Sign of the Cross
Opening Prayers
You expired, Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls, and the ocean of mercy opened for the whole world. O Fount of Life, unfathomable Divine Mercy, envelop the whole world and empty Yourself out upon us.
O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of mercy for us, I trust in You. (3X)
Our Father, Hail Mary, Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell; on the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from there He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.
Reflection
As the executioner drives a thick, cruel spike through Jesus’ hand, He cries out, and His Mother’s cry echoes His own. As the hammering continues, Jesus stifles His cries so as to spare His Mother further pain, and only small, mewing sounds escape from His lips.
LEAD: “Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.”
ALL: “For the sake of His Sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.” (10X)
Reflection
For three long hours, Jesus’ body is mostly borne by His mangled hands, torn from top to bottom by the cruel spikes, muscles, tendons, and nerves mashed into a bloody pulp. And You told one of the saints that You would undergo the Passion all over again to save one soul. One soul. Your ways are so far above our ways.
LEAD: “Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.”
ALL: “For the sake of His Sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.” (10X)
Reflection
A burly brute brutally jams Jesus’ feet together so the executioner can pound the long spike through Jesus’ muscled feet, yet Jesus continues to muffle His cries to spare His Mother further pain. I can scarcely comprehend how He could do so while in such agony, but His love for His Mother, and for us, made it possible. And incredibly, His love is eternal.
LEAD: “Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.”
ALL: “For the sake of His Sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.” (10X)
Reflection
As a crucifixion wears on, the victim’s chest is thrust forward, the diaphragm pressing upward against the lungs, making it impossible to breathe.
Jesus is forced to push Himself up with His bleeding, mangled feet against that spike, magnifying His already excruciating pain. When the end is near, the soldiers break the two thieves’ knees, preventing them from breathing. But the soldiers did not have to brutalize Jesus. He had already shed every drop of His Blood for us mortals, even while we are still in sin.
LEAD: “Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.”
ALL: “For the sake of His Sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.” (10X)
Reflection
Jesus cries out, “It is finished,” and He gives up His soul. Earthquakes rumble and a solar eclipse darkens the sky, and the Roman centurion prophetically professes, “Surely this was the Son of God.”
It is hard to grasp what immense love the Son of God has for us mere mortals to undergo such incredible suffering. Dear Jesus, how can we ever thank You? Scripture tells us, “Obey My Commandments.” Basically, to quit sinning.
LEAD: “Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.”
ALL: “For the sake of His Sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.” (10X)
Closing Prayer
ALL: Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments, we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy Itself. Amen.
ALL: “Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.” (3X) ALL: The Sign of the Cross