftsman Mariusz Drapikowski, “The Woman from Jerusalem – Queen of Peace”.from the Gospel of St. Luke 2:34
Behold, this is for a case against many in Israel, and as a sign someone will object. And the sword will pierce the member of the family, so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.You stayed for us, suffered wounds, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us!
Simon the Cyrene helps Jesus carry the cross,
We bow to You, Lord Jesus Christ, and we bless You because You have deigned to redeem the world through Your Cross and Your Passion.
This place is commemorated by a small 19th-century chapel. (A Franciscan monastery once stood here).From the Gospel according to St. Luke 23:26:
When they had brought Him out, they stopped a certain Simon of Cyrene who was returning from the field, and they put a cross on him so that he could carry it with Jesus.Who suffered wounds for us, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us!
Veronica wipes Jesus’ face,
We bow to You, Lord Jesus Christ, and we bless You because You have deigned to redeem the world through Your Cross and Your Passion.
From this station the road goes steeply uphill.From the Book of the Prophet Isaiah 53:2-3:
He had neither grace nor splendor to look at, nor appearance to please us. Despised and rejected by people, a man of sorrows, familiar with suffering, like someone from whom one hides his face, despised so much that we treated Him as nothing.Who suffered wounds for us, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us!
Lord Jesus falls for the second time under the weight of the cross,
We bow to You, Lord Jesus Christ, and we bless You because You have deigned to redeem the world through Your Cross and Your Passion.
Nearby there is a Franciscan chapel and a column (7 m high) from the Cardo Maximus colonnade. This was the end of the old walled Jerusalem, which led out through a gate.From the Book of the Prophet Isaiah 53:5:
But He gave Himself our suffering. He bore our sorrows, and we considered Him condemned, beaten by God and trampled upon. But He was pierced for our sins, crushed for our iniquities. Upon Him came the chastisement that saved us, and in His wounds we are healed.Who suffered wounds for us, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us!
Lord Jesus comforts crying women,
We bow to You, Lord Jesus Christ, and we bless You because You have deigned to redeem the world through Your Cross and Your Passion.
Station on the wall of the Greek monastery of St. Karalambosa.From the Gospel according to St. Luke 23:27-29.31:
And a multitude of people followed Him, including women, wailing and weeping over Him. But Jesus turned to them and said, Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; rather weep for yourselves and for your children! For behold, the days will come when they will say, “Happy are the barren wombs that have not given birth, and the breasts that have not given birth.”… For if they do this to a green tree, what will become of a dry one?Who suffered wounds for us, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us!
Lord Jesus falls under the cross for the third time,
We bow to You, Lord Jesus Christ, and we bless You because You have deigned to redeem the world through Your Cross and Your Passion.
The last station before the Church of the Holy SepulchreFrom the Book of Psalms 35:15-16:
And now that I am delighted, they rejoice; they come together, gather against me, to strike a blow unexpectedly; they harass me continually, they shamefully mock and mock me, and they gnash their teeth at me.Who suffered wounds for us, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us!
Lord Jesus stripped of his clothes
We bow to You, Lord Jesus Christ, and we bless You because You have deigned to redeem the world through Your Cross and Your Passion.
Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Orthodox Chapel of the Crucifixion. The place of crucifixion in Aramaic is Golgotha, which means “skull”. So called probably because of the round shape of this rock and its smooth surface.From the Book of the Prophet Isaiah 53:4-5:
But He gave Himself our suffering. He bore our sorrows, and we considered Him condemned, beaten by God and trampled upon. But He was pierced for our sins, crushed for our iniquities. Upon Him came the chastisement that saved us, and in His wounds we are healed.Who suffered wounds for us, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us!
Lord Jesus nailed to the cross
We bow to You, Lord Jesus Christ, and we bless You because You have deigned to redeem the world through Your Cross and Your Passion.
Orthodox chapel of the Crucifixion in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, around 3 p.mFrom the Gospel according to St. Mark 15:25-27:
And it was the third hour when they crucified Him. There was also an inscription stating His guilt, arranged as follows: “King of the Jews.” With Him they crucified two thieves, one on His right and one on His left.Who suffered wounds for us, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us!
The death of Jesus on the cross
We bow to You, Lord Jesus Christ, and we bless You because You have deigned to redeem the world through Your Cross and Your Passion.
A station in the Greek chapel of Death on the Cross (Orthodox) above the rock in which the Savior’s cross was placed. Under the altar there is a round plate with a hole through which you can touch the rock.From the Gospel according to St. John 19:28-30:
Jesus, it is known that everything has already been accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst.” There was a vessel full of vinegar there. So they put a sponge soaked in vinegar on hyssop and put it into his mouth. And when Jesus had tasted the vinegar, he said, “It is finished.” And bowing his head, he gave up his spirit.Who suffered wounds for us, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us!
Lord Jesus taken down from the cross
We bow to You, Lord Jesus Christ, and we bless You because You have deigned to redeem the world through Your Cross and Your Passion.
Church of the Holy Sepulchre, small Franciscan altar of Our Lady of Sorrows, a small fragment of the Golgotha rock exposed under the altar, between the Greek chapel of the Death on the Cross (station XII) and the Latin chapel of the Crucifixion (stations X and XI)From the Gospel according to St. Mark 15:42-46
Already in the evening, because it was Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, came Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the Council, who also looked forward to the kingdom of God. He boldly went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. Pilate was surprised that he was already dead. He ordered the centurion to be summoned and asked him how long ago he had died. Reassured by the centurion, he delivered the body to Joseph.Who suffered wounds for us, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us!
Lord Jesus placed in the grave
We bow to You, Lord Jesus Christ, and we bless You because You have deigned to redeem the world through Your Cross and Your Passion.
Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the current Sanctuary built in 1809-1810 by the Greek, Armenian, Roman Catholic and Coptic communities.From the Gospel according to St. Matthew 27:59-60:
Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his new tomb, which he had carved out of the rock. He rolled a large stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and left. But Mary Magdalene and the other Mary remained there, sitting in front of the tomb.Who suffered wounds for us, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us!
The end of the Way of the Cross is the beginning of the mystery of Resurrection, which Christians will celebrate in just two days – on Easter.